“At the wrestling match” (Punch Magazine, 1906)

A happy holiday season

In the same spirit, we offer what is possibly the only historical example of Bartitsu poetry – from the Western Times newspaper, Thursday 22nd of August, 1901:

“Chinese fighting: part of a gentleman’s education” (1845)

For some time prior to the introduction of Bartitsu in London, Western travellers offered reports on the curious fighting skills they had encountered in Asia. Published in the year 1845, this cartoon from the French magazine Le Charivari may be among the earliest graphical depictions of Chinese martial arts in Western media.

The caption reads:

Young Chinese in Beijing’s high society do not cultivate only the art of the hunting horn, they learn also to give … punches and booted kicks to the pit of the stomach. This talent is called savate and it is cultivated with the greatest success by all those who wish to gain a good footing in society.

“I look forward to the debate, sir!”

Some of our readers may fondly recall the short-lived 1982 TV series Q.E.D., starring Sam Waterston as Professor Quentin Everhart (or Everett) Deverill, an eccentric American scientist/detective who solved mysteries in Edwardian London.

During the first episode, Professor Deverill infiltrates and exposes a hoax spiritualist seance, much in the manner of Harry Houdini, and also in the spirit of Bartitsu founder E.W. Barton-Wright’s article which exposed the secrets behind various feats of apparently superhuman strength.

Fittingly enough, when the exposed hoaxer calls in some bully-boys to deal with Professor Deverill, the latter responds with a very Bartitsu-like combination of fisticuffs and jiujitsu …

The seance begins at 5.53 in the following clip.

:

Anti-Vampirism: Professor Ernst Blomberg’s Science of Defence Against the “Undead”

Professor Blomberg’s manual of practical Anti-Vampirism is a must-read for all Ladies and Gentlemen who wish to take arms against the depredations of the “Undead”. Including colorful anecdotes and detailed advice on the selection and use of stakes as close-combat weapons, the proper thing to do when attacked by a vampire bull and the Professor’s own Theory of Vampire Contagion, amongst many other timely and useful tips. Illustrated with numerous woodcut engravings.

The US$2.99 ebook is available here (with free preview).

Victorian-era Superhero

Many more “adventures” are archived here.

“A Fight in the Gymnasium”

A curious illustration of unknown provenance, presumably from a circa 1900 book or “Boy’s Own” magazine story.

Either the fellow in the red shirt is far stronger than he looks, or his blue-shirted opponent is an acrobat of astounding agility. Perhaps both …

Bartitsu and Suffrajitsu demonstrations at WMAW 2011

Tony Wolf and “Professor X” demonstrate Bartitsu as self defence for the gentleman about town:

A Jujitsuffragette takes the stage:

Winner of the Art of Manliness pose contest

Congratulations to Alexander Nels Elofson, whose extremely manly fisticuffs pose won the Art of Manliness website’s pose photo contest.

“Self Protection on a Cycle”, courtesy of Riot A.C.T.

Longtime Bartitsu aficionados are well aware of Marcus Tindal’s eccentric 1901 article Self Protection on a Cycle, which appears to have been inspired both by E.W. Barton-Wright’s articles on self defence with walking sticks and by this 1900 letter published in the London Bicycle Club Gazette. Tindal’s article included several ingenious techniques involving the use of bicycle pumps, water pistols and bikes themselves as weapons of self defence:

In this video, Canadian stunt team Riot A.C.T. offers an updated take on the same idea …