The Bartitsu Club of New York City

Although Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright once announced plans to introduce his “New Art of Self Defence” to the United States, that was never to be. However, some of his articles for London magazines and newspaper reports on his activities were re-published in the USA, possibly inspiring something of the American self defence boom that took place during the first decade of the 20th century.

The modern Bartitsu revival is very much an international effort, with clubs and study groups about evenly spread between Europe and North America. One of the newest groups is the Bartitsu Club of New York City (you can “like” them on Facebook here), recently instrumental in hosting the very successful Antagonistics Weekend event with Bartitsu instructor Mark Donnelly (reviewed here).

Organised by the indefatigable Rachel Klingberg, the New York club meets monthly in Central Park. Lessons may include:

* Intros, warm-up with Victorian/Edwardian calisthetics, pugilism shadow boxing with attention to proper form and structure
* Savate kicks, coup de pied bas
* Vigny cane – footwork and posture, proper form and stances with solo movements, drills
* Safe falling, Ju Jutsu locks and defense against grabs, “How to Put a Troublesome Man Out of the Room”, grabs to wrists, coat lapels, etc.
* Parasol defense, bayonetting with parasol, locking with cane or parasol, drills from “Self Defence with a Parasol” 1901 article
* Basic fencing
* Cool-down and debriefing

Counting down to CombatCon …

A full list of CombatCon martial arts classes, demonstrations and panel discussions is now available online here.

Events and activities of special interest to Bartitsu/19th century “antagonistics” enthusiasts will include:

Manly Arts of Self Defense

In the late 19th Century certain activities were often classified as “manly arts”. This class will look at three of them: singlestick, pugilism and wrestling. The instructors will work together to show the similarities in a short presentation to begin. Then participants will choose between singlestick with Maestro Paul Macdonald, pugilism with Tim Ruzicki or wrestling with Ken Pfrenger. The class will culminate in a demonstration of these arts.

Class Length: 2 Hours

Instructors: Ken Pfrenger, Maestro Paul Macdonald, Tim Ruzicki

Bartitsu: The Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes

In the year 1899, Edward William Barton-Wright founded Bartitsu as a process of cross-training between walking stick fighting, boxing, kicking and jiujitsu. It was the first eclectic self-defence system blending Asian and European combat styles, intended to beat hooligans and street gangsters at their own game.

This introductory class will focus on classical Bartitsu defenses against an unarmed attacker via the use of jiujitsu and stickfighting, with a look at “combat improvisation”.

Please bring a crook-handled walking stick or strong 36″ dowel, with any edges smoothed away.

Class Length: 1 Hour

Instructor: Tony Wolf

19th Century Defense Against Thugs

Demo by: Tom Badillo and the Botta Secreta Demo Team

Catch-as-catch-can wrestling

Demo by: Ken Pfrenger & Dan Kanagie

Sword Feats

Demo by: Maestro John Sullins

Radaellian sabre

Calling all duelists, airship pirates, mechanized cavalry troopers, and others fond of carrying a sabre, come learn to do more than pose with that fine weapon! In this class we will learn a simple set of actions that will serve you well in your adventures. We will learn attacks, defense, counter attacks, as well as a number of special actions to get you out of those sticky situations you keep finding yourself in.
Equipment- If you want to practice with full contact, then thick padded protection for the hand, torso, upper legs, groin, weapon arm, neck and shoulder protection, cup, chest protectors, are required. If you want to practice without contact then thick clothing is required. A curved sabre is highly recommended, a straight bladed weapon will not be able to do many of the actions we will be studying.

Class Length: 1 Hour

Instructor: Maestro John Sullins

1904 Singlestick

The year is 1904 and Singlestick is the fourth fencing weapon at the Games of the III Olympiad, held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America. We will explore this expression of the martial sport as we have researched its use during the late 1890’s through 1910. Here is a sample video of our recreation.

