We all now have an opportunity to vote for a memorial plaque to record Edith Garrud’s memory as a pioneer of jujutsu and a suffragette. Islington Council in London will erect a plaque on one of the houses where she lived if she receives enough votes. Edith is one of ten candidates for a plaque and the top five will be commemorated.
You can vote for Edith online via the Islington People’s Plaques website.
Thanks to Israeli martial artist and martial arts historian Noah Gross for this rare footage of veteran Kapap instructor Yehezkel Avneri demonstrating basic stick fighting techniques.
As explained in this article, during the 1940s the Kapap walking stick method was developed from Indian Police Superintendant H.G. Lang’s 1923 book, The Walking Stick Method of Self Defence.
Lang’s method, in turn, was substantially based on the system devised by Pierre Vigny and taught both at the Bartitsu Club and Vigny’s own academy circa 1900-1914.
Thomas Badillo of the Botta Secreta historical martial arts club demonstrates a cane flow drill at the 32nd annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco.
A report from Devon Boorman of the Academie Duello in Vancouver, Canada, detailing the recent Bartitsu seminars held there:
Day 1
This weekend’s Bartitsu seminar, lead by Tony Wolf, started up today and I must report it’s been a lot of fun and a good and thorough mental and physical workout.
The workshop started with Tony setting the stage with a short lecture on the life and times of Barton-Wright and where our historical basis from the art has been unearthed. From there we got on our feet and began to explore the underpinning arts of the system.
First we started with bare knuckle boxing entries, basic attacks, and plays from the inside or clinch. After that we played with some of the low line kicks employed to destabilize the opponent.
As Bartitsu uses boxing techniques to facilitate entry into throws and holds, this first section lead well into jujitsu. We explored several take downs and then worked on combining the bare knuckled and jujitsu techniques together.
The final conclusion of the day was the cane fighting everyone had been looking forward to. We explored many of the techniques found in the turn of the century Pearson’s Magazine article, where Bartitsu was first revealed to the broader public. We then worked on blending these with the boxing and jujitsu from earlier in the day in many cases abandoning the cane altogether to employ boxing techniques or jujitsu submissions.
One if the aspects I enjoyed most was the method of full contact flow exercises Tony employed to help us explore the principles of the art. We would start with a given technique and then have our opponent foil it in some way such as throwing an unexpected attack or seizing our cane, etc. We would then have to flow into an alternate technique, or several, to complete the goal of destabilizing and submitting our opponent. This really helped us not get stuck trying to force a given technique and instead allowed us to explore how all the techniques support one another.
From having done a fair bit of exploration into Bartitsu and boxing before, this approach offered some real added value and insight. Thanks Tony! Looking forward to day 2!
Day 2
Day 2 of the Bartitsu workshop commenced this morning at 10am and was definitely a full day at 7 hours of instruction with a 1 hour lunch break in the middle. Today we explored each aspect of the Bartitsu system, again blending any given canonical technique from the manuals
with the principals and various forms of the art, i.e. boxing, jujitsu and cane fighting.
Tony did an excellent job of demonstrating various routes that a given technique might take if it were foiled by an opponent and then emphasizing the creative exploration of principles through free form flow exercises.
Some of the highlights today included using the cane in two hands, both bayonet style but also in a doubled grip at the base (like a sword). We used it thus to face large clubs or longer ranged weapons, but then through the flow exercises we frequently abandoned our cane to enter into boxing and jujitsu.
Another highlight of the day was working on submission techniques and many different forms of belaboring the opponent to end a particular engagement. This allowed us to get very close to sparring and conclusion while staying within the system itself.
All in all this was a terrific workshop and I think we’re already looking forward to having Tony back. For our part we’re going to be starting up a regular Bartitsu club as part of our offerings at Duello so we can continue to explore Bartitsu and share it with those who weren’t able to make it out to Tony’s visit this time around.
Thanks Tony and thanks to everyone who came out and made his visit possible!
