GearCon and Victorian Martial Arts Symposium

This is where I'll be the first weekend in July: GearCon The Gaslight Explorers, Adventurers, & Romantics Convention (GEAR Con) is a celebration of Pacific Northwest steampunk and neo-Victorian creativity, taking place over three days in Portland, Oregon. Members of the public can register to meet fellow enthusiasts, attend presentations and workshops, meet authors and…

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Jiu Jitsu Complete

My new favourite book is called Jiu Jitsu Complete by Kiyose Nakae. Let’s take a look. Background I found this book at the auction of the estate of Alex Mahler. I didn’t know Alex well, but he was a valued contributor at Academie Duello, creating armour pieces for dozens of fighters, teaching others how to…

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Throws: Traditional, Judo and Otherwise

The traditional throws of Judo and Jujitsu are covered in many sources online. Although in Bartitsu class we never use the Japanese terms, we perform many of these throws. As an evolving mixed martial art for self-defense, Neo-Bartitsu also borrows from other traditions for the best combination of techniques, especially in the tricky realm of…

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Ladies and Gentlemen: The Umbrella

During these rainy winter months in Vancouver, we hold monthly workshops in Umbrella self defence. At the turn of the last century, every gentleman carried a walking stick, and every woman carried a parasol. Since we carry our modern umbrellas just as frequently in Vancouver today, it's a great value to learn how they learned…

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Boxing Day!

Every day is boxing day for me. It’s just coincidence that in Canada we also celebrate the day after Christmas by the same name. Is it Boxercize? If you’re not taking some punches, hardening your abs for impact, and feeling your fist contacting an opponent (or a heavy bag to simulate one), then you’re doing…

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Eastern Cane

Although the walking stick techniques of Bartitsu are an integral part of the art and contribute to its popularity, there are other martial arts that explore the cane. Tai chi and forms of Chinese kung fu sometimes incorporate weapons, including the straight sword, the saber, the staff, and the cane. I’m no expert on those…

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Backwards

There's few worse positions in a fight than to have an opponent behind you. Visibility The biggest concern is that you can only see what's ahead of you, so an opponent behind you is effectively invisible. You cannot react to their motion unless they grab you and you can feel their position and their close…

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Bartitsu Bootcamp

This week, I'm taking over the 7am SwordFit Bootcamp, and naturally, we're using Bartitsu skills as the foundation of our movements. One-hour Class Outline Welcome and Salute Warm Up: Jogging Jump rope (Jumping Jacks for those without rope) Medicine ball toss and catch with joint rotations Boxing: Preparation: Shadow boxing Free punching focus pads Lead…

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Strike with Vivacity

Studying self-defense and combat too often starts with blocks, parries or other methods of intercepting attacks. All of these techniques rely on seeing the opponent attack and choosing the appropriate movement to deal with it. The reactionary stance will keep you moving backward, looking for the next threat, and a victim of the attacker's speed,…

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