the bullwhip

**Permalost** · Posted On: 9/03/2010 4:48pm

I’ve been interested in the bullwhip since I saw a guy fighting with one at a Dog Brothers gathering, paired with a training knife. I remember Crafty Dog warned the crowd to be mindful, because it was a ten foot long weapon that could explode your eye. I was one of the padholders to keep fights out of the audience, and I pulled my hat down and tilted my head up to watch. He was fighting a guy with a staff, and it was quite a matchup. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about learning the bullwhip as a side project (also as a guy with an Indiana Jones hat and an anthro degree it seems like a natural extension). Does anyone know any good resources to check out, for a whip as well as instructional stuff? I know Anthony DeLongis has some stuff out there, and I like his teaching style (I’ve seen him teach in Cold Steel’s Fighting with the Saber and Cutlass). I'm also aware that some FMAs use a bullwhip, and I've seen forms with it in wushu as well. Does anyone on bullshido do that kind of stuff?

**Styygens** · Posted On: 9/03/2010 5:13pm

Not me... But I'm curious: how did the Dog Brothers match you describe finish?

**Permalost** · Posted On: 9/03/2010 6:57pm

Originally Posted by Styygens

Not me... But I'm curious: how did the Dog Brothers match you describe finish?

It was actually something of a stalemate for a long time, but the guy with the staff eventually crashed in a few times, got stabbed, and realized he needed a better strategy. Since both had long weapons and one had a short weapon, it was a long range match. The guy would swing his whip in a big overhead circle (inward I believe) and snap it out from there, and the other guy would time it so that as soon as the whip circled past him, he'd charge forward before it got around again, and at that point he was charging as fast as possible towards a guy with a knife, so I imagine the whip and dagger are a very frustrating combo to oppose.
Something to note: although Dog Brothers gatherings are most definitely full contact fights, sometimes fighters have certain understandings with each other before a fight so that they can explore particular ideas. For example, some people will have agreements about grappling. I don't know if there were any particular concessions they had ahead of time, but they might have. Everyone in the audience was pretty impressed, but mostly I think it was the novelty and the fact that a cracked bullwhip is super loud inside a garage (this was the period when they stopped doing gatherings in parks, but hadn't transitioned to fight gyms yet). Both people clearly had a good deal of skill.

**odysseus_dallas** · Posted On: 9/04/2010 2:34pm

We Indy nutjobs definitely need to find training for it.

Unfortunately, I doubt there really exists any, since it was never really considered a weapon...

**captainzorikh** · Posted On: 9/04/2010 2:55pm

Lots of stage combat schools and instructors know something about working with a whip. I know several in the NYC area. You could try looking for one in your area, or a Society of American Fight Directors event somewhere.

**Snake Plissken** · Posted On: 9/04/2010 3:10pm

Anthony DeLongis

is there anything this guy doesn't know?
I just think it is cool his career has spanned from BruceDavidCarridinLee's Circle of Iron/Silent Flute through Masters of the Universe to Jet Li's Fearless.

That would be a pretty cool seminar.

**HereBeADragon** · Posted On: 9/04/2010 6:25pm

Anthony DeLongis is probably the best known name in bullwhips. At the last Cold Steel Challenge I attended he did a bullwhip duel that was simply amazing to watch. I spent a little time picking his brain after about his whip work and I found out he has seminars in the subject and his favorite bullwhip supplier is out of Australia. Look up his website the company name might be on there somewhere.

**DdlR** · Posted On: 9/05/2010 1:24pm

I've cracked the odd whip in my time. Haven't worked with DeLongis but I did host a seminar with an SAFD (stage combat) Fight Master named J.R. Beardsley, who was an expert with the double whips. He did an amazing demo and finished by flicking off the room's light switches with two well-aimed cracks. Afterward he whispered to me, "I couldn't do that again in million years."

Note also the Aussie fringe sport of Whip Boxing:

YouTube- whipcracking practice

**Dak** · Posted On: 9/05/2010 3:43pm

good god... those men look scared to be hit... with good reason.

What kind of protective equipment are they wearing?

EDIT:

"We also use the fights for mother-in-law v daughter-in-law matches…They are real grudge fights, as you can imagine, mate. Then there’s the boss v employee bout, which is very interesting and a lot of fun."

best. sport. ever.