We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eric Weiss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Eric, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I have found that one’s guiding light comes from that which inspired you as a youth or the thing you wish you always had. What kid isn’t excited by Valiant Knights and Cunning Swashbucklers be it from novels, games or movies. Most kids also want to take archery or karate lessons after the latest blockbuster film. But where are the Sword Fighting classes?
On my journey I passed through the doors of theaters, dojos, film sets, fencing clubs and from character qualities to martial principles I found that they all shared repeating qualities. Bravery, Discipline, Resilience, Brains over brawn, a strong sense of justice with the guts to do something about it. Characters that are inspiring, daring, a model of virtue, someone you wish you could be like. Suffice to say it rubbed off and soon I was teaching others to brandish blades and walk with confidence. I love watching people find their inner adventurer and pulling it to the surface.
“Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.”
― C.S. Lewis
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the Founder and Head Instructor at Valiant: School of Arms. Our programs empower students to meet fitness goals, pursue mastery in martial arts, and engage the mind and body in a fun and unique way. We offer classes on a diverse selection of weapon arts, including: Rapier, Longsword, Sword & Shield, dagger, wrestling, and spear.
Our Mission:
At Valiant our goal is to revive the rich martial traditions of Medieval and Early Modern Europe. Our curriculum is founded on the teachings of combat manuals produced during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, covering a wide array of weapons and techniques used by the fighting men and women of those periods.
It is also our goal to revive the spirit and ideals of these fighting systems, from the code of chivalry of medieval knights to the dueling etiquette of early-modern nobility. We believe that they do have a value in our contemporary society, by encouraging personal development and furthering respect amongst individuals of all walks of life.
Participation in historical martial arts at Valiant is a vibrant contemporary practice, not re-enactment or role-playing. Our aim is not to pretend that we are people who live in a bygone era; rather, we believe that study and practice connects us with these martial traditions in a thoroughly modern way.
Our Motto: Arte, Ardore, Onore
The three Middle Italian words that comprise our motto exemplify the values we strive to foster:
Arte is our dedication to martial arts as just that: an art form. We push ourselves to hone our skills as its practitioners, to study the primary-source combat manuals and learn from our teachers.
Ardore is our effort and passion for the martial arts that we practise, which we work to share with others and express ourselves in the diverse society around us.
Onore is our honour, our respect for ourselves and each other as fellow students and teachers, from novices to masters and people of all backgrounds. It is also respect of the weapons that we wield, the martial systems themselves, and the power and ideas that they represent.
Everyday at Valiant our classes perform the school salute, which involves the recitation of the motto. In doing so, we strive to keep the ideals of Arte, Ardore, Onore fresh in our minds, and keep us connected as members of a community.
Our Values:
Welcoming | Valiant is inclusive and friendly. This is a place where people of all backgrounds and abilities can engage with history and martial arts.
Physical | Students are sent home pleasantly sweaty and satisfied from our classes. This is swordplay in the real world not just in your heads. Fitness and activity are the keys to our physical well-being.
Authentic | The arts we teach are based on a historic tradition. We honour this history by using historic training tools and by practicing a true martial art with the care and discipline expected by its first teachers. In turn we foster an environment for our staff and students to be their truest and best selves.
Empowering | We give students the tools to be their own best teacher, and encourage them to realize their capabilities and their own personal power to shape their character.
Demonstrations:
Valiant is more than a school. We strive to educate the public about the rich and sophisticated martial traditions of Western Civilization, and to encourage scholarly research into martial arts and military history. Above all we want to foster passion and inspiration toward the pursuit of personal mastery
We have made appearances at local colleges, the Dallas Museum of Art, and later this year in July we will be performing a Historical Fencing Demonstration at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth for their exhibit on the Battle of Pavia.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Principle Based Learning In whatever subject you wish to pursue, endeavor to know it from it’s fundamental principles. It may not be as flashy but you will unlock the ability to walk into other branches of your craft with a higher base of competency. My knowledge of the proper body mechanics in fencing has allowed me to walk into other martial arts and even learn ballroom dancing with considerable ease.
Resilience
Life isn’t easy on any of us. We all have our challenges. The biggest of these is keeping your personal pursuit alive when the practicalities of life bog you down. The first thing everyone does is cut their extracurricular activities when they start drowning, when in truth, that ‘thing’ is what gives you a breath of air. Hold on to what you are passionate about like a life raft in a storm and it will carry you through.
Action
“Plans without action, dream things. Plans with action, achieve things.”
Even in failure you learn how it didn’t work and that is achieving the knowledge of how to do better next time. The worst feeling is the one of knowing you never tried.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Museums, Schools/ Homeschool co-ops, Colleges, Festivals, or Conventions. If you’re looking for entertainment, education or a little of both we can serve your needs. Be it on the subject of these Martial Arts, the history surrounding them, or the teachings and philosophy of the masters of defense. For example: the principles of fencing are rooted in Geometry and leverage, so a demo on Physics with knights in armor is very doable. Even Book Releases, should they involve a sword or the time period. We are also open to writers, artists or game developers that are looking for insight.
We love to educate, entertain and inspire as many as we can with what it means to take up the sword, physically or symbolically, and begin your adventure.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valiantfencing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Valiantfencing/
