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Bartitsu

What is Bartitsu?

Bartitsu is a martial art and self-defense system that was developed in England during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was created by Edward William Barton-Wright, an English engineer and railway manager who had spent time in Japan and studied jujitsu. Bartitsu is notable for being one of the first martial arts that integrated techniques from multiple disciplines, including:

  1. Jujitsu: Japanese grappling and submission techniques.
  2. Boxing: Western pugilism, focusing on punches and footwork.
  3. Savate: A French form of kickboxing that includes both hand and foot strikes.
  4. Cane Fighting: The use of a walking stick or cane as a weapon, drawing from traditional European stick-fighting techniques.

Bartitsu gained some popularity in the early 1900s and was famously referenced by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes stories, where Holmes is described as being proficient in "baritsu," a misspelling of Bartitsu.

Despite its initial popularity, Bartitsu fell into obscurity after Barton-Wright's school closed in 1902. However, it has experienced a revival in recent years, with martial arts enthusiasts and historians rediscovering and reconstructing the techniques and principles of this eclectic and historically significant martial art.

Related Article: Bartitsu: An Elegant Fusion of Martial Arts for Self-Defense

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Mas Oyama

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