Category Archives: Physical Culture

The Bartitsu School of Arms 2012 in Text, Video and Images

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 16th September 2012 The second annual Bartitsu School of Arms and Physical Culture was a three-day conference and training seminar held in Chicago between September 7-9, 2012. The event was hosted by … Continue reading

Posted in Antagonistics, Bartitsu School of Arms, Boxing, Canonical Bartitsu, Jiujitsu, Physical Culture, Savate, Seminars, Sparring, Video, Vigny stick fighting | Comments Off on The Bartitsu School of Arms 2012 in Text, Video and Images

Protecting History: Vandalism at the Historic Hegeler-Carus Mansion Gymnasium

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Saturday, 2nd February 2013 The Hegeler-Carus Mansion in the town of La Salle, Illinois, contains what is believed to be the oldest preserved residential gymnasium in the United States. As the only known remaining example of … Continue reading

Posted in Editorial, Physical Culture | Comments Off on Protecting History: Vandalism at the Historic Hegeler-Carus Mansion Gymnasium

Exercising on Board the Titanic

Courtesy of 3Dhistory.de, a colourised image of the on-board gymnasium of the ill-fated RMS Titanic. As a physical culture enthusiast, it’s likely that former Bartitsu Club member Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon would have made use of this gym prior to the night of April … Continue reading

Posted in Physical Culture | Comments Off on Exercising on Board the Titanic

The Forteza Gymuseum

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 27th March 2013 The Gymuseum at the Forteza Fitness and Martial Arts studio in Ravenswood, Chicago is a unique “living museum” collection of antique physical culture apparatus, mostly dating from the period 1880-1910. Many of the … Continue reading

Posted in Physical Culture | Comments Off on The Forteza Gymuseum

Indian Clubs in “Doctor Who”

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Friday, 31st May 2013 The malicious minions of the evil Mrs. Gillyflower (Dame Diana Rigg) wield Indian clubs as weapons in this nicely-researched scene from the Doctor Who episode, The Crimson Horror. In reality, Indian clubs … Continue reading

Posted in Physical Culture, Pop-culture, Suffrajitsu | Comments Off on Indian Clubs in “Doctor Who”

Old Time Strongman Morning Routine

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Sunday, 4th October 2015 The Art of Manliness offers this short morning workout routine based on Adrian Peter Schmidt’s 1901 manual, Illustrated Hints for Health and Strength for Busy People.

Posted in Instruction, Physical Culture, Video | Comments Off on Old Time Strongman Morning Routine

Samantha Swords at the Gymuseum

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 25th June 2014 Samantha Swords experiments with a pair of antique Indian clubs on display at the Forteza Gymuseum, home of the Bartitsu Club of Chicago.

Posted in Physical Culture | Comments Off on Samantha Swords at the Gymuseum

Inside the “Hilltop Dojo” of W.E. Steers (1909)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Thursday, 10th July 2014 These excerpts from the article “The Dwelling-House of an Apostle of Health” (“The House Beautiful”, Sept. 1909) offer a further glimpse inside the extraordinary dojo constructed in W.E. Steers’ Hilltop … Continue reading

Posted in Edwardiana, Jiujitsu, Physical Culture | Comments Off on Inside the “Hilltop Dojo” of W.E. Steers (1909)

The Addams-Dewey Gymnasium

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 24th December 2014 Artist Pablo Helguera’s Addams-Dewey Gymnasium was part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s recent exhibition, titled A Proximity of Consciousness: The gymnasium invites visitors to engage in turn-of-the-century exercises designed to promote health and … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Physical Culture | Comments Off on The Addams-Dewey Gymnasium

The Behnke System at the Bartitsu Club (1900-1901)

Originally published on the Bartitsu.org site on Wednesday, 8th March 2017 Mrs. Kate Behnke was a well-known voice teacher and speech therapist who was also, during the brief Bartitsu Club era circa 1900, a neighbour of Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright. … Continue reading

Posted in Bartitsu School of Arms, Canonical Bartitsu, Physical Culture | Comments Off on The Behnke System at the Bartitsu Club (1900-1901)