Choreography, Teaching and Swordfighting Experience of Steaphen Fick

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Bringing the feel of danger with the safety of theater is my passion. I want to bring the historic techniques of combat and violence to the stage and screen so the audience can feel the excitement of combat in the show.

 

In 1998 I joined a company of people touring through California performing in fully armoured tournaments.  While in armour I have competed in full contact tournaments, as well as demonstrating the use and mobility of the armour.  We would average five events per year, six shows per event and three fights per show.  I maintained this schedule for approximately 11 years.  I also practiced in the training fights as well as the tournament fights.  In the 11 years, of the training and tournaments, I had over 1900 fights. 

 

After the tournament company disbanded, I began training with the lighter weapons.  I trained with the Rapier and Dagger, the Single Rapier and the Spada di Filo.  I traveled to the UK to study with Maestro Paul Macdonald in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1999.  I have also competed in tournaments at various reenactments around the UK.  I began studying the Rapier and Dagger and became a recognized authority on the system of Joseph Swetnam (1617) and have used Swetnam’s system in four international Rapier and Dagger tournaments.  I have won the last two tournaments I entered and made it to the finals of a third.

 

I started Davenriche European Martial Artes School in June of 2000.  I teach adults and children from age 9-79 the historic use of the Longsword, the Rapier and Dagger, the Single Rapier, the Rondel, the Spada di Filo, and the Military Sabre.  I currently have a school in Santa Clara and Morgan Hill, California. 

 

I began the Renaissance Fencing Camp to provide four days of instruction to the enthusiasts of California six years ago.  This camp is designed to give the novice an in depth introduction to a variety of weapons.  In the camp we introduce the students to one weapon per day.  For the last two years I have flown other instructors in so I could expand the camp. 

 

I also sit on the board of directors of a non-profit that helps fighters and organizations in che combat sport HMB (Historic Medieval Battle) called Company of the Gauntlet and Rose. The goal of the company is to promote the development and competition of HMB, to help plan, organize, promote and coordinate the financial and logistical support for travel, lodging and venues for HMB in a tournament setting. 

 

Author of The Beginner’s Guide to the Long Sword European Martial Arts Weaponry Techniques

                The Secret Language of Conflict

                Be S.A.F.E.:  Practical Protection for the Modern World

 

 

 

Skills

 

  • Longsword                                                              Sabre (Military)                     

  • Sword and Buckler                                                   Flail / mace

  • Rapier                                                                     Rapier and Dagger

  • Jute de la Hache / Pole Ax                                       Dagger / knife

  • Spada di Filo / Cut and Thrust Sword                      Quarter Staff                          

  • Western Quick Draw                                                Spear

 

Television

 

  • Performed in Spilt Blood                                                         Carlton TV               1999

  • choreographed Disney’s Allstar Weekend video:                     Disney Channel       2010

            ‘A Different Side of Me’ music video   

  • Performed in Modern Marvels – Built by Hand                         History Channel      2011

  • Choreographed DORKCORE                                                    Dawnrunner Pro.     2015

  • Performed in Somebody’s Got to Do It with Mike Rowe           CNN                        2015

  • Knife or Death                                                                        History Channel       2018

  • Building Savage                                                                     Discovery Channel    2019

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Movie

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  • Reclaiming the Blade – Galatia Films * Special Featured Disk 2                              2009

My teaching was the Grand Prize for video competition in Ohio

  • TERRA – in production                                                         Dawnrunner Pro.        2012

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Theater

  • Pippen                                                                Milpitas High School                   2012

  • Nutcracker’                                                        South Valley Dance                      2013-2017

  • She Kills Monsters                                              Milpitas High School                   2017

  • Insignificance                                                     Dragon Theater Productions       2018

  • Equivocation                                                      Dragon Theater Productions        2018

  • Aladdin Jr.                                                          South Valley Civic Theater           2018

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Video Game

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  • EA Sports – MoCap video game model for Blood Reign video Game                       2000

  • Bandai Namco – DARK SOULS III Release Party entertainment                                2015

 

Fight Direction

 

  • Renaissance Faires performed at

    • Golden Gate – San Francisco, CA

    • Hanford – Hanford, CA

    • Tulare County – Visalia, CA

    • San Luis Obispo – San Luis Obispo, CA

    • Fresno City College – Fresno, CA

    • Northern California Renaissance Faire (performed and choreographed) – Gilroy, CA

    • Twain Cowboy Rendezvous – Twain, CA                                            

 

Presentations

  • Middle School Presentations

    • Benicia Middle school

    • Britton Middle School

    • Castillero Middle School

    • Discovery Charter School

    • El Portal Middle School

    • Excelsior Middle School

    • Easterbrook Discovery School

    • St. Cabrini Middle School

    • Mesa Middle School

    • Miller Creek Middle School

    • Monroe Middle School

    • Moreland Middle School

    • Morgan Hill Charter School

    • Oakdale Jr. High School

    • Pacific Christian School

    • Pleasant Hill Middle School

    • Quimby Oak Middle School

    • Rogers Middle School

    • West Mark Charter School

    • Northern California Renaissance School Days

 

  • Lectures and Presentations at Universities

    • Stanford University

    • History Department for the University of California (UC) system

    • San Jose State University

    • West Valley College

  • Libraries

    • Pleasanton City Library

    • Fremont Library

    • San Francisco Library

  • International Demonstrations

    • Alnwick, England

    • Edinburgh, Scotland

    • Chillingham Castle, England

  • Conventions

    • BayCon (San Francisco area Sci-Fi convention)

    • SilliCon (San Francisco area Comic convention)

    • Renaissance Symposium

      • San Jose

      • San Francisco

      • Modesto

      • Santa Clara

    • CombatCon (hosted 2 tournamnets, taught and competed in armoured demonstration fight)

 

Seminars

  • International Sword and Martial Arts Convention – Lansing, MI

  • Western Martial Arts Workshop –

  • New York, NY

  • Amsterdam, NY

  • Chicago, IL

  • Benicia, CA

  • Livermore, CA

  • 4W – Seattle, WA

  • CombatCon – Las Vegas, NV

  • Boarding Actions Class – Santa Clara, CA

  • Fechtschule America – Huston TX

  • HMAS by the Bay – San Francisco, CA

  • Renaissance Fencing Camp –

    • Santa Clara, CA

    • San Jose, CA

    • Lake Tahoe, CA

  • Paddy Crean Stage Combat Conference – Banff, Canada

  • Be SAFE Classes

    • State Farm Insurance

    • Million Dollar Real Estate

    • Sigma Properties

    • Cornish & Carey Commercial

    • Partners’ Mortgage

    • Realty World South Valley

    • Grifall Chiropractic

    • Seven Oaks Properties

 

  • Articles written for

    • Renaissance Magazine

    • AHF Magazine

    • Sword-buyers-guide.com

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