The Sword Guy Podcast

theswordguy
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Guy Windsor and friends discuss sword training, historical swordsmanship, research, and other topics. Guests include well-known instructors and experts in the field. You can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy.

  1. APR 17

    Capoferro, AI, and the missing zero, with Dr Marc Heimann

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-217-capoferro-ai-and-the-missing-zero-with-dr-marc-heimann  To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy Dr Marc Heimann is a Philosopher of Technology in Hamburg whose work formalizes the intersection of continental logic and the operational mechanics of large language models. (It’ll all become clear in the episode.) We discuss the ethical implications of AI in enhancing human capabilities versus diminishing them, particularly for students. We also delve into the relationship between Freudian language theory and modern AI. Despite its current limitations, there’s also a very interesting potential for AI use in historical martial arts research, where we could use it to provide new insights without modern biases. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of swordy stuff mixed in with the AI! Marc is also a practicing historical martial artist, and we connected over Capoferro’s theory of tempo. Books and papers mentioned in the episode: The History of Zero: The Nothing That Is (Kaplan, 1999).

 Kaplan, Robert. 1999. The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero. Oxford University Press. The Impetus Theory: Maier, Anneliese (1940). Die Impetustheorie Der Scholastik. While this isn't in English, it is widely considered by specialists to be the definitive work on the subject.
 Maier, Anneliese. 1940. Die Impetustheorie Der Scholastik. A. Schroll & Co. Engineering Margins & Philosophy: Research on the "problem of margins" (Eckert et al., 2019) and the broader philosophy of engineering (Aslaksen, 2018; Boon, 2021).
 Eckert, Claudia, Ola Isaksson, and Chris Earl. 2019. “Design Margins: A Hidden Issue in Industry.” Design Science https://doi.org/10.1017/dsj.2019.7. Aslaksen, Eric W. 2018. “An Engineer’s Approach to the Philosophy of Engineering.” In Philosophy of Engineering, East and West, edited by Carl Mitcham, Bocong LI, Byron Newberry, and Baichun ZHANG. Springer International Publishing. Boon, Mieke. 2021. “Scientific Methodology in the Engineering Sciences.” In The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Engineering, edited by Diane P. Michelfelder and Neelke Doorn. Routledge Handbooks in Philosophy. Taylor & Francis Group. Freud & AI: Marc’s paper that goes into much greater detail regarding transformer models and what it means for psychoanalysis. 
 Heimann, Marc. 2026. “Freudian AI?: Transformer Models as a Proof of Concept for a Central Hypothesis in Freudian Theory.” Lacunae: APPI International Journal for Lacanian Psychoanalysis, no. 29. The Stillness of the Sword: Tempo as a logic of time: Marc Heimann’s paper explores the concepts of tempo and stillness in the works of 16th- and 17th-century fencing masters Fabris, Capo Ferro, and Agrippa.

    2h 20m

  2. APR 3

    Making seated longsword work, with Ella Rose

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-216-making-seated-longsword-work-with-ella-rose To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy Ella Rose has been practicing historical martial arts since 2017. In 2023 she founded Black Cat Historical Fencing with co-founder Shane Scallin, where she teaches dagger, rapier and beginner longsword classes. She has competed across the US and internationally, and she has won medals in multiple weapon categories. Ella is the lead tournament organizer of Iron Gate Exhibition, Benedict's Big Day, and Long Tail. Ella has worked in many minority-focused spaces, both within historical martial arts and in her career as an illustrator. Having dealt with chronic illness and disability her entire martial arts career, she led the creation of BCHF's seated fencing practice, one of the first of its kind. And in 2025 she organized the first seated longsword tournament, and she aims to continue pushing the HEMA community further towards inclusion for all athletes. In our conversation we talk about dealing with chronic illness, especially within HEMA, and the adaptations that Ella makes to her training and recovery time. This is a useful conversation for anyone involved in running a club, or thinking of starting one, because we talk about what to charge students, and the ethos that will help make your club inclusive and welcoming. We talk about the adaptations salles should make so they become places where people can hang out and still be part of the community, even if they are not actively taking part in a session. Most clubs are not going to be equipped with disability accommodations already in place, so we discuss how coaches can support students with different needs, and what a club can do to actively show that people with disabilities are welcome. We also hear about the fascinating process of adapting historical martial arts to seated fencing: how to adapt the system, how to create suitable seats and where to position people, and how a seated fencer can fence against someone standing up.   Links of Interest BCHF Website: https://www.blackcathistoricalfencing.com/ BCHF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackcathistoricalfencing/   Ella’s art website: https://www.icecubesanddragonfire.com/ Ella’s art Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icecubesanddragonfire/?hl=en To see the graphic novel mentioned: https://markosia.com/2025/08/18/emily-corn-vol-2-part-1-finding-the-light-out-now/   IGX 2026 Ruleset, which include the most up to date seated fencing rules Ella has written: https://irongateexhibition.com/tournaments-spring/   Utah Fencing Federation: https://www.utahfencingfoundation.org/   For photos from Long Tail 2026, including photos of their seated longsword tournament see https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-216-making-seated-longsword-work-with-ella-rose

