WELCOME ! This historical and non-commercial site is dedicated to profesor a forgotten
Argentinian fencing teacher from Buenos Aires. He was "Maestro de Esgrima" in a prestigious fencing club in Buenos
Aires. This club with a great tradition exists from 1880 until now and
has cane fencing - still on their schedule today. For more info click here.
A. Bonafont published in 1930 an excellent book " por ARTURO BONAFONT( Maestro del club de gimnasia y esgrima de Bs, Aires) EDICION ILUSTRADA con
SETENTA Y DOS FOTOGRAFIAS ". This manual is very rare and teaches reverse grip ( toma invertida ) street cane
method, which allow for an almost instantaneous reaction attack directly from the daily position of grip in all
angles of attacks, guards, molinets, thrusts, butts, bar smashes. I have got this exemplar directly from
Argentinian bookstore, is signatured by the author and dedicated to his student and friend RAYMONDO PAYNE.
The author (as attacker) and his son and assistant Roque (as defender) presents street fighting techniques
on 72 pictures of this book.
After the end of the Great War streets of Buenos Aires became dangerous. There was an increase
number of assaults, robberies and murders against common citizens and their families. A. Bonafont
as self defense expert understood, that elegant academic cane fencing is not enough effective
for street survival. His school is simple, easy to learn for not trained
people and designed for defence in urban places like street, cafe, theater etc. Perfect artistic
positions, correct execution of molinets and attacks of cane fencing are replaced by natural guards,
simple and dynamic movements of real combat.
There is an excellent Review of A.Bonafont book on Craig Geminer´s www.savateaustralia.com.
Perhaps I can add to this theme some more information. This book is a summary of author´s several
years of practice with cane used like physical exercise and for the self-defense. In his school you can
find elements and influence of :
- classical sabre fencing (possible Spanish and French school) - molinete, amago, expulsión, batimiento,
dominación, golpe de tiempo o arresto etc.
- savate and la défense dans la rue (Emile André, Jean Joseph Renaud)- el punetazo, codazo, cabezazo,
rodillazo, puntapié, pisotón, la patada etc.
Guards [guardia libre | guardia recogida]
Footwork [el cambio de guardia o de flanco | giro | avance de flanco o de perfil | retrocesco de flanco o de perfil
fondo | salto hacia atras]
Blocks [quites volantes | paradas de recurso | golpes de tiempo]
Simple attacks or counter-attacks at long range [bastonazos]
Simple attacks or counter-attacks at close range [golpes de regaton | golpes con el puno]
Combinated attacks [one or more bastonazos and golpes con el puno]
Multiple attacks [feints and golpes]
Savate/boxing [dirty techniques]
At the end of his book, there is an announce, that another book, about academic cane fencing, from the same author
will be published :
which will be very recommendable like a sport and an aesthetic art of a physical culture.
"Nadie puede decir : Estoy libre de agresiones ! Y, por consiguiente, todo el mundo deberia saber defenderse
con un bastón." - Nobody can say : I´m free from agression. And therefore everybody must know to defend
themselves with the cane. This is Arturo Bonafont´s message to our generation.
Roman Hliva
roman[]savate.skLinks :
Savateaustralia.com
Club de gimnasia y esgrima de Bs, Aires