Category Archives: Hooliganism

“… brutal flicks of peaky blinders …”

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

Posted in Fiction, Hooliganism, Pop-culture | Comments Off on “… brutal flicks of peaky blinders …”

“To Defy the Hooligan: Advice to Ladies” (1905)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 6th January 2018 A satirical self-defence article from the Bristol Magpie of February 2, 1905: NOTWITHSTANDING there are already numberless systems of self defence extensively advertised and practiced, Magpie hopes to be … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Edwardiana, Hooliganism, Humour | Comments Off on “To Defy the Hooligan: Advice to Ladies” (1905)

“Now Then, Move On There!” (1905)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 9th February 2018 This cartoon from the Penny Illustrated Paper of March 4, 1905 proposes a novel method for police constables to “move on” ne’er-do-wells in the streets of London.  The technique is a … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardiana, Hooliganism, Humour, Jiujitsu | Comments Off on “Now Then, Move On There!” (1905)

“Tricks of the Parisian Apaches” (1910)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 24th June 2018 This article from The Globe newspaper of February 3rd, 1910 reveals some more mugging tricks developed by the so-called Apache street gangsters of Paris.   Most of these marauders were professional thieves … Continue reading

Posted in Hooliganism | Comments Off on “Tricks of the Parisian Apaches” (1910)

“British Pickpockets and Their French Brethren” (1897)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 24th January 2019 This article from the Dublin Evening Herald of 22 December, 1897 reveals a number of the ingenious mugging and pickpocketing tricks developed by French street criminals.  A few years … Continue reading

Posted in Hooliganism | Comments Off on “British Pickpockets and Their French Brethren” (1897)

“Street Self-Defence: How to Handle the Hooligan” (1904)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 10th February 2019 Originally published in The People newspaper of October 23, 1904, this newly rediscovered article offers a rare glimpse into former Bartitsu Club instructor Pierre Vigny’s Hinde Street school.  Although … Continue reading

Posted in Hooliganism, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on “Street Self-Defence: How to Handle the Hooligan” (1904)

“The Fatal Objection to All Such Plans …” (1902)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 16th February 2019 The anonymous author of this short article, originally published in the Perthshire Advertiser of 31 October, 1902, makes the valid point that the first rule towards winning a fight is to know … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Hooliganism | Comments Off on “The Fatal Objection to All Such Plans …” (1902)

“Vice, Crime and Poverty: How the Western Imagination Invented the Underworld”

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 16th March 2019 This new book by French cultural historian Dominique Kalifa explores the notion of the criminal underworld in Western popular culture, including the infamous Parisian Apache and London hooligan phenomena that fed – and were fed … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Edwardiana, Hooliganism, Pop-culture | Comments Off on “Vice, Crime and Poverty: How the Western Imagination Invented the Underworld”

“Attacked by Hooligans”: a Self-Defence Skit with Pierre Vigny and Miss Sanderson

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 5th February 2017 The Friday, 16 October 1903 edition of The Sporting Life included this short description of a self-defence skit performed by Pierre Vigny and “Miss Sanderson”, who was, in her private … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Hooliganism, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on “Attacked by Hooligans”: a Self-Defence Skit with Pierre Vigny and Miss Sanderson

Understanding Victorian Cultures of Violence: The Utility of Experimental Archaeology and Practical Hermeneutics

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Monday, 28th November 2016 Click the link below to read Liam Hannan’s thesis on Victorian “cultures of violence”, including an analysis of six canonical Bartitsu jiujitsu kata and stick-fighting set-plays: UNDERSTANDING VICTORIAN CULTURES OF … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Antagonistics, Canonical Bartitsu, Edwardiana, Hooliganism | Comments Off on Understanding Victorian Cultures of Violence: The Utility of Experimental Archaeology and Practical Hermeneutics