    2h 3m

  3. MAR 20

    The pen and the sword of justice, with Ariel Anderssen

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-215-the-pen-and-the-sword-of-justice-with-ariel-anderssen To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy This episode sees the return of Ariel Anderssen, who is a model, actor, author, property investor, and is perhaps best known for her career as a BDSM model and performer. Of course, her principal claims to fame are actually appearing on episodes 93 and 102 of this very show. We do talk about swords a bit… what sword would be a worthy reward for finishing a book, and Guy’s smallsword obsession. (Read about his smallsword guards and see pictures here: https://newsletter.swordschool.com/posts/a-joint-a-church-and-six-foil-guards)   Ariel is ostensibly on the show to talk about her new book Dirty. This is her second memoir, and you can read the blurb below. We talk about a lot more than just the book though, including taking part in hijack simulation exercises in Nigeria, the double standards for actors in drama and in porn, chokeholds, coping with change, being recognised by policemen, and more. Pre-order Dirty here: https://ariel-anderssen-author.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-the-ebook-of-dirty Ariel Anderssen lives in a big Georgian house in a little Welsh town and spends her days creating homemade tweed outfits, jam tarts, and niche fetish movies.  Her marriage is a harmonious delight, her sex life thrilling (though not strictly monogamous), and her past, a quagmire of child abuse and religious zealotry. At 47, Ariel is at the peak of her career as a submissive BDSM performer, travelling the world to shoot kinky movies with her friends.  This year, just like any other, she’s busy with bondage and spanking photoshoots, experimenting with unwise cosmetic procedures and having a series of wildly kinky sexual encounters in hotel rooms across Europe with an enigmatic dominant gentleman. Unlike any other year, Ariel is also coming to terms with the realisation that she and her two siblings were abused throughout their childhoods. Traumatic memories from her past threaten her equilibrium as she re-establishes contact with her younger brother and becomes determined to find justice for all three siblings. Her past and present collide, as she addresses the possibility that her experiences of abuse have informed her sexual identity. Will her history make her forever feel DIRTY? Or this year, can she find a way to feel clean again?

    2h 25m

  4. MAR 6

    Swords in your Seventies, with Deborah Fisher

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-214-swords-in-your-seventies-with-deborah-fisher  To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy Deborah Fisher is a member and instructor with the Whidbey Swordplay Association, a historical martial arts club on Whidbey Island, a ferry ride north of Seattle, Washington. She specializes in rapier and small sword. Knighted as Dame Virago, she is a former assistant director and instructor for the Seattle Knights, the Pacific Northwest’s premier sword fighting and jousting theatrical troupe. And as Captain Highjack, she is the former leader of a very scurvy and entertaining band of pirates known as the Pirates of Puget Sound. We talk about how and why Deborah got into swords at the age of 50, and what her current training looks like in her 70s. We discuss how some physical and mental abilities change as you age, but how one’s peak is still an attainable future goal. Deborah is a professional writer, specializing in instructional materials for teachers, health-care practitioners, and community youth advocates. She has written six books on positive youth development and served as a national trainer for the Minneapolis-based Search Institute. She is also a co-author of Stamp of the Century, a nonfiction book about the history of flight and a famous airmail postage stamp called the Inverted Jenny. Two of Guy’s blog posts mentioned in this episode are 100 Days No Booze Results: What Really Changed (and What Didn’t) and You’re probably holding your sword wrong. Here’s why. Find out more about the Whidbey Swordplay Association at: https://whidbeyswordplayassociation.com/

