Author Archives: BartitsuSociety

Inside the Bartitsu Institute (1914)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Though E.W. Barton-Wright appears to have largely abandoned the self-defence field when his original Bartitsu Academy of Arms and Physical Culture closed during 1902, he retained the name “Bartitsu” with reference to his new endeavour. The Bartitsu Academy had featured, … Continue reading →

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“Self-Defence as a Fine Art” (London Daily News, 29 October, 1902)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 11th October 2016 Last night, his School Arms at 18, Berners-street, Professor Pierre Vigny gave a striking exhibition of the possibilities self-defence afforded by a simple walking-stick. In these days, when the … Continue reading →

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Shades of Esme Beringer: Double-Weapon Fencing in “Penny Dreadful”

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 12th October 2016 The final season of the popular dark fantasy/drama series Penny Dreadful introduced the character of Catriona Hartdegen, a historian, thanatologist and expert swordswoman played by actress Perdita Weeks. As the series … Continue reading →

Posted in Fencing, Fiction, Video | Comments Off on Shades of Esme Beringer: Double-Weapon Fencing in “Penny Dreadful”

“A man without a stick rushes at you with his fist”: an Interpretation of Captain Laing’s Second Bartitsu Set-Play

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 18th October 2016 Captain F.C. Laing of the 12th Bengal Infantry (Kelat-I-Ghilzai Regiment) spent several months of intensive training at the London Bartitsu Club.  He then produced a uniquely useful article, The “Bartitsu” Method … Continue reading →

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“Attacked by a man with a stick in his hand”: an Interpretation of Captain Laing’s First Bartitsu Set-Play

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 20th October 2016 Captain F.C. Laing’s 1902 article The ‘Bartitsu’ Method of Self Defence is an often-neglected resource for canonical Bartitsu stick training. As with all choreographed set-plays, Laing’s “examples” are best approached as formalised … Continue reading →

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Bartitsu in the Sporting Times (March-April 1899)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 28th October 2016 Note – The March, 1899 antagonistics exhibition at the London Bath Club was widely reported upon in the media.  Most accounts agree that the advertised Bartitsu contest between E.W. … Continue reading →

Posted in Canonical Bartitsu, E. W. Barton-Wright, Exhibitions, Fencing, Jiujitsu | Comments Off on Bartitsu in the Sporting Times (March-April 1899)

“How To Meet Hooligans” (London Daily News – Friday 23 August 1901)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 28th October 2016 The Tokio and Osaka professors of the Japanese art of self-protection are in England, ready, under guidance of Mr. Barton-Wright, not only to display their skill, but to meet any … Continue reading →

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“Engaging Toughs” – The Bartitsu Sparring Video Competition

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 1st November 2016 … by engaging toughs I trained myself until I was satisfied in practical application. –  E.W. Barton-Wright, 1950 Announcing the first international Bartitsu sparring video competition, for prizes of up … Continue reading →

Posted in Antagonistics, Boxing, Canonical Bartitsu, Editorial, Instruction, Jiujitsu, Savate, Sparring, Video, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on “Engaging Toughs” – The Bartitsu Sparring Video Competition

“The cumbersome boxing glove superseded” (Punch Magazine, September 4, 1869)

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 6th November 2016 Cartoonist George du Maurier offers a helpful suggestion for boxers.  The caption reads: Sparring without pain or loss of temper – the cumbersome boxing-glove superseded. For more on this topic, see The … Continue reading →

Posted in Boxing, Humour | Comments Off on “The cumbersome boxing glove superseded” (Punch Magazine, September 4, 1869)

“We don’t strictly train in Bartitsu – can we still enter the sparring video contest?”

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 8th November 2016 Feedback in the wake of our announcement of the international Bartitsu sparring video contest has included this question, both from groups who practice their own forms of neo-Bartitsu and from groups … Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial, Sparring | Comments Off on “We don’t strictly train in Bartitsu – can we still enter the sparring video contest?”