Bartitsu Discussion Points

Here’s a selection of items of note from the Bartitsu Society of late. Salford Scuttlers Check out this two-part video on the Scuttlers problem of 1890s Manchester: Scuttlers of Manchester 1/2Watch this video on YouTube This is exactly the sort of street violence that Bartitsu was intended to counter. Comparing Vigny and Barton-Wright I highly…

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Shillelagh or Irish Stick Fighting

St. Patrick's Day was this week, so let's celebrate the shillelagh, or blackthorn walking stick and its fighting style. As Jon Mills explained in his post, the general Irish term for stick fighting is Bataireacht. The shillelagh itself is a single piece of blackthorn or oak about three feet long. Longer sticks were called wattles…

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Martial Intent in Bartitsu

At our rank exams, we evaluate students by how they demonstrate certain techniques alone and against a partner, as well as their use in sparring. Many students are most nervous about the competitive aspect and not being able to plan exactly what will happen in the sparring component. However, I see more students get reduced…

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Indian Clubs for Martial Artists

This post first appeared on VictorianMartialArts.com and is republished with permission.  Indian clubs are a quintessential staple of any (real or imagined) scene depicting a Victorian Gymnasium or training hall. As they grow in popularity due to their current revival in fitness circles, it’s easy to miss the fact that these useful tools are not…

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Calligraphy and Martial Arts

This week, I’m jotting down some rumination on the connection between writing and martial arts, so I don’t have a thesis or a lesson to teach, but the reader can follow my musing toward their own meditation on the topic. I’m partially inspired by Major Wes who sent me a copy of the book on…

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Japanese Police Bartitsu

A recently translated book shows a combination of martial arts taught for Japanese police officers in 1888. It was translated by Eric Shahan, who specializes in translating 19th- and 20th-century Japanese martial arts texts. Read the article on LiveScience. Samurai Secrets: 1888 Martial Arts Manual for Cops Revealed I have to mention the caveat that…

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General Strength and Conditioning

The single most important factor in learning any new physical skill is general strength, or the ability to press and pull with different parts of your body in all directions. By conditioning, we generally mean the endurance to perform work over an extended period of time. Both general strength and conditioning are essential elements to…

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Custom Nylon Bullwhips

We'll have more whip cracking workshops in the new year, and your instructor, David McCormick, spends hours every week plaiting new whips out of nylon paracord. Hand-made paracord bullwhips are durable and have a great crack. The core is filled with steel balls (shot) to give the perfect heft and momentum. The outer 12-plait overlay…

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Follow Through

This week, I am left speechless. We have three items that could spawn entire essays because there’s so much to exclaim about each one. Instead, kindly read each and think about the implications. Yes! Taking away the fear of punching girls in training. http://boxwrestlefence.com/kajaswords/2015/11/26/hitting-girls/ Nope! Selfie-sticks as self-defence weapons? http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/23/theres-now-a-self-defence-class-teaching-people-to-use-selfie-sticks-as-weapons-5519563/ Double yes! Rank examinations were…

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Habits and Growth

The body does the same things every day: sleep, eat, walk. The mind does different things every day: remembering, planning, having different conversations, seeing changes in the world. The body therefore benefits from novelty. Try a new skill. Eat something from a different culture. The mind benefits from consistency. Meditation at the same hour every…

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This Week in Video: London Brawling

We just came across this delightful video which is so fitting, since we have one of our super fun Umbrella Self-Defence workshops this Sunday October 11th, 1pm - 5pm. Come and learn what an awesome self-defence tool your brolly is! London BrawlingWatch this video on YouTube This Week on Duello.TV It's the beginning of a…

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