Bartitsu featured in "the Chap" magazine

**DdlR** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 9:15am

http://www.thechap.net/content/secti...est-issue.html

"WHAT IS THE CHAP? The Chap takes a wry look at the modern world through the steamed-up monocle of a more refined age, occasionally getting its sock suspenders into a twist at the unspeakable vulgarity of the twenty-first century. Since 1999, the Chap has been championing the rights of that increasingly marginalised and discredited species of Englishman - the gentleman. The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse, and it seeks to reinstate such outmoded but indispensable gestures as hat doffing, giving up one's seat to a lady and regularly using a trouser press.

"All men are equal. All men, that is, who possess umbrellas." E.M. Forster

The cover story, no less! Jolly good show!

**BaronVonDingDong** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 9:25am

I love bartitsu. Fortunately, I live in a sufficiently cold climate to justify wearing a large tweed deerstalker to throw over an assailant's head, but am having a little trouble finding a walking stick that a) doesn't make me look like an affected ponce who deserves a good kicking; or b) an easily-muggable cripple.

**DunkelAnanas** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 9:36am

Originally Posted by glf

I love bartitsu. Fortunately, I live in a sufficiently cold climate to justify wearing a large tweed deerstalker to throw over an assailant's head, but am having a little trouble finding a walking stick that a) doesn't make me look like an affected ponce who deserves a good kicking; or b) an easily-muggable cripple.

Don't you see? Looking like a cripple is a point. That way your enemies will underestimate you.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 9:42am

Originally Posted by glf

I love bartitsu. Fortunately, I live in a sufficiently cold climate to justify wearing a large tweed deerstalker to throw over an assailant's head, but am having a little trouble finding a walking stick that a) doesn't make me look like an affected ponce who deserves a good kicking; or b) an easily-muggable cripple.

The official Bartitsu walking stick was a solid silver ball on the end of a 3.5 ' rattan cane. The affected ponce above was Pierre Vigny, stick fighting, boxing and savate instructor at the Bartitsu Club.

Vigny loved it when people tried to give him a good kicking. He used to train by picking fights in some of the rougher quarters of Paris and London.

**BaronVonDingDong** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 9:54am

Great picture, I can see how that outfit would be an effective provocation in virtually all of the world's rougher neighborhoods. I can also see how the silver handle would be formidable at delivering debilitating blows, but didn't Barton-Wright sometimes use a crooked can for tripping people up, pulling them off-balance, etc.? (or am I misremembering?)

**DdlR** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 10:01am

Yes. Basically, E.W. Barton-Wright folded Vigny's stick fighting system into Bartitsu, including both striking and tripping/grappling techniques with a wide range of canes, umbrellas etc.

The tripping techniques (also "hooking" the bad guy around the neck with the crook-handle) seems to have been especially used by female Bartitsu students. There are some great old pictures of dainty Victorian ladies jabbing ruffians in the neck with their parasols.

**BaronVonDingDong** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 10:04am

That's just great, thanks. I'm sure the search function would tell me this if I could be bothered to use it - but are there any Bartitsu clubs in the US?

**DdlR** · Posted On: 10/23/2008 10:08am

Very few ongoing courses anywhere at this stage, but there are semi-regular seminar intensives offered at various Western martial arts conferences. Best way to keep track is to join the Bartitsu Forum - http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bartitsu_Forum/