“Where can I study Bartitsu?” is probably the #1 question asked of the Bartitsu Society.
Between 2002-2005 the Society was largely devoted to learning as much as possible about Bartitsu from the historical point of view. We tracked down long-forgotten books and magazine articles in obscure library archives and most of our efforts were towards collating, preserving and sharing this information.
After the publication of Volume 1 of the Bartitsu Compendium in 2005, members of the Society began offering seminar classes in various aspects of Bartitsu. These classes were held at martial arts and stage combat conferences in Canada, the USA, Italy, Germany and the UK.
Today, your options for learning Bartitsu include attending seminars or joining any of several informal study groups or regular Bartitsu classes. We strongly recommend joining the Bartitsu Forum email list with any inquiries about classes, also referring to the list below and/or to the Bartitsu Google Map.
Under certain conditions you can also consider setting up your own recreational Bartitsu club; see this article for a comprehensive set of hints and tips in that direction.
As training times and locations, etc. may be subject to change, it’s best to get in contact with the local club to confirm these details.
Also, note that all Bartitsu clubs are autonomous and almost all develop their own approach to the Bartitsu revival, including curriculum, training methods, etc.
Finally, please note that this list is maintained as a public service; inclusion does not necessarily represent an endorsement of a given club, school or instructor.
EUROPE
United Kingdom
The Basingstoke Bartitsu Irregulars have classes in Basingstoke, Berkshire.
Battersea Bartitsu is a study group in Battersea, London.
The Bartitsu Amateur Forum Classes meet every Tuesday at the Enon Baptist Church Hall, Enon Baptist Church, Williamson Terrace, St Peter’s View, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland SR6 0AG.
The PUMA Bartitsu and Self Defence School in Sheffield “creates modern self defence from the historic work of Bartitsu”.
The Bartitsu Club – Isle of Wight offers regular training in E.W. Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence”.
The Black Boar Swordsmanship School in Scotland offers regular training in self defence with a walking stick, drawing from the Bartitsu repertoire as well as the “Cane as a Weapon” system of A.C. Cunningham.
The Black Boar Study Group in Cheshire study the use of the walking stick and cane, as well as regular looks at Defence Dans La Rue and other forms of Antagonistics
Self Defence Canterbury offers Bartitsu classes in Canterbury, Kent.
The Grange (Coventry, UK) offers experience days, with tuition in Bartitsu.
The Linacre School of Defence (Oxford, UK) offers classes in c1900
boxing (including grappling) and low kicks of savate, and may offer
further related arts in the future.
James Marwood teaches private classes throughout the U.K.
Ireland
Nathan Featherstone runs a small study group in Dublin, Ireland
Italy
Ran Braun runs occasional Bartitsu study groups in Calabria, Rome, Savona and Como.
Germany
The Alte Kampfkunst historical Western martial arts school in Wuppertal, Germany, offers regular Bartitsu training with instructor Stefan Dieke.
Alex Kiermayer offers occasional Bartitsu seminars.
Ramon Patrick Prang teaches classes in Schleswig Holstein. He can also be contacted via email.
Greece
The Bartitsu Club Athens 1900 practices Bartitsu every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Coriolanos College of Combat and Physical Wellness in Athens. Contact gzarma@gmail.com for details.
Holland
The Zwaardkring historical fencing club offers one two-hour Bartitsu practice session per month and the Judoclub Shizen Hontai plans to offer a weekly Bartitsu study group. Both clubs are in Veldhoven, Netherlands.
Russia
Bartitsu Club Russia, based at the Mishenev Fencing School in St. Petersburg, offers occasional public Bartitsu seminars.
Spain
The Bartitsu Euskadi group offer training in the Basque city of Galdakao. Contact Mikel for more details.
NORTH AMERICA
USA
ALASKA
Instructor Matt Cacy runs a Bartitsu class on Thursday nights in Anchorage, Alaska.
Malcolm Brown teaches three weekly Bartitsu classes (ages 13 and older) at Pilot Point School in Pilot Point, Alaska.
CALIFORNIA
The Los Angeles Bartitsu Club meets weekly in Burbank.
The Historic Martial Arts Preservation Society of San Diego offers classes in Bartitsu and Neo-Bartitsu.
The Bay Area Bartitsu Irregulars meet monthly.
CONNECTICUT
The Nutmeg Bartitsu Society offers bi-weekly training and regular seminars.
FLORIDA
The Bartitsu Club of Tallahassee offers regular weekly training in both canonical and neo-Bartitsu skills.
The Contenders des Tropiques is a group of actors in Florida who provide neo-Victorian/Edwardian-themed self defence displays for entertainment purposes.
ILLINOIS
The Bartitsu Club of Chicago offers weekly training and occasional “open” seminars at the Forteza Fitness and Martial Arts studio in Ravenswood, Chicago.
The Gallowglass Academy (Rockford, Illinois) offers occasional Bartitsu seminars and courses.
MICHIGAN
Capital City Martial Arts (Bartitsu & Historical Fencing) is based in Lansing MI. and offers training in Bartitsu, Glima, historical fencing and World Kenpo Jujutsu.
MARYLAND
The Bartitsu of DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia offers training.
NEW YORK
The Bartitsu Club of New York City is a training group dedicated to the study and revival of the Victorian arts of self-defense. The Club meets once a month in Chelsea for approximately 3 hours of Bartitsu training consisting of Vigny cane, savate, ‘scientific’ pugilism, and Ju Jutsu. For more information, contact bartitsu@nycsteampunk.com.
OHIO
The Cumann Bhata Dayton (Ohio) Western martial arts club offers Bartitsu classes on the first Monday of each month.
