Category Archives: Antagonistics

“The New Art of Self Defence: How Bartitsu Reimagined ‘Antagonistics’ in Edwardian England”

Posted on February 16, 2026 by BartitsuSociety

Now available from Amazon, this new book is a revised, updated and significantly expanded version of the “Bartitsu Story” section of The Bartitsu Compendium, Vol. III (2022). As the third volume of the Compendium was a bookshelf-busting 629 large-format pages, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Biography, Boxing, Canonical Bartitsu, E. W. Barton-Wright, Edwardiana, Exhibitions, Fencing, Hooliganism, Jiujitsu, Physical Culture, Pop-culture, Savate, Vigny stick fighting, Wrestling | Comments Off on “The New Art of Self Defence: How Bartitsu Reimagined ‘Antagonistics’ in Edwardian England”

“There’s an art to fighting …”: “Young Sherlock” trailer promises action and intrigue

Posted on February 5, 2026 by BartitsuSociety
Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Fiction, Sherlock Holmes, Video | Comments Off on “There’s an art to fighting …”: “Young Sherlock” trailer promises action and intrigue

Parisian Street-Fighting in “J’accuse” (2019)

Posted on January 9, 2026 by BartitsuSociety

A brief but effective fight scene, showcasing la canne and la boxe, from the 2019 movie J’accuse (also released as An Officer and a Spy).

Posted in Antagonistics, Boxing, Edwardiana, Fiction, Video | Comments Off on Parisian Street-Fighting in “J’accuse” (2019)

“Self-Defence from 1920” (The Wrinkle Book)

Posted on March 17, 2025 by BartitsuSociety

Nice to see some of these techniques in action, particularly in that the self defence section of The Wrinkle Book was possibly my first ever exposure to the notion of “early 20th century martial arts/self defence”. My late father had … Continue reading →

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Vigny Cane Basics with Alex Kiermayer

Posted on April 21, 2024 by BartitsuSociety

Veteran instructor Alex Kiermayer offers a tutorial in the fundamentals of warming up, striking and parrying with a cane in the classic Vigny style. If you’d like much more in the same vein, Alex’s comprehensive, multi-part instructional series Bartitsu: Historical … Continue reading →

Posted in Antagonistics, Canonical Bartitsu, Instruction, Video, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on Vigny Cane Basics with Alex Kiermayer

Irish stick sparring/Bartitsu stick sparring comparison

Posted on March 29, 2024 by BartitsuSociety

The ancient art of Bataireacht (Irish stick fighting) has undergone a modern revival closely paralleling that of Bartitsu, and this sparring clip demonstrates the close technical parallels as well. Similar to Vigny stick fighting, Bataireacht emphasizes high guard positions and … Continue reading →

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“Les Apaches: the Gangster Chic of Belle Époque Paris”

Posted on March 11, 2024 by BartitsuSociety

An early heads-up that Tony Wolf will be giving a live Zoom lecture on the “Apache chic” craze of the early 20th century: At the turn of the 20th century, the exploits and styles of Parisian Apache (pronounced Ah-pahsh) street … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Edwardiana, Hooliganism | Comments Off on “Les Apaches: the Gangster Chic of Belle Époque Paris”

“The Brutal World Of Bare-Knuckle Boxing In Victorian Britain”

Posted on November 25, 2023 by BartitsuSociety
Posted in Antagonistics, Boxing, Documentary, Video | Comments Off on “The Brutal World Of Bare-Knuckle Boxing In Victorian Britain”

The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume III reviewed by the Martial History Team

Posted on October 12, 2023 by BartitsuSociety

After buying and surveying the first two volumes in this series, I had to buy volume III when it arrived in 2022. My copy of The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume 3: What Bartitsu Was and What it Can Be is a massive paperback measuring 8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Bartitsu School of Arms, Canonical Bartitsu, E. W. Barton-Wright, Reviews | Comments Off on The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume III reviewed by the Martial History Team

“The Police (of the Future)”, 1886

Posted on August 23, 2023 by BartitsuSociety

The letter to the editor of the Daily Chronicle that inspired this cartoon referred to the advantages of wicker-work shields (which actually were in use by some police departments during the late 1880s) and noted that the quarterstaff should be … Continue reading →

Posted in Antagonistics, Hooliganism, Humour | Comments Off on “The Police (of the Future)”, 1886