The art of the blade

Dai Andrews, escape artist and four-time world-record-holding sword swallower, is also an instructor in historical American swordsmanship.

Andrews works with dozens of students on swordsmanship exercises, sparring and test cutting in which they are able to use an original Civil War-era officer’s sword. Students use an authentic 1860 pattern infantry officer’s saber to slice through water bottles to test the blade’s sharpness.

He started the Baltimore Academy of Defence to restore and promote the historical sword arts of the United States from the Colonial period to World War I. He based much of his techniques on sword exercise taught at West Point for Army officers. He is self- taught and uses the techniques from an antique copy of Henry Wayne’s manual, “Sword Exercise Arranged for Military Instruction,” published in 1850, to hone his craft.

Dai Andrews of the Baltimore Academy of Defence is pictured with a collection of antique military swords.

Andrews, right, spars with Tess LaCoil during his American swordsmanship class.