    2h 2m

  5. FEB 20

    Armoured Martial Arts, with Jenny Häbry

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-213-armoured-martial-arts-with-jenny-habry To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy Jenny Häbry is an armoured martial arts competitor who has crowned UK's best female fighter in both 2022 and 2024, and again in 2025. And since 2024 has served as the Women's National captain. She has founded her own team, and her favourite discipline is pro fighting, where she remains undefeated. In 2025 she secured three World Championship gold medals, further cementing her place as one of the sport's leading fighters. Jenny also travels worldwide, sharing her expertise and passion through teaching. She runs Armoured Martial Arts Nottingham with UK men’s team captain Daniel Winter. In our conversation, we find out what the modern sport of Armoured Martial Arts involves; the different elements of competition, the physical risks, how Jenny trains, and what this very small sport needs to grow. We also hear about her titanium armour! Jenny also tells us about her recent trip to America, where the sport is much more popular. Here’s a photo of her winning the crown in the first female five-round championship fight: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-213-armoured-martial-arts-with-jenny-habry Find Armoured Martial Arts Nottingham here: https://www.armouredmartialartsnottingham.com/

    1h 36m

  6. FEB 6

    Physio for Ninjas, with Erick Ellison

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-212-physio-for-ninjas-with-erick-ellison  To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy This episode is with Erick Ellison, who is a Bujinkan instructor and physiotherapist in Helsinki Finland. Regular listeners will already have heard of him as the person who fixed very old injuries in my shoulder, my knee, my neck and various other places. He qualified as a physiotherapist in 2007 and has been running his own practice since 2012. His list of professional credentials is both very long and very varied, incorporating modern medicine and traditional Japanese approaches. In our conversation we talk about the history of Ninja, their strategies and techniques, and some of the misconceptions around them. We also talk about physiotherapy and the training involved, and how a practitioner like Erick chooses which technique to use on a person. Erick also shares a set of movements called the Five Tibetan Rites, which he believes are a great general guideline for maintaining strength and flexibility. You can find Erick online here: https://www.fysiosakura.fi/

    1h 33m

  7. JAN 23

    Embodying martial arts in an aging body, with Jess Finley

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-211-embodying-martial-arts-in-an-aging-body-with-jess-finley  To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy The inestimable Jess Finley is back on the podcast! If you’re not aware of her work, she has written a wonderful book about medieval wrestling, starred in several of my online courses, and we recently collaborated on an online course about Von Baumann’s wrestling. On her Patreon account, she produces translations, interpretations, previews of books in progress and videos. She also teaches swords around the world. We start by talking about travelling with knives and guns, before moving onto the main topic, which is looking at the ways to mitigate the downsides of aging as we train and get older. One of the main things to work out is understanding the difference between discomfort and dysfunction, i.e. is this pain OK, or have I catastrophically injured myself? And at what point should I listen to the fear? We talk about what lessons a long term martial arts practice has given us in our daily lives, especially when dealing with life’s big moments. Links of interest: Jess Finley on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessfinley/ Books and publications: https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Jessica_Finley Von Baumann wrestling course: https://swordschool.teachable.com/p/medieval-german-wrestling-the-twirchringen-of-von-baumann How Emotions are Made, by Lisa Feldman Barrett: https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/books/how-emotions-are-made/ The book that Jess and Guy discuss about the Olympic athletes was Howard Schatz’s Athlete.

    1h 57m

  8. JAN 9

    From Homeschool to Author, with Amos Wilson

    For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to: https://swordschool.shop/blogs/podcast/episode-210-from-homeschool-to-author-with-amos-wilson  To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy Amos Christian Wilson is an independent Christian author, poet and musician. He is also a home school graduate and third born of 12 who loves reading, the outdoors, theology and history. He went from high school to a wide range of trade jobs, from carpentry to piano tuning to horse shoeing. He seeks to write books which centre around religious characters and immersive world building. In our conversation we talk about growing up as one of 12 and being homeschooled, and how a picture book about arms and armour sparked Amos’s love of swords, followed by a Fiore manual from a homeschool organisation’s catalogue of “toys for growing men”. We talk about some of the different jobs Amos has done over the years to support his true career as a writer. He describes his four-book Gwambi series as Treasure Island meets Chronicles of Narnia, with maybe a little bit of Charles Dickens thrown in there. You can find Amos on Substack and download a free ebook there. Or find out more on his website, https://www.acwilson.net.  As Amos isn’t a historical martial artist, he has a different idea of what he would do with $1 million, and it’s one that Guy is fascinated by.

    1h 36m
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4.9
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Guy Windsor and friends discuss sword training, historical swordsmanship, research, and other topics. Guests include well-known instructors and experts in the field. You can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy.

Information

  • Creator
    theswordguy
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    217
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Sword Guy Podcast

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