Pierre Vigny’s London Self-Defence Exhibitions (June-July 1899)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 31st January 2017

Here follow two further reviews of the series of self-defence exhibitions organised by Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright during mid-1899, to benefit Pierre Vigny, who had then recently arrived in London.

Vigny was noted in related reports to have started his study of English boxing at the age of fifteen and had begun to work as a master-at-arms from the age of twenty-three.  He had initially travelled to London, at least in part, to gain further experience in the English style of fisticuffs, and indeed had competed in several bouts with English boxers shortly after arriving in the city during late March of 1899.

Vigny, of course, went on to collaborate with Barton-Wright in the practical development of Bartitsu as a “mixed martial art” and assumed the role of Chief Instructor at the Bartitsu School of Arms between 1900-1902.  He later set up his own London school before returning to Switzerland and continuing his work as a self-defence and physical culture instructor.

From the Sporting Life: Tuesday, 27 June, 1899:

“WALKING STICK PLAY: BARTITSU LADIES’ NIGHT”

For the purpose of introducing to the English public Professor Pierre Vigny, the celebrated French swordsman and world champion of walking stick play and la savate, and also as a benefit to that gentleman, Mr. Barton-Wright organized a grand display of various forms of self-defence, which took place on Thursday evening in the Banqueting Hall, St. James’s Restaurant, Regent Street . W., which was well attended by a fashionable and appreciative company, including many of the fair sex, in full evening dress.

Mr. Barton-Wright, the initiator of “Bartitsu”, gave a descriptive lecture and demonstration of walking stick play and la savate with Professor Pierre Vigny, who will instruct in these two subjects at the Bartitsu School of Arms, which will shortly be opened in a central position in the West End.

Without question, Professor Vigny is an undoubted master of these two forms of self-defence, and to which he will devote special attention at the Bartitsu School of Arms, but whether these two forms of self-defense will readily be taken up by Englishmen remains to be seen. Anyhow, to become proficient in these, it will require a vast amount of practice, and in gaining this plenty of beneficial exercise will be necessary, and this alone will commend itself to be rising and present generation of athletes.

The entertainment throughout was of a highly interesting character, and as all concerned in it were adepts in their several styles, everything passed off satisfactorily and in the most efficient manner. The chief events comprising the program were –

Fencing foils

Mr. W. H. Staveley (London Fencing Club) v. Mr. W. P. Gate (London Rifle Brigade) – these able exponents had a grand bout, Mr. Gate gaining last hit.

Walking stick play

After an explanation of the procedure and demonstration with Mr. Barton-Wright, Professor Vigny engaged in a most spirited bout with Professor Anastasie, of Paris, both displaying great aptitude with the walking sticks.

Boxing 

Lieutenant Ronald Miers (middleweight amateur champion of the Army) v. Tom Burrows (champion club swinger) – a splendid three rounds in which both showed fine science, which was much appreciated, especially by the ladies.

La Savate

Professor Vigny (champion of the world) v. Professor Anastasie (of Paris) – an interesting bout in which both concerned showed great agility in their feet work, especially Vigny, who gained the last point.

Mr. Barton-Wright, who claims to have put forward a new style of defence, especially in dealing with heavyweights at wrestling and otherwise, gave an exhibition of his system with one of the audience, and fully demonstrated his power, but in actual contest he would have to wait his chance of getting on all his holds against a proficient opponent.

Professor Vigny also engaged in a bout with walking sticks against two professors, and gave a clever exhibition of his undoubted superiority with these weapons. Professor Vigny is also a proficient with the gloves under the Queensberry rules.

From the Sporting Life – Saturday, 22 July, 1899:

“WALKING STICK PLAY and LA SAVATE”

Mr. Pierre Vigny, universally acknowledged as the best exponent of walking stick play, gave a most interesting and novel demonstration of this art of self-defence a few nights ago before a very distinguished and select audience at one of the most fashionable London clubs.

