The class will explore:

* the basic punches of scientific boxing and the first defensive moves of pugilism
* the first throw from jujitsu and how to land without hurting yourself when thrown
* the foundations of walking stick self-defence
* the essential kicks of savate.

This Introduction to Bartitsu is a pre-requisite for the Academie’s ongoing Bartitsu class. Instructor David McCormick says, “We want all newcomers to the weekly class to have some familiarity with the core techniques, and to get some practice in an easy environment where all of the students are learning the skills together.”

So, whether you’re interested in studying Bartitsu on an ongoing basis, or if you just want to learn the essential elements, the Introduction to Bartitsu covers the fundamentals.

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.

One of the world’s premiere Western martial arts schools, the Academie Duello in Vancouver, Canada, is now offering regular classes in E.W. Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence”.

There will be purely historical techniques, as well as modern variations for realistic self-defense. Drills are designed for accuracy as well as the ability to think while fighting. To test your skills, part of the class time will feature sparring. This is really the first Western mixed martial art, combining kickboxing with jiujitsu and cane fighting… not for the ring, but for ultimate self-defense.

Click here to read more about the Academie’s Bartitsu programme.

We wish our Canadian colleagues all success in this new venture!

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.

Advance notice of another upcoming Bartitsu seminar at Vancouver’s Academie Duello historical martial arts school. This will be an intensive 4-hour session taught by David McCormick, featuring instruction in:

* English boxing, French kickboxing and the English interpretation of Judo
* Stick fighting and self-defense with an umbrella
* Modern urban self-defense evolved from the principles of Bartitsu

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