Dakota Miller, center, tries to defend against an axe attack from William Hester, left, and Jesse Tice, second from left, as Dan Hawkee, second from right, and Ethan Hester look on during a Buhurt ...

Listening to Tanya Smith talk about her longsword fighting strategy is like hearing a battle-scarred general talk tactics. But looking at her, it’s kind of hard to picture how she executes it. She’s ...