He first proceeded to demonstrate the use of the stick by showing the different attacks and guards, displaying wonderful wrist work, in which great strengths and suppleness were combined. He grasps a stout Malacca cane about six inches from the end, and does all the movements with the wrist only, and not with the fingers. He passes his stick from right hand to left and vice versa without the slightest trouble, using right-hand and left-hand alternately with equal dexterity. He then took a stick in each hand and gave a wonderful display of combined right and left-hand work, showing great activity and science.

After this he engaged in a bout with Mr. Anastasie of Paris, a well-known professional exponent of walking stick play and la savate. The weapons used were thick Malacca canes and it must here be observed that no masks, gloves, nor padded jackets were worn. Both exponents appeared in tights only, and wore no protection of any sort. The stage was small and did not admit of the exponents getting away to avoid punishment, and therefore they had to face the music, which was very lively and real. But, in spite of the pace and the formidable weapons used, it was effectively proved that an able exponent of walking stick play never gets hit upon the fingers and so disabled and disarmed.

Mr. Anastasie, a small, agile man, faced his redoubtable opponent with great courage, and displayed considerable skill, but was outclassed by his bigger and more scientific opponent, and Mr. Vigny conclusively proved that, even at close quarters, it is practically impossible to hit him with a stick.

After a short rest Mr. Vigny and Mr. Anastasie gave a display of la savate, and as they are both especially good exponents the demonstration was exceedingly interesting. Mr. Vigny will give a public demonstration of walking stick play, la savate, boxing, swordplay, fencing, and Indian clubs at an early date at the St. James’s Music Hall and we can confidently recommend our readers to go and see him.

Both walking stick play and la savate are included in Mr. Barton-Wright’s system of self-defense, which he calls Bartitsu, and will be taught at the Bartitsu Club which will shortly be started in some central position in the West End. The following gentlemen will be the first directors of the club – W. H. Grenfell, President; Lord Alwyne Compton, M. P., Chairman; Lord Arthur Cecil, Bertram Astley, W. Moresly Chinnery, Captain Alfred Hutton, St. Clair Stobbart, W. Montague Sweet, and Mr. E. W. Barton-Wright, managing director.

Posted in E. W. Barton-Wright, Exhibitions, Savate, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on Pierre Vigny’s London Self-Defence Exhibitions (June-July 1899)

The Belt as a Weapon (1890)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 17th February 2017
Bartitsu Club instructor Pierre Vigny demonstrates a walking stick defence against a hooligan armed with a leather belt.

Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright frequently referred to the utility of Pierre Vigny’s stick fighting art against common street weapons, including the fearsome, heavy-buckled belt favoured by gangsters in large English cities.  Here follows an excerpt from the Warminster & Westbury Journal and Wilts County Advertiser of Saturday, 13 September 1890, detailing how members of the Manchester scuttler gangs would use their belts in combat:

(…) the favourite weapons are stones and belts, and these latter form the almost indispensable outfit of “scuttler.” Many of these belts are very curious, bearing remarkable designs upon them. These are made the insertion of large number of pins, which are used to form a design along the whole length of the belt. The pins are inserted into the leather, then broken off, and filed down to a level with the leather.

The most dangerous part of the belt is the buckle, and this is made of brass, and usually measures about three inches in diameter. These are used by the “scuttler” fastening one end of the strap into the buckle end, and then, winding his hand round the strap from his wrist, he grasps the leather, leaving about eight or 10 inches the belt use a weapon, the winding of it round his arm preventing it from being readily dragged from him in a fight.

Posted in Hooliganism | Comments Off on The Belt as a Weapon (1890)

“The New Art of Self Defence for Women” (Yorke’s Peninsula Advertiser, 28 May, 1909)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 17th February 2017

There is no chivalry among footpads. It not infrequently happens that a woman finds herself suddenly in a position where she must fight or surrender. The woman who knows how to use the weapons that fashion has supplied her with need fear no “hold-up” — the umbrella is a match for any weapon the tramp can bring into play.

The physical culturists are now teaching women this simple art of self-defence. It is easily learned, is no tax on the strength, and though a girl may never need it, if ever she should, she will need it very badly and very suddenly. A girl should, in short, learn to brandish an umbrella and fence with it as if it were a foil. She should also be instructed in the fine art of stunning a pickpocket with a swift and well-aimed blow with a hand-bag.

