More from Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture and Martial Arts

The new Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts center in Chicago’s Ravenswood area is a unique 5000 sq. ft., c.1900 facility, with classes  in historical swordplay, 19th century antagonistics and ‘old school’ fitness training.

Beginning in late January 2012, Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts will offer:

* a fitness studio combining functional fitness training with modern nutritional counseling

* 19^th century “physical culture” – workouts using calisthenics, Indian clubs, medicine balls, therapeutic gymnastics, body-weight exercises and games designed to create natural strength and grace with athletic performance

* the Midwest’s only full-time school for the study of traditional Western martial arts including historical swordplay - the art of the longsword, rapier, arming sword, as well as Bartitsu – the martial art made famous by  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved character, Sherlock Holmes

* classes with Chicagoland’s only licensed instructor in Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) self-defense – a nationally renowned system of hand, stick and knife defense designed for modern people with limited training time

* a “Gymuseum” of antique exercise equipment and 19th century prints portraying combat sport athletes in training

* an international center for education on the rich, sophisticated martial traditions of Western Civilization

* an innovative, eclectic series of workshops, lectures and unique social events.

New to historical swordfighting? Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts will offer the Chicago Swordplay Guild’s ever-popular introductory classes in the medieval longsword and the Renaissance rapier! The C.S.G. will also continue to provide Introductory Classes at the Chicago Park District-Pulaski Park location as part of the CPD Arts Partners Program.

The website is coming soon; in the meantime you can contact the organizers for updates on classes, seminars and special events!

“Be fit – be fit! In mind and body be fit!”

Nothing on earth–no Arts, no Gifts, no Graces–
No Fame, no Wealth–outweighs the wont of it.
This is the Law which every law embraces–
Be fit–be fit! In mind and body be fit!

- Rudyard Kipling, “A Preface”, from Land and Sea Tales (1919-23); also used as lyrics in the quick march of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps

Bartitsu also comprises a system of physical culture which is as complete and thorough as the art of self-defence.

- “The Latest Fashionable Pastime: The Bartitsu Club”, Black and White Budget, December 1900

“Master of Men: the Life’s Work of William Muldoon, Champion and Trainer of Champions”

“Master of Men” is an anthology of books, articles and essays about the remarkable Irish-American combat athlete and coach, William Muldoon. Muldoon learned the basics of wrestling as a soldier in the Civil War. After numerous adventures as one of “New York’s finest”, he left the police force to become one of the first American professional wrestlers, taking on all comers in rough and tumble saloon matches and working as an actor/stuntman on the Vaudeville stage.

In 1889, Muldoon’s radical training methods brought the out-of-shape, alcoholic bare-knuckle boxing champion John L. Sullivan back into form for his legendary title fight with Jake Kilrain. Muldoon later became the inaugural chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission and a personal trainer for some of the richest and most powerful men in America. Includes 29 rare illustrations and a special bonus interview with Scott Burt of the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.

The 316 page book is available in print or e-formats from the Antagonistics Emporium, which also features a free instant preview.

“Sherlock Holmes and Bartitsu”

E.W. Barton-Wright (left) and Sherlock Holmes (seated, right).

Bartitsu.org is pleased to present this illustrated essay in three parts by Michael Bertram Wooster. Drawing from his grandfather’s memoirs and from the archives of the Vernet Foundation (Paris), amongst other sources, Mr. Wooster’s essay details the hitherto mysterious collaboration between famed consulting detective Sherlock Holmes and E.W. Barton-Wright in devising the latter’s “New Art of Self Defence”, Bartitsu.

Part One details Holmes’ enthusiasm for physical culture, his growing fascination with Asian martial arts and association with judo founder Jigoro Kano.

Part Two offers insight into Holmes’ meeting and subsequent friendship with E.W. Barton-Wright and the genesis of the Bartitsu Club in Soho.

Part Three outlines the eventual downfall of the Bartitsu Club, the further activities of both Holmes and Barton-Wright and finally resolves the mystery of Holmes’ “baritsu” as recorded by his colleague, Dr. John Watson.

We hope that you enjoy the journey.

Vancouver Bartitsu intensive

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.

Pacific Northwest Bartitsu seminar tour

Advance notice of a series of Bartitsu seminars to be held in the Pacific Northwest (USA) between March 6-28, 2010.

Each seminar will begin with warm-up exercises taken from the 19th century “physical culture” repertoire before exploring the underlying principles, skills and tactics of Bartitsu, via lessons in the unique combination of fighting styles that made up E.W. Barton-Wright’s arsenal of tricks.

Classes to include:

• a selection of the canonical combat sequences represented in Barton-Wright’s classic article series, “The New Art of Self Defence” and “Self Defence with a Walking Stick”

• experimental neo-Bartitsu drills blending 19th century jiujitsu, scientific boxing, street savate and walking stick defence

• discussions on the fascinating history and revival of Barton-Wright’s New Art of Self Defence; the “hold-up” tactics of 19th century street gangsters, and the counters developed by self defence masters of the period, and the jiujitsu training of the Bodyguards of the radical Suffragette movement.

Tutor: Tony Wolf

The itinerary includes:

March 6th and 7th in Seattle, Washington at the SANCA school of circus arts – contact wolfclass@lonin.org .

March 13th and 14th in Eugene, Oregon at the Northwest Academy of Arms – contact info@fencingacademy.net

March 17th and 18th in San Francisco, California hosted by the Botta Secreta historical fencing school – contact bottasecretaproductions@yahoo.com

March 20th and 21st in Portland, Oregon, hosted by the Academia Duellatoria fencing school – contact jeffery@mind.net

March 27th and 28th in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the Academie Duello historical fencing and stage combat school – contact info@academieduello.com

Jiujitsuffragettes!

Some scenes from the upcoming Bartitsu documentary, scheduled for release in early 2010. These shots are from a re-enactment of a Jiujitsuffragette “Bodyguard” training session circa 1913.

The Jiujitsuffragettes

Bodyguards swinging Indian clubs, which were used both as exercise training and as weapons of self defence.

The Oldest Gym in America?

Among the interests of the Bartitsu Society is the study of 19th century physical culture; the panoply of diverse exercise systems that were practiced in public and private gymnasia throughout Europe, North America and Australasia.  E.W. Barton-Wright commented that Bartitsu included a “system of physical culture which is as complete and thorough as the art of self defence”.

The Hegeler Carus mansion in LaSalle, Illinois, features an extremely rare surviving example of a 19th century gymnasium.  The Hegeler Carus gym remained virtually unchanged throughout the 20th century, and still contains numerous, some probably unique, items of exercise apparatus, including wooden dumbbells and Indian clubs, a “teeter ladder”, parallel bars and “Roman rings” suspended from the ceiling.  The gym also features a climbing pole that D.T. Suzuki used as a “meditation pole” during his long stay at the mansion.

For information on the project towards restoring the Hegeler Carus mansion gymnasium as a living museum of physical culture, see the Turnhall Project PDF.  You will need to rotate the PDF into portrait orientation.