Category Archives: Biography

Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon: Bartitsu Club Member and Titanic Survivor

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 13th April 2012 Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (22 July 1862 – 20 April 1931) was a prominent Scottish landowner and athlete who is today best known as a survivor of the sinking of … Continue reading

Posted in Biography | Comments Off on Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon: Bartitsu Club Member and Titanic Survivor

The Formidable W.H. Grenfell; 1st Baron Desborough and President of the Bartitsu Club

A short video demonstrating the athletic, historical and cultural significance of William Henry Grenfell, the 1st Baron Desborough, who is soon to be commemorated with a Sporting Legacy exhibition staged at his former home, Taplow Court, in Buckinghamshire, England. The 6’5″ sportsman, aristocrat and … Continue reading

Posted in Biography, Video | Comments Off on The Formidable W.H. Grenfell; 1st Baron Desborough and President of the Bartitsu Club

Bartitsu Founder Featured in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 22nd June 2012 Edward William Barton-Wright, the founder of Bartitsu, has been commemorated with an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, the standard work of reference on notable figures from British history.

Posted in Biography, E. W. Barton-Wright | Comments Off on Bartitsu Founder Featured in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Unveiling of Edith Garrud’s Memorial Plaque in London

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 11th July 2012 On a sunny Saturday in June 2012, around 70 people congregated around the steps of a house in a smart square in London to celebrate the life of a … Continue reading

Posted in Biography, Jiujitsu, Suffrajitsu | Comments Off on Unveiling of Edith Garrud’s Memorial Plaque in London

The Grave of Captain Alfred Hutton

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 21st October 2012  Thanks to some excellent detective work by members of the Schola Forum, the grave and memorial tablet of former Bartitsu Club instructor Captain Alfred Hutton has been located in Astbury Churchyard, … Continue reading

Posted in Biography, Fencing | Comments Off on The Grave of Captain Alfred Hutton

Pierre Vigny in 1934

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 22nd October 2012 A stern portrait of former Bartitsu Club instructor Pierre Vigny, taken circa 1934 when he was the Director of the Academy of Defensive Sports in Geneva. The short source … Continue reading

Posted in Biography | Comments Off on Pierre Vigny in 1934

The Swordswoman: Esme Beringer

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 28th February 2013  Directly paralleling the revival of Bartitsu, the modern revival of historical fencing as a martial art has become well-established over the past fifteen years. However, a remarkably similar revival of “ancient swordplay” … Continue reading

Posted in Biography, Fencing | Comments Off on The Swordswoman: Esme Beringer

Miss Sanderson and the Womanly Art of Parasol Self Defence

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 9th March 2013 Although the woman known as “Miss Sanderson” was a prominent fencer and self defence instructor in Edwardian London, regrettably little is known of her life – including her first … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Biography, Exhibitions, Reviews, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on Miss Sanderson and the Womanly Art of Parasol Self Defence

“Dr. Latson’s Method of Self Defense” (New York City, 1906) and the “God-Man” scandal of 1911

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 12th April 2013 Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright once expressed the wish to export his “New Art of Self Defence” to the United States, and several of his articles for London magazines were subsequently re-published … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Biography, Mysteries | Comments Off on “Dr. Latson’s Method of Self Defense” (New York City, 1906) and the “God-Man” scandal of 1911

E.W. Barton-Wright vs. the Georgia Magnet (1895-1899)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 15th April 2013  Comparatively little is known about the period that Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright spent living in Kobe, Japan. Arriving during mid-1895, he spent the next several years supervising an antimony smelting operation for E.H. … Continue reading

Posted in Biography, E. W. Barton-Wright, Edwardiana, Exhibitions | Comments Off on E.W. Barton-Wright vs. the Georgia Magnet (1895-1899)