Last week we rolled out our new Mounted Combat Membership with a special offer: buy your 2017 membership before the end of October and get November and December benefits for free. So what exactly are those benefits? Here are the details ... Mounted Combat Membership 10% Discount on Mounted Combat Program Courses This includes: Riding…
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“… every night almost some one or other, who either heated with wine, or made choleric with the loss of his money, raises a quarrel, swords are drawn, … ”[1] The recently completed Para Olympics Wheelchair Fencing competition did bring to mind an item I once read about a fencing master demonstrating his abilities by…
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I was reluctant to see John Wick (2014) because I didn't think the story of an unstoppable gun-toting Keanu Reeves seeking revenge for his puppy would be entertaining. Boy, was I right. But what the story lacks in... story... it makes up for with action. The gun-fu as performed by Reeves is exceptional. And now,…
Merriam-Webster defines “awareness" as: Knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists Feeling, experiencing, or noticing something (such as a sound, sensation, or emotion) Knowing and understanding a lot about what is happening in the world or around you Awareness is an essential part of martial performance and learning. It allows you…
Read More... from What Happened: Three Games to Help You Develop Fighting Awareness
Riding Level 4 Overview Now that I've covered all the Level 4 Horsemanship material for the Red Spur rank, I'll be moving on to Riding Level 4. To give you an overview, here's your checklist: Turn Out. Horse & Rider. AD shirt, boots, breeches, helmet, gloves. Mount - Dismount. Adjust stirrups, mounted. Position & Balance.…
The mere act of bowing isn't a show of respect for your instructor if your other behaviours are not equally respectful. Although my classes are fairly informal, that doesn't mean that respect does not exist. A Low Threshold In my Bartitsu classes (as well as my stage combat classes), we do not have many explicit…
As combat performers, we often get obsessed with the improvement of our physical performance. We often assume that the emotional aspect will happen by itself. But, it's important for both choreographers and performers to incorporate the anger and fear and pain and exhaustion of battle into your rehearsal and practice. I've expounded on this before.…
We are all busy -- that's a given. Which often makes it hard to commit to weekly classes or a full series. We say to ourselves "no time this month, I'll sign-up next month". But next month, the same thing is likely to happen. There are good reasons to commit to regular pre-paid classes: …
I frequently shared videos with my Bartitsu students through this blog. Personally, I subscribe to a lot of YouTube channels that share techniques and enjoy learning from their video demonstrations. There aren't many Bartitsu instructional videos out there, so I know I will have to start making some. But while you wait for my…
I’m rewatching a fun horror/comedy called John Dies At the End. It opens with a zombie variant on Theseus’ Paradox. The question posed in this paradox first posed by Plutarch is: If a ship gets damaged a little bit voyage by voyage and is gradually repaired so that every plank of wood is different from…
“From the moment a girl gets to be full-grown, the very first thing she learns When two men go out to face each other, only one returns.” -- Gene Pitney, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance Though opinions vary, the most recent revival of academic and practical interest in duelling started about two decades ago. This does…
Read More... from Book Review: "The History and Art of Personal Combat" by Wise
The days are just a little shorter and cooler, and the horses' coats are have gone from sleek to velvety, but there is still plenty of great riding weather left. Here are the fall riding and swordplay opportunities on offer through the Mounted Combat Program. Upcoming Courses To register for courses see the workshops calendar…
As a public service to those who read my blog, but don't visit every other Bartitsu source, I like to offer a digest of recent Bartitsu-related content from time to time. Bartitsu.Org The first article, The Original BJJ: New Discoveries and Speculations re. the Submission Grappling of British Jiu-Jitsu, is a longer piece for those…
Dr. Julian Bailes is a neurosurgeon and a founding member of the Brain Injury Research Institute in Pennsylvania. This year, the International Boxing Association, or AIBA, interviewed him on the topic of concussions and brain injuries in boxing, as it relates to wearing protective headgear. Boxing is one of the four component martial arts of…
“But it must be remembered always that the early masters, professional or amateur, did not regard their art primarily as an exercise, but as a serious preparation for the difficulties their pupils were bound to meet with in after life.” -- Aylward, J.D. The English Master at Arms, 1712 [1]. The Olympics are over, as are the…
Read More... from Post-Olympic Sword Press: News for August 2016
Carosella 2016, our full three-day symposium of mounted combat, horseback archery, skill-at-arms, and horsemanship, is coming up fast. This once-a-year event is an unparallelled chance to immerse yourself in these ancient arts. Whether you're an experienced rider and martial artist, or completely new to it all, there is plenty to engage you all weekend. If…
Do you find it stressful to keep trying the same combat movement again and again, knowing with each pass that it still needs improvement? When working with a partner, does it raise your blood pressure when things go wrong? And as soon as it goes correctly, do you want to stop? Alternately, in some cases,…
Ephemera from the Old Countries No formal blog post this week since I'm on holiday, but here are a few horsey things of interest from the UK and Germany. -- Jen The Suffolk Punch Trust Dover Castle British Museum Early European Collection Brabants at the Belgian border Upcoming Classes Riding & Horsemanship Classes Get…