As a follow-up to my last post on fitness, I’m filling in for the morning bootcamp at Academie Duello for the next two weeks. Since it’s a fighting fitness class, it has a different focus than the strength training I wrote about.

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 punch chase
  • Cross punch into target pad against stomach

Savate:

  • Preparation: Leg swings
  • Coup de pied bas (low kick)
  • Side kick from horse stance
  • knee strikes

Jujitsu:

  • Preparation: Crab-switch, crab walk
  • Rolling
  • Partner lifting back-to-back
  • Irish wrestling

Walking stick:

  • Preparation: Front-bend, squat with cane overhead  
  • Bayonet drill
  • Horizontal cuts

Water break.

Stations: (1 min each)

  1. Heavy bag
  2. Light clubs: wrist rotations
  3. Med clubs: half-circles side raise
  4. Heavy clubs: half-circles front-back
  5. Hands and knees donkey kicks
  6. Supine bicycles
  7. Cane: Hit pell horizontal (one from left, one from right, switch hands)
  8. Cane: Vertical flourishes
  9. Burpees

Cool Down:

  • Walking around space randomly shaking hands with classmates
  • Meditation
  • Stretch

Bartitsu Technique

Bootcamp participants want the least interruption to their workout, so we keep the instruction simple. At our regular classes on Saturdays at 3pm, we learn and drill technique. And on Fridays, we practice with sparring.

Sadly, I only took over for a short time. The next time your usual leader goes away, I’ll be back for more SwordFit CaneFit (weird) Bootcamp!