http://www.bartitsu.org/index.php/2010/07/always-prepared-the-boy-scouts-and-self-defence/

An essay on the association between the Scouting movement and self defense training, including the "Master-at-Arms" merit badge for skill in boxing, wrestling, fencing, quarterstaff and jujitsu.

Damn, I wish we had that when I was a boy scout in Serbia...
BTW, nice article man! :thumbsup:

Damn, I wish we had that when I was a boy scout in Serbia...
BTW, nice article man! :thumbsup:

Me too, we just got in cow pie fights. That article was informative, I wish they'd of stuck with the master of arms merit badge.

Sherlock Holmes was a Bartitsu master.

Sherlock Holmes was a Bartitsu master.

He also had some books written about him.


-Are there any scout troops that continue the badge, and in what countries? I heard that the brits still have it, but I'm not sure.

According to the article, the British Scouts still have a master-at-arms badge but it only recognizes shooting, fencing and archery.

The Baden Powell Scouts, which I understand to be a "back-to-basics", traditionalist breakaway group, still offer the original badge with the addition of "archery or any recognized martial art". They would be hard-pressed to find instructors in things like quarterstaff or singlestick fencing these days, so it's possible that they have simply maintained Baden Powell's original list of sports as options rather than actually maintaining the practice of those sports.

There was a guy several years ago who was trying to revive the stickfighting aspects of the master-at-arms badge but he was basing it on Filipino rather than Western styles.

According to the article, the British Scouts still have a master-at-arms badge but it only recognizes shooting, fencing and archery.

The Baden Powell Scouts, which I understand to be a "back-to-basics", traditionalist breakaway group, still offer the original badge with the addition of "archery or any recognized martial art". They would be hard-pressed to find instructors in things like quarterstaff or singlestick fencing these days, so it's possible that they have simply maintained Baden Powell's original list of sports as options rather than actually maintaining the practice of those sports.

There was a guy several years ago who was trying to revive the stickfighting aspects of the master-at-arms badge but he was basing it on Filipino rather than Western styles.

Baden Powell Scouts were full of paedos in the 80s and 90s.

Baden Powell Scouts were full of paedos in the 80s and 90s.

Yeesh. I'm surprised the organization survived that sort of scandal.