How Do You Foster Safety In Martial Arts?

Though safety may seem boring, uncool, or like an unnecessary consideration, it is a vital foundation for pursuing excellence in martial arts in both the short- and long-term. Having a solid approach to safety in your group is important for retaining members, keeping your body healthy, and for creating the space for experimentation. At Academie…

Read More... from How Do You Foster Safety In Martial Arts?

Where Bartitsu Fits by Comparison

In speaking generally about kinds of martial arts and how to compare Bartitsu to other more familiar systems, sometimes we have to clarify our terms and classifications. One way to think about combat practice is to consider where the philosophy that underpins its rules and methods fits on a spectrum. Abstraction vs. Pragmatism One spectrum…

Read More... from Where Bartitsu Fits by Comparison

Keep Your Method Out of My Combat

Stage combat and Method acting don't mix. What do we mean by "Method acting"? Here's part of what Wikipedia has to say: Strasberg used the term “Method” to describe his philosophy of acting and his techniques of training actors, which built upon some of Stanislavski's early ideas. Strasberg's method is based upon the idea that…

Read More... from Keep Your Method Out of My Combat

To the Timid

Being safety-minded is a valuable trait in stage combat. However, shying away from choreography itself will only cause delays and disruption of the rehearsal process. Choosing to hold back and only perform slowly will certainly be safe and more comfortable for you, but will diminish the show you’re producing. All fight directors want you to…

Read More... from To the Timid

Safety, Confidence, and Control

Riding Level 3:  Safety, Confidence, and Control of Pace This is the final checklist item on your Riding Level 3 test.  In some ways 'safety, confidence and control' seem like nebulous criteria, and it is true that the final mark in the this category is based on an overall impression generated from your whole ride. …

Read More... from Safety, Confidence, and Control

Out Cold: The Real Danger of Concussions

Here's an infographic related to my previous post: Concussions R Bad. Created by MastersInHealthcare.com, it is sourced from the following: www.cdc.gov/concussion www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/scary_statistics_about-concuss.html www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-concussion-syndrome/DS01020 usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012-01-23/costly-concussions/52762290/1 Safety in Training and Reality In class, we avoid striking the head, even when wearing protective gear. To be a good partner, we either move slowly, change the target (do a…

Read More... from Out Cold: The Real Danger of Concussions

Fight Choreography and Rehearsal

The Fight Director will arrange or choreograph a fight for specific actors on a specific stage. This is an important aspect of safety, because setting choreography early and repeating it often in rehearsal will give actors the consistency and confidence to perform safely in front of an audience. The better they feel about the safety,…

Read More... from Fight Choreography and Rehearsal

Concussions R Bad

Discussion of concussions often centres around contact sports. Here in Canada, news is made when hockey players must miss games, and the same is true of American football, and the most relevant for this Bartitsu blog: boxing. All you really need to know is hitting your head is bad. What is a concussion? “Concussion” means…

Read More... from Concussions R Bad

Be Prepared

Why do we study self-defence? To be prepared for a situation that may never happen: a personal attack. Let’s take a look at other problems we normally prepare for, and situations we often ignore. Don’t Panic Take the advice of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. When reading over these negative scenarios and thinking about…

Read More... from Be Prepared

Centre of the Canadian Universe Sword Press

Toronto and jousting items dominate this Easter offering. Toronto – swords ‘and’ jousting … who knew? Of more important note though, our community recently suffered an accident that deserves a moment’s consideration to ensure that we’re doing everything possible to take care of weapon safety during training, displays or competitions. Wes   A Centre for…

Read More... from Centre of the Canadian Universe Sword Press

Stage Combat Priorities 2: Style and Expertise

The overall goal of stage combat, as we discussed in episode 0: The Illusion of Violence, is creating a violent scene that is safe for the actor and believable to the audience in the context of the show. Last time, we broke down some of the ways in which our first priority, Safety, plays out…

Read More... from Stage Combat Priorities 2: Style and Expertise

Stage Combat Priorities 1: Safety... Boring!

This is really the first post in my series on the basics of stage combat and how it is applied in real productions. Last time, I talked about the illusion of violence, and how the effect to the audience must match the rest of the production (a fairy tale should be magical and melodramatic, while…

Read More... from Stage Combat Priorities 1: Safety... Boring!