- Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 27th December 2016
La Defense dans la Rue, Jean Joseph Renaud’s classic work on self defence is now available in English translation from Lulu.com.
During 1905-6 Renaud (1873-1953) became one of the first French nationals to study Japanese martial arts, training with former Bartitsu Club instructor Yukio Tani and Tani’s fellow instructor Taro Miyake “for two summers, that is two periods of three months each, each day and sometimes twice a day”.
As did Bartitsu founder Edward Barton-Wright, Renaud sought to devise a comprehensive approach to antagonistics. On the subject of various national methods of self defence, he wrote:
… the professors of each one of these sports will, ridiculously, deny the other methods. English boxers mock French boxing, declaring that apart from the kicks, it is not worth giving the time of day; the articles lauding Jiujitsu pretend that a follower of the Japanese science will be capable of pulverising any colossus, in any circumstances, in but three seconds, etc, etc.
One will not find any trace of similar sentiment in this eclectic volume; I simply endeavour to harmoniously gather the really practical methods of defense, whatever their origin, and especially to combine them.
Thus, Defense dans la Rue offers a notably scientific progression of lessons drawn from boxing, savate, jiujitsu, cane fighting and even shooting …