Fantasy: Calling all sky pirates and Airship captains . . .
We will explore singlestick as a safe training weapon for your crews to learn how to defend and protect their airship. The wooden waster called the singlestick was also used as a training weapon on board naval ships when the officers wished to train their crews against boarding actions. “No need to blunt the cutlasses, Captain, when we have these perfectly good singlesticks. Save the steel for the pirates” cried the Master of Arms on the Airship Kalakaua.

Equipment:

Full fencing kit is recommended: Mask, gorget, fencing jacket, chest protector, left and right handed gloves, shin and elbow pads, and personal male and female protective gear. Required equipment, Mask, padded jacket, glove for weapon hand.

Class Length: 1 Hour

Instructor: Tom Badillo

Speak softly and carry a big stick …

The stick has been used as a training tool for different weapons as well as a weapon in its own right.

Participants can choose to study Garrote Larense stick and Machete fighting of Venezuela with Professor Bruno Cruicchi, Stick fencing with Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martinez, Quarterstaff with Maestro Paul Macdonald or Bartitsu walking stick defence with Tony Wolf.

Class Length: 2 Hours

Instructors: Professor Bruno Cruicchi, Maestro Jeannette Acosta Martinez, Maestro Paul Macdonald, Tony Wolf

Creating your Steampunk universe

We will explore a process whereby an individual may construct their own personal storyline and context within the Steampunk world through story development, character creation, technological assessment, and the integration of actual places, people and wonders of the real world in which we live. The adventures of Major Vostok and the founding of the Pacifica Air Fleet will be used to illustrate how to create a niche for your character that fits into the surreal world of Steampunk fashion and technology.

Panel will include: Chris Villa and Tadao Tomomatsu.

Panel Length: 1 Hour

Film festival screening: Bartitsu – The Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes

A documentary shot in Switzerland, Italy, the USA, and the UK that reveals the fascinating history, rediscovery and modern revival of the original mixed martial art, Bartitsu.

Theory and Practice of the Navaja

The instructional objective of the Theory and Practice of the Navaja workshop is to provide participants with a practical overview of the cultural knife arts of Andalusian Spain. The weapon that will be focused on is the navaja sevillana, a folding clasp-knife whose blade is believed to be the inspiration for the bowie knife that evolved in the American Southwest (a region originally populated by Spanish colonists).

Participants will be exposed to a hands-on familiarity with a dozen variations of Spanish fighting knives, including navajas (clasp-knives), puñales (stiletti), and salvavirgo (chastity knives). They will also learn the tactical rudiments of tirar la navaja, the methods of knife-play that evolved in Spain, including grips, guards, basic attacks, basic counter, and dexterity drills.

NOTE: Practice navajas will be provided for the class. There will also be trainers and navaja books available for purchase.

Victorian cane

Class Length: 1 Hour

As the ratio of police officer to general population of Victorian London was about 6000 to 1, it was wise for a Victorian of station to carry some sort of weapon for protection. Carrying a sword was no longer in fashion so, his or her walking stick or cane or parasol, a very common fashion accessory was the de facto choice of weapon.

“The stick is an excellent weapon, and in the hands of a good spadroon swordsman especially, wherefore I have frequently urged you to extend you fencing lessons . . . to spadroon . . . a straight sword, lighter than a Highland broadsword, and made to cut and thrust . . . fencing with a spadroon is a combination of Highland broadsword practice with that of a small sword.” Baron de Berenger page 57 – Defensive Gymnastics.

History:

We will be exploring the tactical and strategic concepts and tactics for personal defense from the book Defensive Gymnastics by Lt. Col. Charles Random, the Baron de Berenger. This work was published in 1832, three years before Victoria was crowned Queen.

Present day:

How we, in the 21st century, can benefit from these early 19th discussions of situational awareness and fundamentals of personal defense.

One example: from page 47: “Wanton Assaults, either to gratify vulgar insolence, or to lead to a quarrel, perhaps to facilitate robbery, are practiced mostly under the guile of assumed intoxication. When you see a fellow staggering towards you whether really drunk or pretending inebriety, give him all the room you can; take no notice of anything he may say or do, not stop even to look but proceed on as if you had not even seen him.“

Equipment:

A simple cane or hook/crook cane that will with stand impact of cutting drills.

