Category Archives: Edwardiana

Velo-Boxe (“Bike-Boxing”) Cartoons by Marius Rossillon

Posted on December 11, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 10th January 2019 The French painter and cartoonist Marius Rossillon (1867-1946), under the pseudonym “O’Galop”, invents a bizarre new hybrid combat sport in this 1895 sketch series, which originally appeared in Le Rire. … Continue reading →

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Keeping a Safe Distance in Victorian London

Posted on December 11, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

The mid-19th century moral panic over garroting gangs (urban street muggers) reached its absurdist conclusion in this Punch Magazine cartoon, suggesting the invention of a reinforced hoop skirt frame to keep garroters at a safe distance. Sadly, while scholars agree … Continue reading →

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The 1910 French Craze for “Secret Weapon” Walking Sticks

Posted on December 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 5th July 2017 By 1910, the mystique of the Parisian “apache” street gangsters had fully piqued the curiosity of the bourgeoisie via works of tabloid journalism and popular fiction. Middle- and upper-class … Continue reading →

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Yukio Tani at the Royal Albert Hall (1904)

Posted on December 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 17th January 2019 This sketch series by Percy F.S. Spence records moments from former Bartitsu Club instructor Yukio Tani’s matches at the Royal Albert Hall on July 2, 1904.  The sketches were originally published … Continue reading →

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Fun and Games at the London Bath Club

Posted on December 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 7th December 2012 The famous Bath Club features significantly in the history of Bartitsu.  Founded at #34 Dover Street in 1894, the Club was named for its large indoor swimming pool, which was a … Continue reading →

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“A Jujitsuous Hint” (Punch Magazine, 1905)

Posted on February 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 18th July 2011

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More “Fighting Gentlemen” from the Pencil of Christoph Roos

Posted on February 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 26th June 2011 Another series of Bartitsu-flavoured action sketches by the German artist Christoph Roos. You can see more at his website.

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“The Sword-Lance: a Suggestion” (1903)

Posted on February 10, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 13th June 2011 Captain F.C. Laing was a soldier serving in India with the 12th Bengal Infantry (Kelat-I-Ghilzai Regiment), who in 1902 had spent an intensive several months training at E.W. Barton-Wright’s … Continue reading →

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Hooligans, Beware!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 14th March 2011 Perhaps the ultimate expression of self defence for bicyclists was the Simms Motor Scout, which rolled off the production line in 1898. While intended for wartime use, the Motor Scout would have … Continue reading →

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“The Hooligan and the Lady”

Posted on February 9, 2020 by BartitsuSociety

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 26th January 2011 A fight scene/Edwardian-era self defence demonstration from the upcoming play The Hooligan and the Lady by Pauleen Hayes, premiering on February 24th at BATS Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand. The play is based … Continue reading →

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