Rolf Devinci

Mid/late12th century armor prior to the introduction of early plate armor and great helms. The armor was based primarily upon a chain mail hauberk in the European 4 in 1 pattern worn over a three quarter length padded gambeson. The venerable nasal helmet was still being used in conjunction with an arming cap and chain mail coif. The lower extremities were usually covered by chain mail chausses that extended over the top of the foot. Leather gauntlets were often covered in chainmail as well for added hand protection. It was also the early beginnings of heraldry and the use of coat of arms - color patterns and symbols to represent combatants in the field. Found upon surcoats and the smaller, more agile heater shields it facilitated battlefield identification in the melee of medieval combat. The primary weapon remained the sword characterized by Oakeshott as the types XI to XIII having the cruciform hilt and either the brazil n...

Left the bows at home this mild Sunday morning and opted for my katana for some bottle cutting. I do collect swords but rarely practice with them of late simply because I do not have a suitable cutting stand. That changed when I picked up a bale of hay to use as arrow stop on my archery range. Turns out it makes a good bottle rest and is very forgiving upon the blade when making a "bad" strike. That said I had purchased a (cheaper) katana several years ago to use as my beater sword for drills and practice cutting. I had put it through some abuse in the past and does have some edge rolling, scratching and discoloration. Bought from Ryan Swords on Ebay it is forged from 1060 carbon steel and has held up fairly well. You may wonder why cutting bottles filled with water is appropriate for developing sword handling skills? In fact it is very effective.....if your strike is clumsy or your technique lacking the bottle is simply...

After a few years of being relegated to a glorified wall hanger I finally began shooting my 55#@28 Chinese recurve bow again. Having developed some shoulder issues the result of playing hockey and one too many bike crashes I had no choice but to cease using the bow. It simply became painful and very difficult to anchor the bow at full draw. Fortunately my shoulder issue has finally resolved itself due to my continued chiropractic care, my renewed focus on strength training and, probably, my retirement from being a ball hockey "runner" after I suffered a piriformis injury in September. This is a nice bow and a shame it was not being used so I decided to attempt shooting it again last month. Needless to say I was happy to be able to draw it without stiffness and pain. With a draw of 55 pounds it has some "pop" to say the least...especially in comparison to the 40 # Mongolian horse bow I had purchased (during my shoulder iss...

Fall is upon us and Winter soon to follow so I have begun to crave teas. I have no idea why I have a predominately seasonal taste for teas? I have been aware that my blood pressure of late has increased somewhat, probably a result of a rather inactive summer and increased weight gain and the onset of aging. As noted in this blog I am in the process of addressing my current state of wellness. How does this tie in with hibiscus tea you ask? Good question. I was researching various teas to indulge my cravings while offering me some different brew options and read that hibiscus can help reduce blood pressure, specifically the top systolic number and was effective for adults with pre or mild hypertension. My interest peaked I dug further into hibiscus teas and discovered it is a traditional healing teas that offers other benefits. Probably tastes terrible as most healing tinctures or teas usually do right? Only one way to fin...

Having felt something "go" a couple weeks ago playing only my third game of ball hockey this season I have since been dealing with an miserable ache, stiffness and numbness in my upper left leg. Initially I though I was dealing with a level two hamstring pull but now suspect I suffered a piriformis muscle strain. Any extended period of time sitting brings on the symptoms and upon standing there is tightness in my hamstring and hip. Thanks to Ian who had suggested I look into piriformis stretches I now have a better understanding of my possible issue. Piriformis syndrome is "a condition in which the piriformis muscle becomes tight and/or spasms and irritates the sciatic nerve....patients often complain of deep pain within the hip and buttocks...." Bingo! I can now confirm I am a legitimate "pain in the butt" (wink) Seeking the causes of PS to further my understanding I discovered several that have a direct correlation to my condition......

Goodlife Sometimes you just have to wonder about things and whether there is a element of fate to otherwise common occurances? My son decided to join a local gym a month ago as he progressed past the equipment of my limited home gym. Needless to say it was soon thereafter that I got the call from Goodlife offering me a  free week's pass to try out their facility as a referral from Josh. The timing was impeccable. Why not? I was, at that point, aware of my fitness shortcomings and knew I needed to make changes for the coming winter. I had been a member at that location for a few years when it was Nubody`s and there was a definite attraction to a possible return. It is walking distance from my residence and on my usual bike commute route. The cost of membership was manageable, especially since I decided to limit my wine consumption. I love the Noble Grape but I was consuming too many empty calories. Just by cutting out a minimum of o...

Having attained my fitness "peak" in the summer of 2011 it has been a long downward spiral to my current state. That summer was my most successful as a competitive road cyclist racing in the provincial(BNS) road series, my weight had dropped under the 200 pound plateau for the first time in decades and my diet was relatively clean practicing a Primal /Primal/ Ancestral approach to nutrition.Halcyon days indeed! The Decline. My cycling accident in the Fall of 2011 and subsequent post concussion/ BPPV issues definitely began a chain of events that led to my fitness decline. Having lost so much fitness that winter I opted out of racing in 2012 and decided to retire from competitive cycling; both at the race and at the club level. Part of that decision was injury stress as I was tentative on the bike fearful of the next potential car/bike collision or a touched wheel. Being skittish in a paceline is not a good thing. Part of it was also a dissatisfa...