For our last session of the year, the Okehampton group undertook a wee sampler from the Bartitsu canon of E.W. Barton-Wright. Edwardian costume wasn’t compulsory – in fact only the instructor decided to add some colour for the occasion.
WDS Bartitsu sampler Read More »
Mr Edward William Barton-Wright was an English railway engineer who travelled widely and formulated what today we call a mixed martial art. Barton-Wright combined elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting (la cane), and French kick boxing (savat) in order to create a self defence system that could be used by gentlemen on the mean streets of Edwardian London or elsewhere in or beyond the British Empire. For a short time it was so popular that even Sherlock Holmes employed a form of it in his detective adventures; a down-and-dirty form was picked up in the Robert Downey Jnr / Guy Ritchie Holmes movies of a few years ago. …
Bartitsu and the ‘New Art of Self Defence’ Read More »
When you ‘train to the treatise’ but spar and compete to tournament rules, there’s a danger that the swordplay looks less like the historical sources and more like a grown-up game of tag. …
Unreal tournament – when HEMA turns to ‘tag’ Read More »
Dates for this half term block have worked out as:
November 8, 15, 22, 29
December 13, skipping Dec 6 for Okehampton Edwardian evening. …
Fees for November Half Term Read More »
West Devon Swords has affiliated with the British Federation for Historical Swordplay, an alliance of groups across the UK, all of whom are engaged in the research, study and practice of historical fencing and European martial arts. …
West Devon Swords joins BFHS Read More »
Well done all candidates: Rob, Adam, Matt, Bethan, Alan, Kerri, Chris, Lee, (me!) and Stuart for successfully passing the BFHS IL1; all are now legitimately entitled to teach people to hit each other with a variety of historical implements. …
Success at Instructor Assessments Read More »
Just had confirmation of our Thursday booking with the church, so we are back on for 13th Sept (tomorrow). …
Okehampton HEMA resumes 13 Sept Read More »
Keeping a weather eye on the, er, weather, we will go ahead with this evening’s session; meet by the OCRA Pavilion at 7.30pm.
‘Swords in the Park’ is on for 23 Aug Read More »
As a reminder to folk returning from holiday, there is no session of Swords in the Park on Thurs Aug. 16th; we will pick up Aug. 23rd, 30th and Sept 6th, returning to the hall for Sept 12th.
Reminder: no ‘Swords in the Park’ Aug 16th Read More »
