Category Archives: Antagonistics

“Schools Where Men Are Taught to Defend Themselves Against the Attacks of Steet Rowdies”: techniques brought to life by Oliver Janseps

Posted on September 14, 2026 by BartitsuSociety

Here is the original Illustrated London News article of 1903, produced shortly after the Bartitsu School of Arms had closed down and as Pierre Vigny was striking out on his own as a self defence instructor in London.

Posted in Antagonistics, Canonical Bartitsu, Edwardiana, Hooliganism, Instruction, Video, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on “Schools Where Men Are Taught to Defend Themselves Against the Attacks of Steet Rowdies”: techniques brought to life by Oliver Janseps

“Reviving Bartitsu: A Conversation with Tony Wolf”

Posted on September 1, 2026 by BartitsuSociety

The Martial Arts Studies podcast features a new interview on the history and revival of Edward Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence”.

Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Baritsu, Canonical Bartitsu, E. W. Barton-Wright, Interviews, Pop-culture | Comments Off on “Reviving Bartitsu: A Conversation with Tony Wolf”

Percy Longhurst’s stick and umbrella techniques from 1906

Posted on August 31, 2026 by BartitsuSociety
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“The Minstrel: A Victorian Bartitsu Adventure”

Posted on July 28, 2026 by BartitsuSociety

Most of the current crop of AI-generated Bartitsu videos are takes on the real history, with lesser or greater degrees of success and accuracy. This “teaser trailer” stands out for imagining a dashing Bartitsu-trained hero, complete with nifty fight choreography … Continue reading →

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The Crossguard Parry in Vigny Stick Fighting

Posted on April 22, 2026 by BartitsuSociety
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“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
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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).

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“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 →

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