A lady, who has acquired this art of self-defence, tells us she handles her umbrella exactly as if it were a weapon, sometimes as a gun and bayonet and then again as a sword. She took a short course of training more for the exercise and the amusement of the thing than because she expected to have to use her umbrella in self-defence. But since she has learned its uses, the umbrella gives her such a feeling of security that she is never without one, and she has completely lost her fear of pickpockets and thieves.

She was first taught to deceive her adversary by a feint, just as a fencer would, except that with the umbrella she knocks the man’s hat down over his face as far as possible. This is sure to surprise the thug, and always disconcerts him, for he is, for the moment, blinded by the hat coming suddenly over his eyes. He loses his presence of mind and gives the woman time to swing the umbrella back again and to inflict upon him a punishment which he will long remember. While he is recovering from the first blow the young woman can choose between several different thrusts, each one effective in its way.

There are two knockout blows, each of which is effective. One is delivered in the solar plexus (just over the abdomen), the other in the throat, just below the Adam’s apple. It requires a little dexterity and practice to deliver the second blow with the accuracy that is necessary.

A dig in the throat when sharply given with the ferrule of an umbrella will make the strongest thug unconscious for a while at least, and allow the girl to escape. To get plenty of strength into the thrust, the umbrella must be taken in both hands and literally rammed at the neck or right at the pit of the stomach. The former blow paralyses the nerves of a man’s head; the latter makes him double up like a jack-knife, and gasp for breath, and if delivered with sufficient force will knock him unconscious.

Fashion has also given to woman two or more weapons from which even the strongest man will flinch. We allude to her hatpin. It is a useful means of self-protection. Many women use hatpins as children use pins, with the head and long end slipped up their sleeve, and just the point in their fingers. When they carry much money and have to go through crowd they hold a hatpin this way in their hands, ready to give a quick jab to any hand that may reach to snatch their treasure.

When the craze for jiu-jitsu first began, men and women believed that they could learn the magic art of self-defence, as taught by the Japanese, in a couple of lessons. Hundreds of women went in for it, but found after a time that the study of attack and defence, as understood by the Japanese, is a very long one, and has to be gone into systematically, carefully, and with circumspection. Few are willing to put in two or three years training merely in order to get in physical condition to be able to throw a footpad easily and gracefully. And though jiu-jitsu is one of the finest means of developing the physique, it has few women devotees.

The Japanese woman, when she is instructed in the art of self-defence, gives up a couple of years to the study, but for the women who do not care to spend time learning jiu-jitsu really the most scientific method of self-defenee is the use of the umbrella.

Unfortunately, however, in conquering footpads it is not so necessary to know the rules of umbrella fencing as to keep your nerves calm, your eye steady, and your head cool, for without these essentials the very finest theories will be found wanting.

Posted in Antagonistics | Comments Off on “The New Art of Self Defence for Women” (Yorke’s Peninsula Advertiser, 28 May, 1909)

“Self-Defence with a Bicycle” Video from the 2017 Dreynevent

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 19th February 2017

A humourous and enlightening demonstration of Self-Defence with a Bicycle, animating the lessons of Marcus Tindal’s eccentric 1901 Pearson’s Magazine article. The demo took place at the recent Dreynevent historical European martial arts workshops in Vienna.

Posted in Antagonistics, Exhibitions, Humour, Video | Comments Off on “Self-Defence with a Bicycle” Video from the 2017 Dreynevent

“Fearsome Armour of the ‘Human Porcupine’” (1910)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 20th February 2017

From the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 10 January, 1910:

ARMOURED RUFFIAN HAS DESPERATE STRUGGLE WITH POLICE.

One Killed and Three Wounded.

Paris is no stranger scenes of violence in the streets, but the struggle which took place on Saturday night with Apaches surpasses in ferocity anything which has happened for a long time. The bill for the adventure was one policeman killed and three wounded.

Shortly after seven a sinister individual, of the true Apache type, sitting in a small wine shop the Rue Aubry-le-Boucher, boasted aloud that he was going to kill a policeman as soon as possible. Warned of this, two plain-clothes policemen came up and found the Apache, whose name was Liabeuf, just leaving the wineshop.