The Academie Duello historical fencing and martial arts school will host Tony Wolf teaching a two-day Bartitsu intensive on March 27th and 28th, 2010.
Each class will include the study of both canonical and neo-Bartitsu. The canonical material is based on E.W. Barton-Wright’s classic 1900 articles, “The New Art of Self Defence” and “Self Defence with a Walking Stick” and provides a platform for training in neo-Bartitsu, continuing Barton-Wright’s experiments in cross-training between jiujitsu, fisticuffs, low kicking and the Vigny system of walking stick fighting.
Details are available here at the Academie Duello website and prospective attendees can make inquiries and bookings via this page.
An interesting snippet from the August 4th, 1905 edition of the Auckland Star, describing a contest between former Bartitsu Club instructor Sadakazu Uyenishi and the wrestling champion of the Royal Horse Guards.
A tremendous struggle took place in the riding school at Windsor recently between Corporal Shoeingsmith Fraser, of the Royal Horse Guards (of which regiment he is champion wrestler), and Professor S. K. Uyenishi, the well-known instructor in the art of Japanese self-defence, of Golden Square, W.C. Mr Uyenishi, who has been appointed instructor in his art in the Aldershot Gymnasium, came over by motor-car from the famous camp to give a display.
On his request for an opponent from the audience, Corporal Fraser came forward amid loud applause. The little man certainly took on a stiff bargain, as the giant guardsman must have weighed nearly twice as much as he, but after a truly Titanic struggle he succeeded in hurling the soldier clean over his head on to the platform. Mr Uyenishi admitted that Fraser was the most difficult man he had ever had to deal with, and it must be confessed that the contest was a wonderful example of how futile the greatest strength is made to appear when pitted against the wonderful Japanese science. Two very interested spectators were Prince Alexander of Teck and Major-General Baden-Powell.
On the 7th of February, the English Martial Arts Academy will be holding a one day event in Haslemere, Surrey. On offer will be English backsword, Italian longsword and Bartitsu. The Bartitsu class will focus on the key principles of empty hand and possibly stick, and is designed for beginners and those trained in the martial arts.
The Holmes fans amongst you will know that Conan Doyle settled for a time in this area, and that he is buried just down the road in Minstead, whilst his wife and son are buried in nearby Greyshott.
by SARAH N. FITZGERALD, METRO VANCOUVER
For many, the Lower Mainland’s wet weather comes with the burden of carrying around an often-cumbersome umbrella. But what if you could turn your weather-based tool into your own personal defence device?
Academie Duello offers an umbrella self-defence workshop that will teach you how to use your wet weather companion to ward off any hooligans.
The course runs several times a year and is based on Bartitsu — a stick-fighting style developed in Victorian England.
David McCormick, who teaches the course, said it’s quite popular.
“It’s very energizing because unlike some martial arts (it’s not) an exhaustive, fatiguing workout. (We) teach skills that are at the same time fun and practical so people can remember what they’ve learned.”
The course, which lasts four hours, costs $60 and is good for most ages and body types, said McCormick.
As for the satisfaction level, McCormick said students are usually laughing when they leave, “and seeing a tool they use everyday in a whole new light.”
For more information on David’s umbrella defence and Bartitsu courses, please visit the Academie Duello’s Bartitsu page.
A gallery of images from a recent unarmed Bartitsu seminar with instructor Alex Kiermayer for the inaugural Noble Science event in Ronneburg, Germany. This event brought together instructors in various unarmed martial arts and combat sports including Pankration, Scottish backhold wrestling, pugilism, savate Genovese and traditional German wrestling as well as Mr. Kiermayer’s classes on the kicking and grappling aspects of Bartitsu.
An introductory Bartitsu seminar taught by Tommy Joe Moore of the Bartitsu Lab will be offered via Paper Street Bartitsu and the Southend Combat Academy.
The seminar will be held on July 22, 2018 and is open to all skill levels. Further information and contact details are available via this link.
