Reviving Bartitsu: A Conversation with Tony Wolf

In this conversation, Dr. Ben Britton, psychologist at the University of Newcastle, discusses a new study on the therapeutic potential of BJJ. Psychologists often assume that individuals have a relatively good baseline of mental health upon joining a fitness community; however, his research revealed that newcomers to a particular BJJ gym in Australia had quite high levels of depression and/or anxiety. Shortly after beginning their training, mental health improved markedly. In fact, markers of mental health mapped neatly onto the average length of time it takes to hit major milestones in one’s training journey. Our conversation discusses this and more as we delve into potential explanations for BJJ’s utility as a therapeutic resource. 

Chair: Dr George Jennings, Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK), MASA Treasurer Discussant: Dr Fabiana Turelli, University of Manitoba (Canada)   Appropriation, Amalgamation, and Validation: Creating Authenticity in the Martial Arts Prof Emeritus Thomas A. Green Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Affiliated Faculty Africana Studies and Religious Studies, Texas A&M University (USA) Abstract This study examines the role of martial arts as a cultural bridge between American practitioners and Asian traditions, with particular attention to the use of Asian terminology and historical narratives in legitimizing martial art styles. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of martial arts schools, instructional materials, and practitioner discourse in the United States, the research investigates how language and history are mobilized to construct authenticity. The study distinguishes between three modes of historical engagement: obligatory, in which adherence to Asian terminology and lineage claims is treated as essential; optional, where such references are selectively incorporated; and folk historical, characterized by informal or mythologized understandings of the past. Findings suggest that the use of Asian linguistic and historical frameworks serves not only as a marker of legitimacy but also as a mechanism for cultural connection, allowing practitioners to situate themselves within a broader transnational tradition. However, this process also raises questions about accuracy, appropriation, and the reinterpretation of cultural knowledge. In some cases, simplified or reconstructed histories function as accessible entry points for practitioners, while in others they reinforce hierarchical notions of authenticity tied to perceived cultural origins. This study contributes to broader discussions in cultural studies and martial arts scholarship by highlighting the complex interplay between language, history, and identity. It argues that martial arts practice in the United States operates as both a site of cultural exchange and a space where meanings of tradition and legitimacy are actively negotiated. Bio Thomas A. Green earned his PhD in Anthropology (with a concentration in Folklore) from the University of Texas at Austin. After teaching Folklore and Native American Studies at Idaho State University and Folklore at the University of Delaware, he joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1978. Dr Green also has held visiting professorships at the University of Texas at Austin (English and Anthropology), Luther College (Anthropology and Dance) and Southwest University of China, Chongqing, China (Ethnology and Sport Science). He has conducted research among groups ranging from mainland Chinese martial artists to African-American and Native American political activists, focusing on the ways that traditional art forms, especially festival, drama, and martial culture, identify and manage social relationships. He currently collaborates with Chinese colleagues on the impact of state recognition of martial practices as intangible heritage arts in China. In addition to over one hundred academic articles and notes, he has published twelve book-length volumes on these topics, including Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia (2001), Martial Arts in the Modern World (2003), and Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation (2010), volumes which have won a total of five awards. Dr Green has served in editorial roles for academic journals in the US, Europe and China, including Martial Arts Studies, Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, IDO Movement for Culture: Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, Humanities, and the Journal of American Folklore, the flagship journal of his sub-discipline. His recent research continues to focus on social functions of combat sport and African-descended and Chinese vernacular martial culture. Perspectives on Sumo as an International Professional Sport Martin J. Meyer Lecturer and Researcher, University of Vechta (Germany) Abstract The study examines the prospects, potential and challenges facing Japanese sumo as it evolves into a globally marketable product. The theoretical framework of this study is derived from several distinct yet interconnected disciplines: sports economics, sports tourism and sports media, as well as history, dating back to the Edo period. Further connected disciplines are comparative cultural studies and sports science. Amateur sumo (shinsumo) has already evolved into a global sport, whereas professional sumo (osumo) remains exclusively Japanese. The existence of numerous cross-connections between osumo and shinsumo is evident, given the movement of amateurs into the professional ranks and the similarity of the competition rulebooks. Additionally, osumo exhibits a strong influence from Shinto practices and traditions, along with specific forms of nationalism. As the custodian of traditional Japanese culture, osumo imposes stringent restrictions on the participation of non-Japanese wrestlers as well as the complete prohibition of females, including in an official capacity. Furthermore, the most distinguished osumo wrestlers are regarded as bearers of the divine (Kami), a tradition which has clashed with the rise of non-Japanese wrestlers to the top spot. Such regulations are in direct contravention of the Olympic Charter, thus resulting in a limitation of its international marketability. However, these specifics can be regarded as a conservative idiosyncrasy, at best. The present study therefore examines the points of contact between indigenous osumo (and, to a lesser extent, shinsumo) practice and cosmopolitan/international interest: osumo tournaments in Japan, which have seen a notable increase in attendance by foreign tourists; the osumo exhibition tournaments abroad, such as those recently held in London (2025) and Paris (2026); and the worldwide distributed patriotic interest in non-Japanese wrestlers in osumo, including the Ukrainian Aonishiki and the comparatively large number of wrestlers of Mongolian origin. The distinguishing characteristics of osumo demonstrate that, in contrast to other Japanese martial arts such as judo, karate, aikido and shinsumo, it is not feasible to integrate it into global sporting cultures, and it is presumed that it does not aspire to be integrated either. This engenders a fascinating ambiguity, whereby an osumo that wishes to present itself to the world yet does not fully open itself up to it. Bio Dr Martin J. Meyer is a martial arts researcher and lecturer at the University of Vechta. He is a founding member of the German academic network ‘Commission for Martial Arts & Combat Sports’, and served two years as its spokesperson. He is also a founding member and former editor of the Journal of Martial Arts Research and is currently editor of the Martial Arts Studies Journal. His research projects focus on interdisciplinary, particularly pedagogical, socio-political, and psychological aspects of martial arts, with a focus on Japanese culture. In 2017, he received a scholarship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to research in Kanazawa, Japan. His doctoral thesis formed the basis for the academic project ‘Why Martial Arts’, whose sub-studies focus on the participation motives of martial artists. He is an avid kickboxer and Kyokushinkai karateka. Discussant: Dr Fabiana Turelli Dr Fabiana Turelli is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Her research program is critical, inviting to continuous reflexivity by combining concepts of critical theory, feminism, sociology of sport, critical pedagogies, and intersectionality. She advocates for social justice in sport, investigating how to ‘reshape’ embodiments through the potential of martial arts and combat sports as empowering and healing tools. Dr Turelli is enthusiastic about bold, creative, disrupting methodologies and possibilities for knowledge generation, mobilization, and dissemination.