They immediately clapped hands on him, but at once jumped back with shrieks of pain. Under his sleeves Liabeuf, it seems, was armed with bands of leather studded with long needle-pointed nails, and these had penetrated deeply into the hands of the policemen.

Profiting from their pain and astonishment, Liabeuf then whipped out a long, sharp shoemaker’s knife, and as quick as lightning stabbed one policeman, named Deray, eight times in the chest, then immediately turned to the other policeman and stabbed him twice in the neck.

Half a dozen other policemen came running up and a terrible struggle followed, but owing to the studded bands round Liabeuf’s arms it was impossible to hold him, and he continually stabbed at random.

Liabeuf then took refuge in the entrance of small hotel, and, abandoning the knife, drew a revolver. At the first shots, Deray, who was first stabbed, and in spite of great loss of blood, had gallantly joined again in the struggle, fell with two bullets in the stomach.

Another policeman’s life was saved by his belt buckle, which stopped the third revolver ball.

A bloodthirsty struggle in the narrow, ill-lighted passage was only ended by six or eight policemen, all of whom showed the greatest gallantry, hurling themselves in a heap on Liabeuf. One policeman, then, drawing his sabre, transfixed him through the ribs, but without killing him.

It was with the greatest difficulty that reinforcements of police afterwards kept the enraged crowd of inhabitants from trampling on the inanimate body of Liabeuf.

Policeman Deray died in hospital from his ten wounds after the gold police medal had been pinned on his breast by Monsieur Lepine, just before the final operation. The other wounded are going on well.

Liabeuf turns out to be a vagabond shoemaker, who was recently sentenced three months for exploiting women in Paris. For this he had sworn to be revenged on the police as soon possible. The leather nail-studded bands were made with all the shoemaker’s skill, and had only just been finished.

Postscript: during his trial, Jean Liabeuf claimed that he had not intended to kill Deray, but was rather seeking revenge against the gendarmes Maugras and Vors, who had falsely arrested him for procuring.  He said that he had conceived of his unique “porcupine quill” armour during his three months of imprisonment on that charge.  

Despite the support of two socialist newspapers – La Guerre Sociale and The Radical – Liabeuf was executed by guillotine on the morning of Friday, July 1, 1910.  A large and hostile crowd of spectators had gathered to protest the execution; the police were hissed at and three shots rang out, one wounding a police inspector in the throat.  The police then charged the crowd with drawn sabres, and they were dispersed.

Posted in Antagonistics, Edwardiana, Hooliganism | Comments Off on “Fearsome Armour of the ‘Human Porcupine’” (1910)

“The New Art of Self Defence: A Clever Display” (1898)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 20th February 2017

From The Sporting Life – 29 October, 1898

Anything absolutely new with regard what no one will deny is an ancient and honourable pastime (we refer to the noble art) must of necessity be received with curiosity, and, to say the least of it, pleasure.

The noble art of self-defence stands where it did in the long ago, and beyond superiority and inferiority on the part of its professors, remains exactly the same, no better, no worse- as illustrated by Jackson, Figg, Broughton, and Cribb down to Mace, Sayers, Heenan, Travers, Wormald, and the rest of England’s greatest pugilists. It has been left to Mr. Barton-Wright to demonstrate some original ideas, which he illustrated on Wednesday evening St. James’s Hall.

Mr Barton-Wright describes his new art of self-defence as founded upon the principle of throwing unnatural strain upon any one of the joints of the body, arms, legs etc., which anatomically and mechanically it is absolutely impossible to resist.  It matters not how strong your opponent may be considered, viz., disturbing his equilibrium, at the time completely overpowering and paralysing his efforts.

In addition. Mr. Barton-Wright’s programme embraced an easy method of extricating oneself from the clutches of an adversary when attacked from behind suddenly and unawares, and in a most dangerous position, in any and every case the claimant to this new art of self defence contends that, notwithstanding the most formidable disadvantages, any and every opponent can be easily and effectually overcome.

