- Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 3rd October 2013
A short video showing some technical stick sparring from the 2012 Bartitsu School of Arms.
In this type of sparring, the mask, gloves, forearms, thighs and calves are all legal targets. Stick strikes and thrusts as well as unarmed strikes, weapon traps/disarms and standing grappling may all be employed.
Fighters are encouraged to experiment with variations on the standard high guards, for example by lowering the guards as positions of invitation. They may acknowledge hits verbally and/or gesturally, but the emphasis is on continual action.
The weapons are 3/4″ diameter, 36″ rattan sparring canes from Purpleheart Armory, equipped with solid rubber ball handles to simulate the steel ball handles of real Bartitsu canes. The asymmetrical balance of the cane is a key factor in Bartitsu stick fighting.