Class Length: 1 Hour

Instructor: Tom Badillo

Report on Bartitsu classes at the Steampunk World’s Fair

Instructor Mark Donnelly demonstrates self defence with a walking stick.

Thanks to Rachel Klingberg for this detailed report on Mark Donnelly’s three Bartitsu classes at the recent Steampunk World’s Fair conference in New Jersey.

Antagonistics: Bartitsu seminar in New York City

Announcing the Antagonistics Weekend, a two-day long Bartitsu seminar with Professor Mark Donnelly in New York City:

Learn to fight like Sherlock Holmes! London’s Bartitsu Club was all the rage in 1899, but only recently has this lost martial art been rediscovered. Learn the “gentlemanly art of self-defense” at workshops taught by Professor Mark Donnelly, a world-renowned expert on historical combat.

Be part of history at Bartitsu’s NYC debut!

* Learn to use a walking stick, parasol, jacket, and other accessories for protection
* No martial arts experience required.
* A study in self-defense and in history.

Details

Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
34 West 28th Street
Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10001

Check out the NYCSteampunk website for further information!

Bartitsu at the Gaslight Gathering

Thanks to The Convention Fans Blog for this picture and accompanying report on San Francisco-based Bartitsu instructor Tom Badillo’s demo./class at the recent Gaslight Gathering event in San Diego.

Bartitsu display at the Gaslight Gathering

Bartitsu instructor Tom Badillo will be reprising his Bartitsu demonstration from the San Francisco Edwardian Ball, the Dickens Faire and the Nova Albion Steampunk Expo at the upcoming Gaslight Gathering Steampunk and Victoriana conference in San Diego (May 6-8, 2011).

“Come along quietly, sir …”

Terry Kroenung (right) demonstrates an escort hold during a Bartitsu exhibition at Denver’s Anomaly-Con Steampunk conference.

19th century/Steampunk martial arts at CombatCon

A partial class list is now on-line for Combat Con Las Vegas.

There are four ways to look at the classes based on how you study Western Martial Arts. You can view the classes along with their short descriptions or you can look at the list via System/Style or via Weapon. Lastly, each instructor’s bio page lists their classes at the bottom.

The 19th century/Steampunk classes listed so far include Manly Arts of Self Defence (singlestick, pugilism and wrestling), Bartitsu: The Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes, Radellian Sabre, Victorian Cane, Singlestick and Repelling boarders against Sky Pirates.

From the organisers:

Nearly half of the classes are online right now and the organisers will be adding more soon, so be sure to check back often. Attendees will be able to choose between more intensive 2 hr classes or a variety of one hour classes. There’s a lot to do at Combat Con so choosing between the classes and the exciting Panels, Activities and Demonstrations will be difficult! Please go to the CombatCon website to register and to see a draft schedule layout under the WMA tab.

There are still many more classes coming, along with the list of Demonstrations, Panels and Activities. More details will appear on the CombatCon website soon.

Of course, there is also much to do in the evenings. After dinner there will be tournaments, free fencing, movies, games and that’s all without leaving the hotel After all, you’re in Las Vegas!

To celebrate the class list online there is a 10% discount until April 5th, so use WMA2011 in the Promo Box and get your registration in now!

Steampunk/Bartitsu

Steampunk applies post-modern artistic imagination to 19th century culture and technology. There is an undeniable affinity between Steampunk and neo-Bartitsu, which is likewise inspired by (and experiments with) Victorian-era aesthetics and resources; both can be appreciated as aspects of the neo-Victorian movement.

Over the past several years there have been numerous Bartitsu classes and demonstrations at science fiction/Steampunk gatherings including V-Con, SteamCon III, the World Steam Expo, StarFest, the Steam Century Mystery weekend and the San Francisco Edwardian Ball. The upcoming CombatCon event in Las Vegas will feature the interplay between 19th century “antagonistics” and Steampunk fiction as one of its major themes.

