My interest in Stav grew out of my interest in Norse mythology and the Runes. In searching the web for rune-related sites in the early 2000s, I ran across several mentions of Stav, a martial art originating with the Hafskjold family of Norway. I read about Ivar Hafskjold and downloaded a guide to the stances of Stav, which are based on the Younger Futhark (runic alphabet). I practiced the stances as best I could on my own until, in 2005, the opportunity arose to begin training with Graham Butcher. I am a member of Ice & Fire USA, a foundation-level practitioner of Stav, and the host of twice-yearly trainings by Graham here in Maryland. I also had the opportunity to train with Neil Lewis when he visited the US in 2009.
Since there is already a fair amount of information about Stav on the Web, there is no reason for me to rewrite it here. Follow these links to learn much more about the origins and practice of Stav!
Stav International: background information on Stav
Stav Heimbu: Ivar Hafskjold’s site
Ice & Fire UK: Graham’s Stav school in Somerset, England
Ice and Fire USA: Graham’s school here in the mid-Atlantic US
Graham’s Blog: hosted at Ice & Fire Canada
The Stances: YouTube video of Graham doing the basic stances
GDButcher: Graham’s YouTube feed
Yggdrasil Centre: Neil Lewis’ Stav center in NSW, Australia
Rune Body Postures: YouTube feed including trainings led by Ivar Hafskjold, Neil Lewis, others