Vineyard of Swords
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 In Vino Veritas | ||||
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 (Fieldless) A rapier argent entwined with a grapevine proper. |
In Vino Veritas – In Wine There Is Truth
The crafting of wine is an art form and imbibing it is a joy. The sharing of wine creates a bond between mankind, and it exists in all times and all places.
A vineyard is a place of beauty and growth, but only if well tended to. And this is my hope to create in our own community, a place of richness and growth, full of production and depth. A place where we share together and join in each others’ subtleties, as well as our own.
A place that is guided by these founding principles: Commitment, Honesty, and Integrity.
Commitment – Commitment is a strong charge. To be committed, one must put it to the forefront of their priorities. Commitment to Oneself. Commitment to the Art. Commitment to the Community.
Honesty – Without Honesty, there is no Truth. Learning in Truth means putting aside your ego. None of us truly know all there is. We must explore together, keeping our minds open to all possibilities. We must filter those through the lens of experience and application. We must listen to others and seek the Truth in ourselves and in all things. Falsehoods and Flattery are worthless to a true practitioner of the Art.
Integrity – Integrity is in all that we do and all that we are. It is consistency in our values and our actions. We share respect for those who taught us what we know. And we pass our knowledge with no strings. We do not keep secrets from others in order to use it against them later, but share freely, making those around us better, and making us better in return.
Come share a glass or a bottle, there’s always room at the table.
School of Fence
In order to encourage those who wish to dedicate themselves to these Arts the Vineyard has established a School of Fence. Here, attendees will explore the paths of Historical Combat, Philosophy, and Leadership. The curriculum is designed to motivate the students to drive their own learning through research and reading along with regular assistance and feedback from learned instructors who have been down the path themselves.
Dean- Maestro Lot Ramirez
Professor
- Maestro Giacomo Cavalli da Treviso (Honorary Gran Professore)
- Maestro Rhydderch Derwen - (Italian Rapier/Giganti, Saber)
Instructors
- Maestro Diego Antonio de Palma -(Italian Rapier/Capo Ferro)
- Master Alesone Gray of Cranlegh - (German Longsword & Dusack/Meyer)
Scholars
- Maestra Mora Ottavia Spadera (Student of Lot Ramirez)
Students
- Lord Quintin Lawless (Student of Lot Ramirez)
- THL Raphael ben Gideon (Student of Lot Ramirez)
- THL Jarijch van Den Helder (Student of Lot Ramirez)
- THL Valeria Cabrielli (Student of Lot Ramirez)
- Lord Diago de las Casas (Student of Lot Ramirez)
Novice
- TH Emil Camus (Student of Rhydderch Derwin)
- Lady Beatrix Honeybourne (Student of Diego de Palma)
- Lord Solomon Upir Karamzin (Student of Alesone Gray)
Absent
- Lady Zhivana Igorevna (deceased)
- Lord Wolferam Zenthffeer (hiatus)
- Lord Jacob de Groot (hiatus)
School of Art & Science
Dean- Master Alesone Gray of Cranlegh
Instructors
- THL Valeria Cabrielli - Calligraphy & Illumination
Ranks and Insignia
Participation in the Vineyard School is denoted by a garter worn at the left knee or elbow, per personal preference, though it should be visible. Rank is denoted by the color and decoration of the garter.
Novice – Solid Blue Garter
A Novice is someone who is starting their journey in the Vineyard. They have done one thing that shows their commitment to the path, and have chosen to follow it. A Novice is responsible only to themselves, to begin their education with commitment to become a better artist. They are to open their minds to the possibilities that can be learned and to dispose of prejudices that may interfere with their ability to seek and see the Truth in the art and themselves.
Student – Blue garter, Gold lettering ‘In Vino Veritas’
A Student has shown a dedication to the learning process. They have completed multiple basic assignments, including multiple Philosophical Texts. Have finished, at least, a cursory reading of one Historical Combat text (even if they don't have a real sense of understanding). Have started incorporating. Historical Style and are gaining insight through practice and feedback from peers and Instructors. Students are responsible to themselves and the Art. They are the examples for the Novices of what they should be doing. Participation is key. This is still the stage of asking questions, but also working to find answers. This is in many ways, the most important phase of one's learning process, they should be pushed and accept feedback readily. Getting their feet wet teaching a basic class on the subject of their journey, as well as getting involved in the community are fundamental to moving past this stage.
Scholar – Blue garter, Gold lettering ‘In Vino Veritas’, Red tips
Scholars have shown fundamental knowledge of a Historical style, and have begun answering deeper questions. They have shown the ability to instruct others in that form and have shown a drive to share that knowledge and insight with the community.Scholars become responsible to their commitment to the community as well as themselves. They should be looking for new ways to share the knowledge they gained during their phase as a Student, while keeping an open mind to new and innovative ways of looking at the texts. Sharing these ideas is fundamental to this stage.
Instructor – Purple garter, Gold lettering ‘In Vino Veritas’
Have demonstrated a strong understanding of, at least, 1 Historical Fencing text or A&S subject area, and the ability to teach and instruct.Instructors focus is to spreading their knowledge to the Community and increasing their own knowledge and understanding of the art, often by cross-training in a different martial form/style or A&S subject area.
Professor – Purple garter, Gold lettering ‘In Vino Veritas’, Red Tips
Have achieved Instructor-ship level in 2 or more forms. Professors have no additional responsibilities than Instructors, except to provide teaching and instruction in multiple forms.
Dean – Purple garter, Gold lettering ‘In Vino Veritas’, White Tips
Our Deans have demonstrated Instructor-ship in multiple forms and love to teach. Oversees the curriculum of various areas of study, helps motivate and push students and instructors. They provide encouragement and assist in access to resources. They are never stagnate, but continue to grow and evolve as artisans and teachers.
Head - White garter, Gold lettering “In Vino Veritas’, Purple Tips
The Head of The Vineyard gets to enjoy the company of some really cool people and see them grow into awesome leaders and teachers. They provide encouragement to students, teachers, while overseeing both schools.
