When there are so many mixed martial arts (MMA) schools that focus on Barzilian Jiu-jistu (BJJ), what sets apart the jujitsu in Bartitsu? We focus on staying on our feet while sending the assailant to the ground.

Today we'll talk about maintaining balance, vertical alignment, calmness, and avoiding surprise.

Why Stay on Your Feet?

Here are some problems with the wrestling takedown and trying to get a submission using ground fighting:

In a self-defense scenario, the ground may be covered in glass or other jagged material
In a multiple-attackers scenario, even choking out your one assailant leaves you vulnerable to his accomplices
The only way to end the confrontation is submission or choke, there is no opportunity for escape
Your awareness of changing conditions around you is limited
Your mobility is severly restricted, so you cannot use your environment to your advantage, including getting the attention of potential helpers

Balance Exercises

Stability and balance are key to avoid being knocked down. Here are a few drills to aid your balance:

Stand naturally on both feet, then rock forward until you feel you may lose balance. Then do the same thing backward and side-side. When you feel comfortable with this, do it with eyes closed.
Stand on one foot. When you can do this without swaying, try moving your elevated leg forward, then to the side, then behind you.
Use a balance board. First find the balance point while standing on both feet and get used to it. Then try with eyes shut.
Dynamic balance: walk a balance beam, hop from one foot to the other, and so on.
Skip rope: excellent for lightness of footwork (boxer's know this), endurance and balance.

Practicing the jujitsu take-downs and throws as a victim will also make you better able to deal with falling and regaining your balance when disrupted.

Making Smart Choices and Awareness

Keeping calm and making good decisions is important to keeping yourself safe. Our first strategy is to avoid combat and dangerous situations. You can only exercise avoidance by first being aware of where and when there is risk to your safety.

Good planning in advance will give you a head-start. Know what streets and areas have higher crime rates, and try to avoid them. Decide in advance how you're getting to and from your destination, and let a friend know those details. If things go wrong, someone knows where you planned to be, and the path you were taking.

However, it is equally important to remain aware of changing circumstances. There are no totally safe places when an earthquake strikes, for example. Keep your eyes open and if you're ever bored, keep your mind working on combat and emergency scenarios. When you are calm and aware, you're in the best mindset to make the best decisions.

Combining expectation and active observation means that you can detect things that are out of place or suspicious.

Awareness Exercises

To avoid being surprised is almost entirely in one's perceptions. To see what's around you and understand where threats may be will make you more able to respond to those threats appropriately and without panic.

If you are surprised, you will have a surge of adrenaline that will make your heart beat very fast, and you may feel a jolt through your muscles as you flinch away from a sudden motion. I have enjoyed Russian Systema primarily because they deal with that moment very well, where most martial arts ignore it entirely. The key is to breathe and practice that feeling until you can keep your control even when surprised, scared or angry.

Here is a progression of awareness difficulty for a group:

Find the weapon: when you turn to face them, one of the members of your training group is holding a weapon. Point it out as quickly as possible
Find the concealed weapon: same exercise, but the weapon is tucked in the belt or in a pocket
Hi-five or hand shake: walk randomly around the room. If passing on the right, shake hands; if passing on the left high-five. One of your friends has the weapon, so don't touch it.
Slow multiple attackers: each of your training partners tries one slow simple attack toward you which you simply deflect. As you deal with one, the weapon may be passed around so you'll need to detect whether the attacker is armed.

Drills and Expectations

There is a balance between training in realistic scenarios and drilling certain skills in a repetitive manner. Both are necessary to avoid surprise and keep making good, fast decisions in a combat situation.

When you look at the most common attack scenarios and the likely (untrained) responses of assailants, you can drill your reactions. That way, when you see a certain typical attack coming at you, you have a ready action. This will keep you calm and your physical reaction will be fluid and effective.

On the other hand, no two attacks will ever be identical, and some ruffians may have very different styles and tactics. Trying different and spontaneous motions will get you used to thinking on your feet and working with your skills creatively in a safe environment.

The Upright Character Requires Practice Too

Aristotle wisely noted that virtue is like a muscle: practice improves your judgement and performance of moral choices. It's a good idea not only to think about the ethical implications of your actions, but also to engage in conversation with others about the morality of hypothetical situations. Think through your reasons why you think something is right or wrong, rather than relying on a feeling of righteousness or of disgust. Politics are almost entirely about ethics, so reading and talking about the laws and policies of your government and current events in the world is a good exercise in moral judgement as well.

Further reading: The Young Gentleman and Lady's Monitor, and English Teacher's Assistant (1801) which has an excellent section on acting in school plays for my acting students. Or consider THE GENTLEMEN’S BOOK OF ETIQUETTE, AND MANUAL OF POLITENESS (1860) for opinions closer to the era of Bartitsu. These are both books about etiquette, but you'll find much in there about why respect and politeness are important, as well as sections on posture and exercise.

Finding the Middle

A final note on another meaning of "balance": remember that staying upright physically and ethically is often a matter of finding the middle and not leaning too far in either direction or overcompensating when you are pushed. Consider moderation in all activities and thought patterns.

Cancellations

Sadly, our Umbrella Self-Defense workshop this Sunday is cancelled.

Next weekend, the ongoing Bartitsu class is also cancelled due to VISS, the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium using all of our training floor. I'm teaching a couple of things, including Taking Down the Big Guy, which has a lot of Bartitsu content. So join me for that and keep your calm when facing a larger opponent in many scenarios. Find out more at VancouverSwordplay.com.

Head of Stage Combat at Academie Duello and certified Instructor with Fight Directors Canada. Head of Bartitsu at Academie Duello, the longest continuously running Bartitsu program in the world.
Read more from David McCormick.