In this episode, Lauren Miller Crawford, Alex Channon, and Peter Katz reflect on the 2026 MASA conference held in Brighton this July. Listen along as we play a game of "high, low, buffalo," in which we each share a highlight, something we would change, and something totally random that resonated with us. We also share findings from the post-conference survey and discuss some of the exciting initiatives that emerged from the conference. 

Following Joseph Svinth’s passing on 30 August 2026, we are republishing this conversation in his memory. His reflections remind us that keeping these stories alive is also a way of keeping the people behind them present, and that this carries an ethical responsibility for those who research, document and write martial arts history. In this episode, Dr Lauren Miller Crawford speaks with Joseph Svinth about the formative years of martial arts studies and the people whose work helped shape the field. Svinth was at the forefront of early publishing efforts, particularly through his involvement with the Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences (EJMAS) and several influential publications that continue to inform martial arts scholarship today. At the heart of their conversation is Svinth’s commitment to people-centred scholarship. Rather than treating martial arts history simply as a record of styles, institutions and events, he emphasises the human stories behind them and the importance of preserving the experiences of practitioners, teachers and communities.

This episode addresses the history, decline, and modern revival of Bartitsu, an eclectic system developed in Edwardian England by Edward Barton-Wright that combines Japanese jiu-jitsu with other styles such as savate. Made famous by Barton-Wright through appearances on the musical stage, the system was marketed first to upper-class and then to middle-class men and women as a means of protecting themselves from the (real or imagined) threat of hooliganism. After Barton-Wright’s club closed, bartitsu gained a second wave of fame due to its inclusion in a Sherlock Holmes novel. In this conversation, Tony discusses his personal martial-arts journey, development of the Wolf System, and his efforts to study and document the history of bartitsu. 

This episode centers on Dr. Matthias Assunção’s research into capoeira’s history and martial arts studies more broadly. Assunção explains how capoeira myths developed over time, particularly misconceptions such as enslaved people using their feet to defend themselves because their hands were shackled. He explained that capoeira's African origins are clear, but it was developed in Brazilian port cities rather than on plantations and emphasized that the art form can be used for both resistance and oppression. This episode also addresses the globalization of capoeira, including debates about singing songs in languages other than Portuguese and how the art form has been adapted in different countries, and the continued debate over capoeira's professionalization in Brazil. 

In this episode, John Clements and Daniel Jaquet reflect on the reconstitution of European martial forms that have been preserved in fight books. One of the topics covered is the value of balancing scholarship and embodied practice in order to best understand these texts. Clements and Jaquet also discuss the appeal of these martial arts to modern-day practitioners and the future of the scholarly field. 

In this episode, Dr. Anne Tjøndal discusses her research on gender, social inclusion, and methodological challenges in the study of Norwegian boxing. As an athlete, coach, and former vice president of the Norwegian Boxing Federation as well as a sociologist, Tjøndal has a unique perspective on the experiences of women in the sport. This conversation addresses the persistent association between boxing, masculinity, and violence, while highlighting efforts to increase women’s participation and leadership within the sport. Central to the conversation is Bailey’s four-dimensional framework of social inclusion, encompassing spatial, relational, functional, and power dimensions. Tjøndal argues that participation alone is insufficient for measuring inclusion and emphasizes the importance of qualitative and ethnographic approaches to understanding belonging, access, and influence within sporting communities. 

In this conversation, Dr Christopher Matthews of Nottingham Trent University discusses his immersive approach to research. By participating fully in the life of the boxing gym, Dr Matthews not only came to understand the norms and practices of boxing but also developed a carnal intersubjectivity. In this episode, we discuss the need to communicate clearly in our writing rather than use theory as a gatekeeping device as well as the ultimate goal of social science research, which is to “reduce unnecessary human suffering and enhance human flourishing.” 

In this episode, Emily Dobrich, Carlos Gutiérrez, and Martin Minarik join Lauren Miller in discussing their work on the MASA Board. Topics of interest include the association’s plans for supporting early career scholars, the benefits of having global representation within our association, and plans for promoting members’ public-facing projects, particularly those with applications for the broader martial arts community.