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| General Information |
Bartitsu is a hybrid martial arts created in Victorian England. It is known as the “gentleman’s” martial arts to use to defend oneself on the street. The art includes cane-fighting techniques (Black Belt Wiki, s.d.). The name is a combination of the founder’s surname “Barton-Wright” and “jiu-jitsu” (Green and Svinth, 2010, p. 451). |
| History/Development |
Bartitsu was created in 1898 by E.W. Barton-Wright. He had practiced jujutsu in Japan and after his return in England he started to teach bartitsu (Green and Svinth, 2010, p. 451). An anonymous writer, most likely Barton-Wright himself, described bartitsu in an article in the Black and White Budget on December 29, 1900 as follows:“Bartitsu has been devised with a view to impart to peacefully disposed men the science of defending themselves against ruffians or bullies, and comprises not only boxing but also the use of the stick, feet, and a very tricky and clever style of Japanese wrestling, in which weight and strength play only a very minor part.”(Wolf, 2010).The art had success because of the new interest in physical exercise and the fear in regards to the supposedly increased street violence in England (Crudelli, 2010, p. 252).Bartitsu appears in Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories as “baritsu” the fighting art Sherlock uses to survive. This has kept the art from completely disappearing and caused a revival in the 21th century. |
Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
The art of bartitsu is still alive partly thanks to the popularity of Sherlock Holmes. |
| Relevant Organisations |
- The Bartitsu Society |
| Additional Materials |
- 2011 documentary: “Bartitsu: The Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes”
- Barton-Wright, E W; Conan Doyle, A. ; Kirk, A. (2011). The Sherlock Holmes school of self-defence : the manly art of Bartitsu as used against Professor Moriarty. United Kingdom: Ivy Press. |
| References |
- Green, T. A. and Svinth J. R. (2010). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, p. 451-455.
- Crudelli, C. (2010). The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Skills from Around the World, London: Dorling Kindersley, p.252
- Black Belt Wiki “Bartitsu – Sherlock Holmes’ Martial Arts Style”, Black Belt Wiki, https://blackbeltwiki.com/bartitsu
- Barton-Wright, E. W. (March 1899). "The New Art of Self-defence: How a Man May Defend Himself against Every Form of Attack". Pearson's Magazine. 7: 268–275. https://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2002/jmanlyart_Barton-Wrighta_1202.htm
- Wolf, T. (2005). The Bartitsu Compendium, Volume 1: History and the Canonical Syllabus, Lulu enterprises. http://jmanly.ejmas.com/articles/2006/jmanlyart_wolf_0506.html | | |
