Today we’d like to introduce you to Dakao Do and Van Wilde.
Dakao and Van, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
“Sword to Sword started in a park in 2001 , where I would train with one or two people at a time. Back then we didn’t have very much equipment – sometimes we would use wooden swords or dowels instead of swords. What we do is very new, compared to Olympic fencing. We’re using real swords to fence and practice this martial art, and that hasn’t really been done for a long time.
We’ve been growing really fast these past four years, and now we have an international community that practices Historical fencing, too. In fact, there are tournaments for fighting with Longswords and Rapiers all over the world. Two of our own students are travelling to Sweden soon for what’s considered the world championships of Historical fencing.
For Sword to Sword, we’re focused on teaching body mechanics based swordplay and incorporating fitness training into our classes. That’s how we’ve grown so much: we’re not just learning how to fence, we’re also working out our entire body. Going to the gym can be boring, but fighting with swords like Jon Snow or Arya Stark is a lot of fun.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Van Wilde: “A big part of the overall struggle is marketing. Marketing! We’re such a new martial art that nobody knows what Historical fencing is. I have to say we’re like ‘Game of Thrones MMA’ sometimes. Hands down, we have one of the coolest sports and martial arts in the world, but because we are so new there’s not a lot of awareness.”
Dakao Do: “I absolutely agree with Van, and there are other struggles too, sometimes literally! Although I can’t complain about the road too much. It’s pretty cool being a professional swordsman. We get to travel the world and teach sword-fighting, then come home and do it some more.”
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sword to Sword story. Tell us more about the business.
Dakao Do: “In a nutshell, we teach real sword-fighting. Beyond the surface, though, we’re also teaching athletics, body mechanics, and improving our students’ fitness, decision making skills, and reflexes. We’re very proud of our students, who are internationally competitive and have brought home medals from some of the largest and most difficult competitions in the world. We promote an open environment that’s judgement free, and our students support each other. That’s what I’m most proud of.
As for what we’re known for? We teach sword fighting! It doesn’t get more unique than that.”
Van Wilde: “Everyone knows me as ‘the sword guy.’ I was at a concert last week and I heard someone behind me say ‘en garde!’
I think what sets us apart is our inclusion. Like Dakao said, we invite everyone to take our classes, and we’ve got a great mix of students. A lot of us are pretty nerdy, and I think that’s great. I myself am living proof that nerds can get fit and be good at martial arts. We’re also really good at what we do. Like Dakao said, our students are internationally competitive, and just recently one of our students brought home an award from an event in Seattle.”
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Dakao Do: “We’ve been mostly lucky over the years. Living in Houston, flooding is always a threat. I’m happy to say we’ve never been flooded in 17 years! Swords can be dangerous, too. We’re vigilant to make sure none of our students are ever hurt, and we take safety extremely seriously, leaving no room for bad luck there.”
Van Wilde: “Recently, we’ve been very lucky with the way culture has shifted. With the rise in love for all things vintage and retro, Game of Thrones, and even the new desire for overall fitness, Sword to Sword has benefited.”
Contact Info:
- Address: 1212A Cedar Post Ln
Houston, TX 77055 - Website: http://swordtosword.us/
- Phone: 832 779 1288
- Email: swordtosword@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swordtosword/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwordToSword/
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