John Reppion’s article, Baritsu, Bartitsu and the Jujitsuffragettes was featured in issue #6 of Steampunk Magazine, while Nick Mamatas’ Bartitsu: the Martial Art for the Steampunk Set appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine. The Scatha Combat Guild’s forthcoming Steampunk Self Defence Manual promises to offer a light-hearted take on Bartitsu and other Victorian-era antagonistics.

In addition to providing music for the upcoming documentary Bartitsu: The Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes, top Steampunk band Abney Park has produced the song Victorian Vigilante, whose protagonist “brings his baritsu” to the task of taking down his supernatural prey.

Finally, the Steam Fu discussion forum at Steampunk Empire frequently cites Bartitsu, and likewise, Steampunk (as it is related to martial arts) is a frequent topic on the Bartitsu Forum.

Bartitsu Club of Vancouver

A special guest post from David McCormick, instructor of the new Bartitsu Club of Vancouver, who is due congratulations for his success!

The first month of the Bartitsu Club of Vancouver has been an unmitigated success. I would not have expected such a turnout of students in a debut course. This is thanks in no small part to Academie Duello, the school of Western Martial Arts of which we are a part. Most of our Bartitsuka are already regular students of Rapier and the other disciplines at the Academie, and the reach of Duello’s influence in the media helped bolster support. In the end, we have a core group of eight or so, with some weeks having as many as thirteen participants. But enough about our numbers… What did we do?

Format

Each class is a two-hour session that starts with a general warm up, with some awareness and balance exercises, for the first 20 minutes, followed by a review segment for 30 minutes, including lesson recap and partner drills. Next, we move on to the meat of the class: 30 minutes of new material, which is followed by 20 minutes in which we combine the old lessons with the new techniques. The final 20 minutes we spend sparring, with special emphasis on that week’s system. For example, if the main lesson was boxing, the sparring segment will be in the form of a boxing match, whereas if the main lesson was cane, we do stick-fighting.

Our general format is to separate Bartitsu into its four major components: Boxing, Savate, Jujitsu and Cane. Each class, we study two of these components in our two-hour session. The first is a review of the previous week, and the second is new material for the other weapon. Then, we combine the two for tactics that work together.

Weekly Run-Down

In week 1 (21 August, 2010), we looked at Cane and Boxing. This was an introduction to each, in which we examined basic stances and essential strikes.

In week 2 (28 August, 2010), we reviewed Boxing and learned the basic kicks of Savate.

In week 3 (4 September, 2010), we reviewed Savate and returned to Cane for some new techniques, including pre-emptive strikes. We combined this with Savate by using the stick as a feint for a kick, and a kick as a feint for a stick.

And then the lovely new equipment arrived! We have boxing head-gear, sparring gloves and shin-protectors, and new mats for the floor that cover a huge area. We also have padded escrima sticks for cane sparring.

In week 4 (11 September, 2010), we reviewed Cane and finally got to the basics of Jujitsu. We spent some time getting used to break-falls, and then went on to the Back-Heel throw. We combined the two disciplines by using the pre-emptive stick technique into the back-heel throw, and variations on that theme.

In week 5 (18 September, 2010), we reviewed Jujitsu and returned to Boxing. We learned some in-fighting hooks and uppercuts, and we combined that with Jujitsu when we moved into chancery and the cross-buttock throw. That week’s sparring was very exciting as we really explored freeform boxing.

Special Event: Umbrella

On 25 September, we held a four-hour Umbrella Self-Defence Workshop in the place of the Bartitsu class. What a turn-out! Some of our regular Bartitsu members were there, and thanks to media coverage and our tireless marketing team, we had fifteen members of the public fill our space. We had to turn away people at the door, who will hopefully join us the next time we run it in November.

Coming Up

This weekend is the start of October, when we’ll have a demonstration at V-Con, the Vancouver science fiction convention. Since this year’s theme is steampunk, I’m sure Bartitsu will be very popular. If you happen to be there, our demo is at 6pm on Saturday.