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 …
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Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 28th December 2016
The recent blockbuster successes of the Kingsman movie and of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows have firmly re-established umbrellas as the signature weapons of gentlemen-adventurers. This article pays tribute to the trope-setter, debonair superspy John Steed of The Avengers TV series (1961-9, 1976-7); read this article for more information on the use of weaponised umbrellas in real history.
Initially, Steed (Patrick Macnee) was featured as a mystery-man foil for Dr. David Keel, played by Ian Hendry. Macnee wanted to develop and distinguish the Steed character, so he began to add signature costume items and props from his own wardrobe, including a bowler hat and an umbrella, quickly transforming John Steed from a trenchcoat-wearing tough guy into a dapper, impeccably mannered superspy.
When a writer’s strike delayed production of The Avengers, Hendry left the series and Macnee was promoted to the starring role.
The idea of using his umbrella as a weapon seems to have been based initially on Patrick Macnee’s personal dislike of guns. Macnee felt that John Steed should outwit enemies whenever possible; however, he also insisted that the character’s suave exterior masked a steely ruthlessness when he was forced into combat. As Steed habitually carried his umbrella, and therefore almost always had it to hand during action scenes, it became his main weapon by default.
Macnee may have been inspired by Lt. Colonel William Ewart Fairbairn’s instructions for using umbrellas as improvised weapons, which were widely published during the Second World War:
Although John Steed’s tightly-furled brolly was shown to conceal a slim sword in the Avengers opening credits, the spy seldom made use of the blade, relying instead on the (presumably reinforced) umbrella itself as a weapon of both offence and defence. During The Avengers’ long run he was regularly shown using his umbrella as a rapier, a bayonet and a club; he also occasionally employed the hooked handle to trip or otherwise impede his enemies.
Patrick Macnee demonstrates a series of more-or-less fanciful umbrella fighting poses in The Avengers opening credit sequence.Steed executes on overhand attack …… a double-handed guard position …… and a bayonet thrust with his umbrella.
Once in a while, John Steed was even known to defend himself and KO his nefarious foes with his steel-reinforced bowler, a trick clearly inspired by the steel-rimmed hat wielded by the bodyguard/assassin Oddjob (Harold Sakata) in Goldfinger.
During the filming of The New Avengers sequel series, which was a mid-1970s British/French/Canadian co-production, Parisian savate master Roger Lafond put in an on-set appearance as a self-defence coach. The following video clip, from a 1993 episode of the French variety show Coucou c’est nous!, includes a rather awkward reunion between the elderly Lafond and Macnee, the latter – who clearly did not speak, nor understand much of the French language – seeming not to recognise Mr. Lafond. Still, the clip also features an ad-hoc demonstration of Lafond’s “Panache” style of umbrella self defence, gamely observed by the bemused Patrick Macnee:
Although co-stars had come and gone, Patrick Macnee as John Steed remained a constant presence throughout the massive and long-lived international success of The Avengers and then The New Avengers, establishing the pop-culture trope of the urbane, umbrella-wielding British secret agent. Steed remains a frequent point of reference when people first encounter E.W. Barton-Wright’s “gentlemanly art of self defence”, Bartitsu.
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In November of 1901 Hutton was interviewed by a reporter from the Daily Telegraph. After a discussion of historical fencing techniques and a typically robust critique of the fencing instruction offered by the British army, Hutton addressed and briefly demonstrated the Vigny method to the bemused journalist.
This image is adapted, for purposes of illustration, from Hutton’s chapter on fencing with the Great Stick from “Cold Steel” (1889).
(…) And in a moment the Captain was holding a walking-stick in such a threatening manner that the interview seemed likely to come to an abrupt end.
“You see,” he went on, smiling, “the thing has far more possibilities than you might imagine. Walking-stick play, as taught by M. Vigny, for instance, is an extremely useful bit of knowledge. Now try and hit me on the head.”
We tried. As soon as the coals had been picked out of our hair, and the lower portion of our waistcoat had been removed from our collar, the captain cheerfully resumed:
“If you are mobbed, you observe, the great thing is never to raise your hand to strike. Always keep it low. Hold your stick at each end, and thrust the first man on the Mark, the second in the throat, clear a circle round you rapidly, and . . . .”
But the audience had fled. It is not a healthy thing to pretend to be a mob when Captain Hutton displays “a little of the art of self-defence,” and it was to a prostrate form upon a sofa that the captain addressed his last remarks.
Interestingly, Hutton’s description of stick defence vs. a group of attackers is almost a verbatim representation of “How to Use a Walking-Stick as a Weapon in a Crowd”, the fourth sequence in part II of Barton-Wright’s 1901 article on stick defence for Pearson’s Magazine. The sequence is included below for comparison.This suggests that at least some of the sequences represented in the Pearson’s articles were part of a standardised curriculum.
