BAKER STREET FIGHTING
Sherlock Holmes Fisticuffs for Self-Defense!
By Mike Frazier
Paperback
Paperback
$29.95
+ $12 Priority Postage
+ $12 Priority Postage
The BAKER STREET IRREGULARS were a small brigade of urchins who hung around 221b Baker Street, often recruited by the famed sleuth Sherlock Holmes to follow a suspect or pick up a package or gather such gossip they could about a subject on the streets. According to Holmes, they are able to “go everywhere and hear everything.” Since they were not on the official payroll and worked intermittently at best they were considered “irregular troops.” Hence, the name.
Sherlock Holmes frequently relied upon this remarkable network of street children who served as Holmes' eyes and ears throughout Victorian London. They gathered information, watched suspects, carried messages, and noticed details that adults often overlooked. Their greatest strengths were not size or strength but awareness, mobility, and initiative. These same qualities are valuable in self-defense today. Awareness prevents more confrontations than physical skill alone. The first rule of Bartitsu is to notice danger before danger notices you.
In his return from death fighting Moriarity at Rickenbach Falls Holmes reveals to Watson that he is “somewhat acquainted with a fighting style known as Bartitsu” which enabled him to defeat his opponent and not plummet to his doom. No doubt he shared some of these techniques with the Baker Street Irregulars to provide them with at least the rudiments of self-defense in case they were discovered or captured.
Given here are some sample techniques of Bartitsu that may prove helpful in an emergency.
Modern life differs from Victorian London, but human violence has changed surprisingly little. Arguments escalate. People grab clothing. They shove. They swing wild punches. They invade personal space. The principles taught in Bartitsu remain relevant because they address common forms of interpersonal violence rather than sporting contests.
When most people think of Sherlock Holmes, they picture a brilliant detective armed with observation, logic, and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Fewer people realize that Holmes was also described by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as an accomplished fighter.
In The Adventure of the Empty House (1903), Holmes explains that he survived his struggle with Professor Moriarty through his knowledge of "baritsu," a name Doyle almost certainly intended as a reference to Bartitsu. Although Doyle misspelled the name, the connection sparked a century of fascination. Today, Bartitsu is affectionately known as the Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes.
This booklet introduces the practical principles of Bartitsu—not as a historical curiosity, but as a thoughtful and effective approach to civilian self-defense. You do not need to be young, athletic, or experienced in martial arts. The purpose of this course is not to prepare you for competition. It is to help you think clearly, move confidently, and respond decisively if confronted with violence.
Joint the Baker Street Irregulars and become one of Holmes agents, like dozens of others all over the world!
Paperback | $29.95
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