Columbus Bartitsu offers regular Bartitsu training via the Royal Arts Fencing Academy in Columbus, Ohio.
OREGON
The Academia Duellatoria in Portland, Oregon runs a neo-Bartitsu class every Wednesday evening at 6:00.
PENNSYLVANIA
Prof. Mark Donnelly runs the Keystone Academy Bartitsu Club in Harrisburg.
TEXAS
The Houston School of Defense offers regular Bartitsu classes with instructor Chris Amendola.
TENNESSEE
The Cumberland Bartitsu Academy offers training in empty hand defence from classic pugilism and savate, physical culture, practical and classic weapons training including walking stick self defence, cudgel and English quarterstaff, grappling and take downs from Japan, with an emphasis on combining each part to develop a workable system for the student.
WASHINGTON
The Barton-Wright/Alfred Hutton Alliance for Historically Accurate Hoplology and Antagonistics (BWAHAHAHA) of Seattle, Washington offers weekly cross-training in a panoply of 19th century antagonistics and physical culture methods.
Canada
The Academie Duello historical fencing and stage combat school in Vancouver, Canada offers a “Fight Like Sherlock Holmes” intro. course on Mondays, Wednesdays or Saturdays as well as an ongoing Bartitsu course on Wednesdays and Saturdays with instructor David McCormick.
AUSTRALASIA
The European Defensive Arts School in Brisbane, Australia offers a Bartitsu study group training experience.
The Gemeiner Academy of European Combat Arts (Gold Coast, Australia) offers regular training in Vigny/Lang stick fighting and associated skills.
The Victorian Historical Combat Academy studies a variety of 19th Century martial arts, including Bartitsu.
And Bartitsu Club Brno Czechia on House knightly virtues on Brno Hermannova 3, 625 00 Czech Republic, EU
Hello, I would like to know if anyone knows a Bartitsu club/group in Brasil. I’m 16 and i’m amazed by the bartitsu.I’ve always been addicted to the steampunk culture and when I discovered the martial arts used by any gentleman I thought “this is perfect to me”, like i found a martial art that really describes my style. Another good point is that I trained several martial arts like judo, karate, kendo and taekwondo, to me, in those martial arts something was missing and finally I found what as missing.
Thanks for your attetion
This is the only Brazilian Bartitsu group I’m aware of: https://www.facebook.com/BartitsuBrasil
Does anybody know of any Bartitsu clubs near Denver?
Does anybody know of any Bartitsu clubs near Denver, CO?
There have been some Bartitsu seminars in Colorado but there are currently no active clubs there.
I am sorry to see no Bartitsu program in Israel. As we are undergoing many attacks on people in the street by knife welding fanatics, this art form would be a lifesaver. Where I live there are many senior citizens who walk with canes and are subject to attacks by common street thugs as well as the danger of assault on the street or bus by fanatics. Bartitsu with it’s cane fighting technique would be wonderful for them. Is there anyone in Israel who could start a Baritsu training program?
Hi Paul,
curiously enough, Bartitsu stick fighting did, in a sense, make its way to Israel as far back as the 1940s. See this video record of the basics, and be sure to also follow the link to Noah Gross’s article on how this originally Swiss/French fighting style ended up being taught in Israel (by way of India!)
I don’t know whether this method is still part of the Krav Maga/similar syllabus, but Noah Gross would be the person to contact.
Hi guys, if someone wnat to trainining in Bizkaia in Basque country, i teach bartitsu every Friday in Galdakao. Let me a message if you want training with us.
Best regards to everybody
https://www.facebook.com/BartitsuEuskadi/
@Daniel – I would like to get together with others interested in Bartitsu in Colorado. Probably not every week but maybe we can figure something out. I’m currently involved in several martial arts including a cane style. pm me at nitroxbill@msn.com
does anyone know if there is bartitsu training in South Australia I’ve been looking for a unique fighting style to learn and this sound astonishing.
Not that I know of, I’m afraid.
Can I get information about any Bartitsu training centres in Southern India?
I’m afraid that I don’t know of any Bartitsu practitioners in India.
I’m looking for a group or club of like minded individuals on the Tulsa, Ok. area. Any help would be appreciated
Practice Bartitsu in Eskoriatza, Gipuzkoa SPAIN, tell me for more information in my email rafa@carriet.net
Any classes in the south wales area of the u.k., cheers.
Hello to all. I am in Thailand and will be moving to Kentucky, USA. I would like ti know if any groups or individuals are training in that state? Thank you.
I’m afraid that I don’t know of any groups in Kentucky, but we do encourage enthusiasts to start their own study groups – http://www.bartitsu.org/index.php/about/bartitsu-today/modern-bartitsu-clubs-and-training/.
Hola, ¿no hay grupos de entrenamiento de Bartitsu en la República Argentina?.
Hola Alejandro, no conozco ningún grupo de Bartitsu argentino, pero animamos a la gente a organizar sus propios grupos de estudio. Vea este artículo para más detalles: http://www.bartitsu.org/index.php/about/bartitsu-today/modern-bartitsu-clubs-and-training/
Like to learn
Hello, may I ask one question? Answer please: complete response. How popular is this kind of art as a combat bartitsu among teenagers?
Hello Sergey,
some clubs have teenage members but, bearing in mind that there are only about 50 Bartitsu clubs around the world, I wouldn’t describe the art itself as “popular”. It tends to appeal mostly to adults who already have some martial arts training, but there’s no reason why teenagers shouldn’t study it.
Thank you
and what kind of clothes you noste training
Most people wear regular exercise clothing. Protective equipment is necessary for the stick fighting syllabus and judo gi jackets are useful for jiujitsu training.