Edinburgh: on the 16th of October, beginning at midday and ending at 5pm, there will be a workshop in Walking Stick Defence given by Phil Crawley. The venue will be the Kirk o’Field church hall.

Although based on the Vigny/Lang system(s), the seminar will include aspects of the Andre, Renaud and Cunningham methods for comparison. The workshop will look at using the walking stick at three different ranges – long, medium and close – in order to defend with a number of different, and often surprising, techniques, and how the stick may be combined with other contemporary arts and objects in order to provide an all-round self-defence against ruffians.

Participants will require a fencing mask, stout gloves and a fencing jacket or gambeson. Forearm protection is advised.

Sticks, and other specialist equipment, will be provided.

Cost will be the small sum of £12 for the day.

The venue will be the Big Red Door in Lady Lawson Street, a local performance and arts space, as well as a burlesque and Steampunk themed nightclub venue. Admission is free, but participants must be aged 18 and over due to licencing and insurance concerns.

This is a trial term so the initial programme will be very much canonical Bartitsu techniques, with each session consisting of some physical conditioning, punching and kicking, grappling and cane work in equal measure. The course is aimed to be accessible to all, regardless of experience and ability.

The eventual aim, if there is interest and venue space, is to extend into a more neo-Bartitsu vein as skills and equipment allow.

There are also plans for two one-day workshops on Saturdays at some point before March- see the Te Pooka website for more details when this is confirmed.