On Wednesday evening the demonstrator illustrated all these methods, and showed their salutary effects to an attendance, if not numerous, then decidedly select, many ladies being present.

We may mention that Mr. Barton-Wright argues that boxing only a part of self defence, and that defence implies any means whereby a man is able successfully to meet an opponent. It was essentially a fashionable drawing room entertainment, and received unanimous approval.

At the outset (nine o’clock) Mr. Barton-Wright announced that, owing to disappointment, several of his artists had failed to put in an appearance. W. Clarke and Izar wrestled a five minutes’ bout in the Graeco-Roman style as the commencement to the proceedings. Tom Burrow, the famous club swinger, officiated as referee.

Catch-as-catch-can style came next, between A. Muller and E. P. Gruhn. The latter gained first and second falls and Muller the third. Donald Dinnie, the far-famed Scotch athlete, was here introduced.

Swiss trousers wrestling by F. Scherzdegger and Jean Schwickley. This provoked roars of laughter. Schwickley (anglicised) won the first fall, Scherzdegger the second. A “dog fall”; one of the men, shaking his head, described it as a “notting,” and they rested. Finally Scherzdegger won.

Mr. E. W. Barton-Wright now made a welcome appearance, attired in University costume, with Mr. Chipchase (middle-weight Cumberland and Westmoreland amateur champion).  Mr. Heffmann introduced Mr. Barton Wright.

Japanese Wrestling. —The illustrator divested himself of boots and socks. His illustrations were:

Tests of the art of falling, fall on back without shock, stomach throw on Mr. Chipchase.

Neck hold with throttle, throwing a man sideways, receiving an attack in Cumberland and Westmoreland style, holds when resisting a throw, demonstrating a lever weight, different ways of tripping, falls in marvellously intricate positions, cross-buttocks lowering the centre of gravity, different ways of throwing man and holding him down, and a thief’s throw.

There was then a bout with Mr. Chipchase – and finally Mr. Barton-Wright concluded amidst a hearty and well-deserved round of cheers.

Posted in Canonical Bartitsu, Exhibitions, Jiujitsu, Wrestling | Comments Off on “The New Art of Self Defence: A Clever Display” (1898)

The 2017 Ken Pfrenger Memorial Pugilism Symposium

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 23rd February 2017

Announcing the Ken Pfrenger Memorial Pugilism Symposium, a historical pugilism workshop to be held on Saturday June 17 and Sunday June 18, 2017 in Arlington Heights, IL., USA.

Background

Ken Pfrenger was a well known researcher, interpreter and instructor in historical pugilism, amongst other martial arts. He taught at ISMAC, CombatCon, Gallowglass Academy, the Recreational Violence Weekend(s) and at his own school in north-eastern Ohio.

Ken passed away unexpectedly last year, leaving his wife to raise his young son. A portion of each registration from this event will go to help out his wife. A silent auction is also planned that will include a gift certificate for a full scholarship to the 2018 Pugilism Symposium and numerous other items. All proceeds from the auction will go to Ken’s wife.

The Event

Instructors for the symposium include Martin “Oz” Austwick (UK), Kirk Lawson (USA), Allen Reed (USA) and Tim Ruzicki (USA).

Classes currently scheduled include:

Col. Monstery’s Boxing for Self Defense

Principles of Power Generation

Frowned Upon – Perfectly Legal Dirty Tricks

Counter Attacking in Single Time

Using your Elbows in Pugilism

For all classes CLOSED face martial arts head gear, MMA gloves and mouth guard are required. Men should also wear groin protection.

Registration, etc.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older to take part in the Symposium.

Registration until May 1, 2017 is $200 for both Saturday and Sunday or $125 for either Saturday OR Sunday.  After May 1st, registration goes to $300 for both days or $175 for either Saturday OR Sunday.

A block of rooms at the Double Tree Hotel is being held until May 17, 2017.

A shuttle can be arrranged from O’Hare Airport by calling the hotel once you are at the airport.

To make reservations for the symposium and/or to reserve a room at the hotel, please go to the Gallowglass Academy Ken Pfrenger Memorial Pugilism Symposium site.

