Dos Pueblos High School’s Longsword Dueling Seminar is run by International Baccalaureate History and Film Studies Teacher Adam Shive, who is self-described as a “giant nerd.” The seminar is currently only available to students in the spring semester, and there are currently 25 students enrolled.
The idea of longsword dueling was originally shared by Shive and DPHS Physics Teacher Joshua LaForge, who both wanted to be a part of an enrichment seminar.
“I just threw [the idea] out there, and then, [Laforge] was like, ‘Oh, I want to do that, too,’” Shive said. “He hasn’t been able to so far because he’s been really busy, but maybe he’ll start [running the seminar] that in the fall, and I’ll do mine in the spring.”
Over the course of a session at the Longsword Dueling Seminar, students can learn a new guard position and how they arrive in that position during a duel. Currently, Shive said students are practicing the “cut and thrust” maneuver, which is the last position they need to learn before moving into “slow dueling.”
“Once [students] get confident with [foam swords] and they’re really wailing on each other with the foam blades, then we’re ready to put on protective gear and duel with the wasters,” Shive said. “The swords [they are using now are] only a pound underweight for a real sword. [Students] have to wear helmets [and] wear gauntlets to protect [themselves] … they’ll fight in that so they’ll get bruised, but they’re not going to get hurt. It’s like football; you get bruised.”
Lillian Gren (12) is a new member of the seminar who joined this year, and she said she has really enjoyed her time there.
“I was in the D&D seminar my junior year with a couple of friends, and we would see them practicing longsword dueling outside during that seminar,” Gren said. “I also noticed that it was an option for the spring seminar only, so I went back and forth about it … [and I] decided I was gonna do it senior year, so that’s how I’m here.”
Gren said she enjoys the disciplined and focused environment of the seminar as well as the exercise it gives her.
“It’s been really fun,” Gren said. “I am always very sweaty by the end of it. It is more of a workout than you would think.”
According to Shive, Longsword dueling isn’t the only seminar idea he has had in the works, as his “primary love” has always been horse archery.
“I’ve been trying to get the administration for years to let me run an archery seminar,” Shive said. “They are not keen on the idea of people shooting arrows, so instead, I said, ‘Let me try longsword dueling.’”
Shive shared his “elevator pitch” for anyone on the fence about joining the seminar.
“Do you like Lord of the Rings?” Shive said. “Do you like swords? Do you want to hit someone with one? Do you mind being hit with one? [Then], join longsword dueling.
***An earlier version of this article included an unintentional interview transcript. Updated 4/16/24
