Welcome to the website of the Bartitsu Society!
If you are new to Bartitsu then you can learn more from the pages to the right, or feel free to join in the discussions on the email list, or even consider the Society’s 2 books on Bartitsu. This is a community blog so please jump in with comments and feedback. If you have anything you would like to add here, like a video or an article then leave a comment letting me know.
James (Admin)
E.W. Barton-Wright, the founder of Bartitsu, died in 1951 at the age of ninety and was buried in what the late martial arts historian Richard Bowen described as a “pauper’s grave”, an unmarked, communal plot.
In 2007 Bartitsu Society member Phil Giles located Barton-Wright’s final resting place. The site of the grave is in Kingston Cemetery in Surrey, about ten miles from central London.
Proceeds from sales of Bartitsu Society books and other media have been dedicated to erecting a permanent grave marker at the site. A temporary marker is currently in place, as seen here:
The Royal Borough of Kingston has been informed of Barton-Wright’s unique position as a martial arts pioneer and plan to include his gravesite as part of a historical heritage trail which is due to be established in Kingston within the next two years.
Last summer I taught at an ‘experience day’ held by The Grange, near Birmingham in the UK. They videoed the event and put up a short clip on youtube.
Whilst this was just a taster day for those new to martial arts and bartitsu in particular, as well as being somewhat tongue-in-cheek it does show some basic elements of Bartitsu and it’s contemporary antagonistic arts.
By contrast here is a link to Craig Gemeiner’s excellent Vigny La Canne video, also on youtube.
As well as this site, and the mailing list there are a few other pages about Bartitsu on the web.
The Bullshido Martial Arts Encyclopdia has an entry, as does Wikipedia. There’s also Tony Wolf’s FAQ.
There’s been a few blog posts as well. Looks like word is getting around!
After a long hiatus I am pleased to welcome you to the revamped webpage for the Bartitsu Society.
If you are new to Bartitsu then please browse the pages on the right or feel free to join in the discussions on the email list.
This new site is basically a blog, and to keep it current and vibrant it needs your input. Initially feel free to email me any queries, although I hope to add to the site team soon. Please do comment on any articles and if you have anything you feel should be up here then please do let me know.
I know the site layout is currently very basic, and I would appreciate any feedback on suitable wordpress themes. Do you know of a good theme that is evocative of the Edwardian era or fin de siecle martial arts? Are you a whiz with css? Do you have a great idea for a site logo? Please do let me know.
Finally, thanks for taking the time to stop by. Come back soon!