Category Archives: Pop-culture

The Story of the Jujitsuffragettes, Courtesy of “Drunk History UK”

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 17th July 2017 In these excerpts from a recent episode of “Drunk History UK”, inebriated comedienne Luisa Omielan attempts to relate the history of the jujitsu-trained suffragette Bodyguard team: Bonus points for … Continue reading →

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The Gentlemanly Art of 19th Century Cane Fighting in … 1990s Russia!?

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 6th September 2017 The 1990 Russian sociopolitical satire Bakenbardy (“Side-whiskers”) is distinguished as the only feature film in which walking stick fighting serves as a crucial plot device.  It’s also a pertinent warning as … Continue reading →

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“… brutal flicks of peaky blinders …”

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 22nd November 2014 The historical drama series Peaky Blinders is named for a fearsome Birmingham street gang armed with razor blades sewn into the rims of their flat “peaky” caps.  But did that really happen? … Continue reading →

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“Gentleman Jack” Gallagher Brings Umbrella Fighting to the WWE

Posted on December 22, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 27th December 2017 Mancunian pro-wrestler “Gentleman Jack” Gallagher is a rising star of World Wrestling Entertainment due to his (mostly) unflappable charisma, technical grappling style and distinctly Bartitsuvian umbrella-fu, as seen in … Continue reading →

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“John Steed’s Sword-Stick”: an Umbrella Fighting Tutorial from The Avengers Annual of 1967

Posted on December 21, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 2nd January 2018 Having already addressed the umbrella combat of debonair super-spy John Steed in general terms, our attention now turns to some of the specifics, as delineated in The Avengers Annual of … Continue reading →

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Adam Adamant: an Edwardian Gentleman-Adventurer in Swinging ’60s London

Posted on December 21, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 2nd January 2018 Popular enough in its day but almost forgotten over the past four decades, the mystery/adventure TV series Adam Adamant Lives! was intended as the BBC’s answer to The Avengers.  Both series featured … Continue reading →

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Cane Vs. Sword (Sherlock Holmes, 2009)

Posted on December 20, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 5th May 2018 The climactic fight between Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr. and Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), in which Holmes appropriately wields a cane against Blackwood’s devilish blade: For details on this … Continue reading →

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In Memoriam: William Hobbs (1939-2018)

Posted on December 20, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 17th July 2018 By Tony Wolf I’m sad to report the passing of William Hobbs, who was among the most influential and respected fight directors of the 20th century. He died on … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 18, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

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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“I Look Forward to the Debate, Sir!” – a Bartitsuesque Fight Scene from “Q.E.D.” (1982)

Posted on December 18, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Tuesday, 19th January 2016 Readers of a certain age may fondly recall the short-lived TV series Q.E.D. (also titled The Mastermind), which screened during the early 1980s. The show featured Sam Waterston as the eccentric former Ivy … Continue reading →

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