Posted in Boxing, In Memoriam, Seminars | Comments Off on The 2017 Ken Pfrenger Memorial Pugilism Symposium

R. G. Allanson-Winn on “The Umbrella as a Weapon of Self-Defence” (1890)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 24th February 2017

Rowland George Allanson-Winn, the 5th Baron Headley, was a man of diverse interests and an interesting man. Born in London in 1855, he went on to study mathematics at Cambridge University and law at the Middle Temple before settling on a career in civil engineering, supervising numerous roadwork and land reclamation projects in Ireland and then in India.

While at Cambridge, Allanson-Winn took up the sport of boxing, which he pursued with great enthusiasm and significant skill, winning both the school’s heavyweight and middleweight championships. His voluminous 1899 treatise on the history and technique of pugilism, simply titled Boxing, is today regarded as a classic work. Indeed, Allanson-Winn was devoted to almost all the “antagonistic arts” available to a young man in late-Victorian England, as is evidenced by his co-authorship, with C. Phillipps-Wolley, of the also-classic Broadsword and Singlestick: with Chapters on Quarter-Staff, Bayonet, Cudgel, Shillalah, Walking-Stick, Umbrella, and Other Weapons of Self-Defense (1890).

The following excerpt from that book – which offers some notably sound advice on self defence in general – deals with the use of the umbrella as a defensive implement.

In 1913, Rowland Allanson-Winn converted from Catholicism to the religion of Islam, adopting the spiritual name of Shaikh Saifurrahman Rehmatullah El-Farooq. Upon his death in 1935, he was eulogised by his friends at the Woking Muslim Mission:

To say that he was popular would be belittling his character. He was charming, gentle, kind, lovable — a loving son, a loving father, a loving husband and a loving but, above all, a sincere friend. His was an extremely charitable nature, and God had gifted him with virtues of the highest order.

The Umbrella.

As a weapon of modern warfare this implement has not been given a fair place. It has, indeed, too often been spoken of with contempt and disdain, but there is no doubt that, even in the hands of a strong and angry old woman, a gamp of solid proportions may be the cause of much damage to an adversary. Has not an umbrella, opened suddenly and with a good flourish, stopped the deadly onslaught of the infuriated bull, and caused the monarch of the fields to turn tail? Has it not, when similarly brought into action, been the means of stopping a runaway horse, whose mad career might otherwise have caused many broken legs and arms?

If, then, there are these uses beyond those which the dampness of our insular climate forces upon us, it may be well to inquire how they can be brought to bear when a man, who is an expert swordsman, or one who has given attention to his fencing lessons, is attacked without anything in his hands save the homely umbrella.

It is, of course, an extremely risky operation prodding a fellow-creature in the eye with the point of an umbrella; and I once knew a man who, being attacked by many roughs, and in danger of losing his life through their brutality, in a despairing effort made a desperate thrust at the face of one of his assailants. The point entered the eye and the brain, and the man fell stone dead at his feet. I would therefore only advocate the thrusting when extreme danger threatens—as a dernier resort, in fact, and when it is a case of who shall be killed, you or your assailant.

There are two methods of using the umbrella, viz. holding it like a fencing foil— and for this reason umbrellas should always be chosen with strong straight handles—for long thrusts when at a distance, or grasping it firmly with both hands, as one grasps the military rifle when at bayonet exercise.

In the latter case one has a splendid weapon for use against several assailants at close quarters. Both the arms should be bent and held close to the body, which should be made to work freely from the hips, so as to put plenty of weight into the short sharp prods with which you can alternately visit your opponents’ faces and ribs.

If you have the handle in your right hand, and the left hand grasps the silk (or alpaca), not more than a foot from the point, it will be found most effective to use the forward and upward strokes with the point for the faces, and the backthrusts with the handle for the bodies. Whatever you do, let your strokes be made very quickly and forcibly, for when it comes to such close work as this, your danger lies in being altogether overpowered, thrown down, and possibly kicked to death; and, as I have before hinted, when there is a choice of evils, choose the lesser, and don’t be the least squeamish about hurting those who will not hesitate to make a football of your devoted head should it unfortunately be laid low.

