I was quite delighted when I recieved the compendium in the mail, but more delighted still when I read it. This wonderful book covers an introduction to the Victorian beginnings of 'physical culture'in England. It goes on to provide us with a biography and history of Barton-Wright himself, including not only his creation of 'Bartitsu' but his forays into health spas and medical quackery devices.
There is also mention of jiu-jistu and it's contribution to the Woman's suffragete movement. Fans of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes will be delighted to see a photographic re-enactment of Bartitsu fighting techniques as demonstrated by 'Sherlock Holmes' to his friend 'Doctor Watson'. In addition to this there is the inclusion of Barton-Wright's original material on self-defence with a walking stick provided in an encyclopediac range of potential self-defence situations. This is an excellent resource for fans of Victoriania, Sherlock Holmes, the history of Physical Education, the Suffraget movement as well as the development of British martial arts such as Joey Smallwood's 'Defendo'.

This compendium is a wonderful source of period martial arts information.

Besides presenting never-before-available information and works the high-quality images and text from period documents is a true treasure trove.

Anyone interested in turn-of-the-century english martial arts can make use of this book, whether it is used for physical martial artists recreating period techniques, writers of Victorian set novels looking for accurate information, or even gamers wanting to ensure an authentic historic feel to their game sessions.

This book contains of wealth of near-impossible to find information on what could be classed as one of the earliest cross-trainers…Mr Barton-Wright encompassed arts from the Orient and Europe to produce a truly unique and inspirational system.

The material is a great read for both the anoraks out there and for those who have a less than fanatic love for arts such as Ju Jutsu, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Savate, La Canne, Fencing etc.

You never know, with the addition of a waxed handle-bar moustache and a bowler hat you may well be taking some of this ‘old’ material to the Dojo for your next training session!

Great book…period!

The compendium is an excellent mix of original articles and essays from enthusiasts and experts. It contains a wealth of information which will appeal to martial artists, self-defense practicioners and fans of Edwardian culture. Buy it!

The Bartitsu Compendium; Vol 1, gives a very interesting insight into the early days of jujutsu in the UK, and in particular of Bartitsu, the creation of Mr. Barton-Wright. The book contains a lot of information, much of it in the form of reprints of articles from newspapers and magazines from the period. The book also contains techniques presented by Mr. Barton-Wright himself from old articles, and allows the reader to become acquainted with Bartitsu itself. For me, though, it is the work that has been put into the historical side of if, that makes this book stand out, with a very useful bibliography attached at the end. It truly belongs in the shelves of everyone with an interest in martial arts history.

E. W. Barton-Wright is a man whose name, though nearly forgotten by history, has been venerated by martial artists.
Until now, though, there was no way to study his art, Bartitsu, the first eastern fighting art taught in the west.
Mr. Wolf, with the aid of several contributors in many fields, has made a comprehensive study of the original
articles from various magazines published in the early 1900's, and extrapolated them for today's enthusiasts. This is a highly readable book with a wealth of research and history, resurrected from British libraries and universities. It is well-bound, and fun to peruse. I highly recommend it.