Ice and Fire provides the opportunity to train in Stav.

What They Say About Our Courses

(19th May 2013)Back from the most fabulous afternoon of Stav .... Still bouncing :-) ... Thank you Graham! Can't wait til a week and a half's time when I can get back for more!

Katie, Dorset

(Ist December 2012) Thanks to Graham, Howard and John for a really good day of training in Oxford yesterday. We did some good work, axe training and a session on the flinch response and how to harness it in ourselves and work with it in our opponent. I have a few bruises today but they were well worth getting ! That was our last course of the year and I am sure that we are all left feeling gratitude to Graham for another year of teaching, wisdom and encouragement. We wish we could meet more frequently to train together or that we all lived in Crewkerne !

Clare, Oxfordshire

(1st December 2012) Graham, thanks again for today, it was a very good day, short of people, but loads of good training and good company. Graham managed to nearly rip my head off, but Howard was there to put it back on again. Frazzled and aching but reasonably happy.

John, Wiltshire

One thousand thanks to Graham Butcher for three great days of training here in Annapolis, MD, USA, and another thousand to Miki Tracey for organizing the event. I appreciate being able to spend a lot of time on axe drills and self-defense training. I took steps forward over the past three days and am richer for it. I appreciate being able to spend a lot of time on axe drills and self-defense training. (20th June 2012)

Therissa, Maryland, USA

Thank you very much for another great Stav class (Oxford 19th May 2012) with new things to learn and "old" things to improve. Along with everything else, your short and sweet desensitisation training changed something in my head, and going back to Aikido on Monday, I found myself amazingly reassured. I really appreciate your spectacularly unspectacular way of bringing out the best in everyone while having fun along the way.

Anna, Germany

One of the best training days so far. (14th April 2012)

Cathy, Wiltshire

Thanks for such a full and good days training in Denham (31st March 2012) today Graham. Good to work with so many new people and to hear your thoughts on other aspects of martial training you are working with. Really inspirational.

Clare, Oxfordshire

Thanks for a great day on Saturday (11th Feb 2012) - the aching arms and shoulders have just about gone :-) Really enjoyed it, looking forward to April!

Darren, Wiltshire

Ice and Fire organises the Summer Stav Camp with Ivar Hafskjold. We also provide instruction on courses and events arranged all over the world by students of Stav. If you would like to organise such an event contact me through the Contact us page

Our next course is detailed below, for the full programme and to book online go to the Ice and Fire Programme Page :

Practical Stav Training

Our next day course of 2013 will be held on:

  • Saturday 15th of June at St Georges Church Hall, Harnham, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK. Teacher – Graham Butcher

    • Full list of dates when Graham will be teaching here.

    Timings 10m to 5pm. Cost: £35 on the day, Ice and Fire Members £30, Students and concessions £20. Early booking discount of £5 if booked in advance online or by sending booking form with cheque. Click here to join Ice and Fire

    This Course will seek to maintain the balance between structured training with stances, staff exercises and two person drills and close quarter self–defence practice. The emphasis will be as always on knowing the stances, learning how to see the lines of the web and applying the five principles. Please wear loose, comfortable clothes and bring a notebook and pen.

    The programme will include:

  • We will begin with the Staff Exercises with an emphasis on deploying the staff correctly, in a way nothing new it is just that I haven't focused on this aspect before.
  • The Sixteen stances which are the core of all Stav training and practice.
  • Staff training exercises for accuracy and focus
  • Two person Staff work, basic five principles drills for beginners and nine guards training for more advanced students
  • Nine foundation exercises for balance, flexibility, coordination and movement.
  • Striking methods using hands and feet.
  • Developing sensitivity and adaptability.
  • Effective targeting of vulnerable areas using cudgel training.
  • Working with the five principles of Stav for learning appropriate responses in conflict situations. Watch the embedded video to see the five principles applied to knife defence.

    • Beginners welcome and this will be an ongoing programme of training. Next day course will be in Harnham on the 19th of October but in the meantime Graham will be teaching at Druid Camp in July, Fightcamp in August and at the Mercian Gathering on the First weekend of September, the next specifically Stav training course will be the Summer Camp in Norfolk on the 4th to the 8th of September in Norfolk.

    All training will be geared to developing the Six Essential Qualities of Martial Training and if you don't know what those are then sign up below and find out

    Sign up for our news and updates and download a pdf copy of my report on the Six Essential Qualities to Cultivate through Martial Arts.

    It is easy, it is secure and it is very simple to unsubscribe if you wish to.

    Just put in your first name and email address and leave the rest to me.