Then, again, there is no better weapon for guarding a heavy blow aimed at you with a thick bludgeon than an umbrella, which, with its wire ribs and soft covering, is almost unbreakable, when all its ribs are held tightly with both hands; it is also, for the same reason, when thus grasped with both hands, an excellent defence against the attack of a large powerful dog, which may spring at your throat; but, in this case, remember to get one of your legs well behind the other so as to bring most of the weight of your body on the foremost leg, and, if you are lucky, you may have the satisfaction of throwing the animal on his back.

Thrusting, prodding, and guarding, then, may be called the strong points of the gamp; it is no use for hitting purposes, and invariably tumbles to pieces, comes undone, and gets into a demoralized condition when one tries to make it fulfil all the conditions of the unclothed walking-stick.  Besides which, the handles are never made strong enough for hitting, and the hittee is protected by the folds of silk.

Hitting, then, is the weak point of the gamp. Try to remember this when you feel inclined to administer a castigation to man or beast, and bear in mind that a comic scene may ensue, when, hot and angry, you stand with your best umbrella broken and half open, with the silk torn and the ribs sticking out in all directions.

Sometimes umbrellas have been made even more effective weapons by what is called a spring dagger, which consists of a short, strong knife or dirk let into the handle, and is readily brought into play by a sudden jerk, or by touching a spring. This may be all very well for travellers in the out-of-the-way regions of Spain, Sicily, or Italy, but I don’t like these dangerous accessories for English use, as they may be unfortunately liable to abuse by excitable persons.

Posted in Antagonistics, Biography | Comments Off on R. G. Allanson-Winn on “The Umbrella as a Weapon of Self-Defence” (1890)

Defence a la Walking Stick (The Tatler, December 4 1901)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 26th February 2017

The president of the Bartitsu Club (that most interesting school of self-defence in all its forms, which is located in Shaftesbury Avenue) has taken up the cudgels in favour of Professor Vigny, who teaches the beautiful and useful mysteries of la canne, or walking-stick, defence and la savate at the club in question.

Professor Vigny has already challenged his Parisian rival, Professor Charlemont, several times but without result. Charlemont refuses to fight anywhere but in Paris, no doubt not wishing to add the horrors of a Channel crossing to the possibilities of defeat.

Mr. Barton-Wright, the president and founder of the Bartitsu Club, has now thrown down the glove for Vigny and challenges Charlemont in his name to an encounter of la boxe francaise (a combination of English boxing and savate for the title of world’s champion and the stakes he may choose to name, the match to take place either in England or in some neutral country.

It would be an extremely interesting event could it be brought off but it is thought probable that Charlemont will still prefer his role of “masterly inactivity.” One is irresistibly reminded of the lions in Bombastes Furioso: “And the last lion thought the first a Bore!”

Posted in Canonical Bartitsu, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on Defence a la Walking Stick (The Tatler, December 4 1901)

“The Art of Self Defense with a Walking Stick” (1900)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety
  • Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 27th February 2017

From the New Orleans Times-Democrat of Sunday, December 30, 1900:

“Baritsu”, as the comparatively new form of self-defense is called, would appear, says the London Free Lance, to be acquiring popularity. Already the base school in the Shaftesbury Avenue is crowded and a branch establishment is to be opened.

This, after all, is not to be wondered at. Pugilism savors of brutality, in spite of all that has been said and is urged to the contrary. The rapier is an antiquated weapon; the singlestick is of no practical use; foils find favor only on the continent. The walking stick, on the other hand, we have always with us, and in these days and nights of hooligans we never know at which moment we may not be called upon to use it either in self-defense or in the defense of others.

Baritsu is, practically, the art of self-defense with the walking stick. At the school in Shaftesbury Avenue all the most telling strokes that it is possible to make with an ordinary walking stick are explained, illustrated and taught, and the pupil is shown how to best tackle the man – say, a street rough – “who comes at you anyhow with a stick. ”

Personally, I am of the opinion that every young fellow ought to learn Baritsu, for it appears to be the one the mode of self-defense liable to prove of practical use to any man and at any moment, even to the man who lives, moves and has his being only in this prosaic city of London.

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