Author Archives: BartitsuSociety

Bartitsu Mini-Documentary on the “Celebrity Antiques Road Trip”

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 17th November 2018 A six-minute item on the gentlemanly mixed martial art of Bartitsu, as featured on a recent episode of BBC2’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip and including demonstrations by the Manley Academy of Historical … Continue reading

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A Photo Gallery from Day 1 of BartitsuCon 2018

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 23rd November 2018

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More Video of Sparring in the Style of 19th Century Pugilism

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 23rd November 2018 Instructor Christoph Reinberger (in the knee breeches) and a student demonstrate 19th century pugilistic sparring.  Notably different from modern boxing, “classic pugilism” may include: the milling guard – a … Continue reading

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In Memoriam: Ricky Jay (1948-2018)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 25th November 2018 Master magician, actor, magic consultant/historian and martial arts aficionado Ricky Jay has passed away at the age of 70. Although Jay’s fame was due to his extensive accomplishments as a scholar … Continue reading

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Bartitsu Gift Ideas 2018

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 30th November 2018 The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume 1: History and the Canonical Syllabus (2005) and The Bartitsu Compendium Volume II: Antagonistics (2008) Compiled by members of the Bartitsu Society, volumes 1 and 2 of the … Continue reading

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“Ju-Jitsu to the Rescue” (1913)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 30th November 2018 Here’s a newly-discovered Bioscope playbill for the short silent film Ju-Jitsu to the Rescue, which starred former Bartitsu Club instructor Yukio Tani and which played widely throughout England during late 1912-early 1913. … Continue reading

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A Photo Gallery from Day 2 of BartitsuCon 2018

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 30th November 2018

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Another Video of Pugilistic Sparring in the 19th Century Style

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 8th December 2018 Here’s another take on “classic pugilism” sparring, this time by participants at the 2018 HEMAC event in Dijon, France.  In contrast to the recently-posted video of a generic mid-late 19th … Continue reading

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“The Art of Self-Defence by Jiu-Jitsu Methods” (1918)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 13th December 2018 A full-page, colour ad for a 1918 film starring the notorious Captain Leopold McLaglen, whose martial arts misadventures are detailed in this article (note that his name was frequently spelled “McLaglan” … Continue reading

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“The Mechanical Prizefighter” (1906)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 13th December 2018 An ingenious solution to the problem of finding (or simply wearing out) sparring partners is detailed in this short article from the Scientific American of July 7, 1906. To … Continue reading

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