Author Archives: BartitsuSociety

Self-Defence Shoes (1955)

As reported in some American newspapers during September of 1955, an Italian shoemaker was producing “self-defence shoes” for women tired of being harrassed in the streets of Rome. Although probably created more as a promotional stunt than as a serious … Continue reading

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“Bartitsu: the Gentleman’s Martial Art”

Martial artist Niimi Satoshi offers an idiosyncratic interpretation of both armed and unarmed (neo-)Bartitsu in the first section of this video by Budo Channel Japan.

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“Vigny’s la Canne, Boxing and the Olympics”

Our old colleague Maxime Chouinard has published some original research – a rarity, at present – on Pierre Vigny and his arts of self-defence. The article Vigny’s la Canne, Boxing and the Olympics does sterling service by offering an alternative … Continue reading

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Another Update re. The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume III

The third volume of the Compendium is currently being compiled, following the publications of Volume I in 2005 and Volume II in 2008. Vol. III opens with a 166-page retrospective on the life and times of Edward Barton-Wright and the … Continue reading

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Bartitsu vs. Wing Chun in “Ip Man: The Awakening”

Set during the turbulent 1930s, this new feature film pits a young Ip Man (Tse Miu) against a British human trafficking ring, including one villain who employs Bartitsu. Edward Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence” has influenced fight choreography in … Continue reading

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Umbrella-Fu in “In from the Cold”

In this scene from the action series In from the Cold, undercover spy/assassin Anya Petrova (a.k.a. Jenny Franklin/The Whisper, played by actress Margarita Levieva) breaks character to deliver an umbrella beatdown on an array of enemy agents. Alert viewers will … Continue reading

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Physical Culture Historians

This YouTube channel offers a wide range of well-produced short documentaries, lectures, instructional videos and equipment demonstrations in connection with the grand tradition of 19th and early 20th century physical culture.

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Bartitsu Instructional Videos via the Redgate Bartitsu Club

The Redgate Bartitsu Club has produced a useful series of instructional videos on the basics of Bartitsu as a holistic fighting style, progressing through the ranges of stick fighting, (kick)boxing and fundamental jujutsu/standing grappling. Some samples from each of the … Continue reading

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More Unarmed Bartitsu Sparring

Another set of light, technical sparring bouts courtesy of the Cateran Society.

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Jujutsu vs. Boxing (1909)

In this photograph, from a January 1909 full-page advertisement for the Golden Square School of Jujutsu in Modern Man magazine, William Garrud (standing) and Sadakazu Uyenishi demonstrate a kugi-nuki (“pincers”) takedown against a boxer’s left-lead punch. Edward Barton-Wright’s introduction of … Continue reading

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