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Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 17th January 2017
During early 1910, after the success of the Berlin police in quelling a labour dispute that had escalated into a riot, several British newspapers published feature articles on the training and methods of police recruits in the German capital.
The classic “bum’s rush” escort hold.
Restraining a recalcitrant’s arms with his own coat.
An instructor demonstrates a jiujitsu takedown.
The Berlin police were armed with sabres.
Countering a stick attack with a sabre cut.
A quick takedown from the rear.
Police officers demonstrate a comealong hold.
Another restraint and takedown from the rear.
Learning the theory of crowd control.
Trainees practicing how to resist the buffeting of a violent crowd in drills with swinging sandbags.
Counters to wrist grabs.
Another escort hold, reminiscent of the infamous coup du pere Francois employed by Parisian muggers.
Another demonstration of a clothing restraint.
The “bum’s rush” hold again.
Close-quarters defence against a pistol or revolver.
Another sabre counter against a stick attack.
A hammerlock and shoulder restraint executed as a comealong hold.
Taking a man down from behind.
A double wrist restraint and takedown.
An armlock and escort hold.
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Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 18th January 2017
This caricature of suffragette jujitsu trainer Edith Garrud, and accompanying poem titled “The Bold Suffragette”, first appeared in the Wednesday, 13 July 1910 edition of The Sketch.
Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 18th January 2017
Subtitled “Ingenious Weapons Favoured by Apaches – for ‘Engagements’ with Law-Abiding Citizens”, these pictures were originally published as a photo-feature in The Sketch of Wednesday, 1st March 1911.
Nick-named in honour of the Native American tribes, the Apaches (pronounced “Ah-pahsh”) were members of the criminal underworld of Paris during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many unique aspects of the Apache subculture, including their slang, dress sense, dances and even weapons and mugging techniques became the subject of sensationalistic media interest during their heyday, spawning an international cultural fad that might be called “Apache chic”.
The fashion of criminals using “knuckle-duster jewellery” was also taken up in London by Alice Diamond, known as “Diamond Annie”, who led the infamous shoplifting gang known as the Forty Elephants.
Three examples of knuckleduster jewellery – the devil’s head, the thorn and the rose.
The projecting ear and horn features transformed these heavy rings into devastating close-combat weapons.
A combination knuckle-duster and stiletto; the stabbing blade folded back inside the knuckle-duster when not in use.
Showing how the “thorn punch” was used.
The “rose” ring.
Several rings worn at once transform the fist into a dangerous weapon.
Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 28th January 2017
Above: thrown from the dohyō (wrestling platform), a sumo wrestler startles spectators during the 1910 Japan-British Exhibition.
Although jiujitsu had been introduced to England circa 1900 via the efforts of E.W. Barton-Wright, Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi, the Japan-British Exhibition was the first opportunity for many British citizens to witness other forms of Japanese antagonistics. Sumo, kendo and naginata-jutsu were all on display at this event, which ran from May to October of 1910.
The Exhibition was staged at the famous White City, a fantastically elaborate complex that had been constructed to host the Franco-British Exhibition and the London Olympic Games in 1908. The latter event, incidentally, had been presided over by William Grenfell, the 1st Baron Desborough, who had also served as the president of the Bartitsu Club.
The organisers had spared no expense in creating a simulacrum of a Japanese town and formal gardens, and also a facsimile of an Ainu village. In addition, the Exhibition featured several Japanese-themed funfair attractions, such as a “scenic railway” that trundled through a landscape of miniature mountains and the “Wiggle-Woggle”, which sent riders caroming down a zig-zag track. All the construction work was carried out co-operatively by British and Japanese architects and artisans.
Many of the martial arts displays took place in the Jiujitsu Hall; the Japanese Town area also included a full sumo wrestling arena.
An exhibition of fencing with the naginata, a halberd-like weapon.
Above: three images of kendo displays taking place in the Jiujitsu Hall. Unlike practitioners of the modern sport, some early 20th century kendoka incorporated grappling techniques.
A jiujitsu exhibition.
Sumotori (wrestlers) pose in a variety of ceremonial and practical garb.
Above: British sketch artists’ impressions of sumo wrestling and wrestlers.
Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 31st January 2017
Moments from the Bartitsu seminar at the recent Sherlocon 2017 Sherlock Holmes fandom event, which took place at the Nuovo Teatro Orione in Rome, Italy. Aimed at interested novices, the workshop included examples of Vigny walking stick fighting, self-defence with an overcoat and several canonical jiujitsu set-plays.
