TAC Traditional American Combatives

05/03/2023

Classes start 05/09 & 05/11

Learn Self-Defense and history while getting fit and having fun! Located at 1639 N. Hancock St in Philadelphia, class starts at 5:30 pm with instruction in:
Scientific Pugilism
Collar and Elbow Wrestling
Rough & Tumble fighting
Shillelagh
+ MORE!

First month is FREE! and only $50/month after with special discounts for Military and First Responders

03/21/2023

An aerial photo of the old boxing grounds located in Belmont Hills just outside of the city limits of Philadelphia. This spot was the site of boxing going back to the early days of Bare Knuckle, including some Rough and Tumble fights.

Boxing was illegal in Philly so this area, along with League Island just south of the city, were prime places to hold bouts. Originally known as West Manayunk, after the incorporation of the city in the 1840's, the name changed as Manayunk became part of the city.

I was raised in Manayunk and spent a lot of my youth exploring this area as a kid with no knowledge of its history. Ironically I was in a fight as a kid, almost in this exact location lol only learning about this place and it's rich history back in the early 2000's when I discovered a newspaper article describing the Rough and Tumble fight between a saloon keeper from Manayunk and a guy from NYC.

I added 2 photos of the site today which is now a gas station

04/27/2022

TAC Philadelphia will be starting group classes in Shillelagh and Pugilism beginning 5/3 & 5/5 at Hayes Memorial Playground 9850 Roosevelt Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19115 This will be an outdoors class. Contact Dan Kanagie 215-730-4794 for details

04/27/2022

Wishing Kumichō Yoshiaki Fujiwara-san a very happy 73rd birthday today!

07/16/2021

https://gougersparadise.com/2021/07/16/gouging-in-early-north-carolina/

“..history and legend have been unfair in having neglected North Carolina’s preeminence in a sport for which she is no longer recognized- that of boxing. It is not generally remembered …

11/18/2020

Excellent article by Ruadhán MacFadden debunking the book The Magnificent Scufflers. We're thankful for his diligent scholarly work in bringing the true history of this sport to light and reviving modern competition.

The Broken History of “The Magnificent Scufflers” Myths and mat-lore are a common feature of any combat sport, from spurious assertions of ancient lineage to exaggerated claims of individual practitioners triumphing over improbable odds. There is surely not a single combat system, of any age or ...

09/30/2020

Arthur Chambers, British born, American Lightweight Bare Knuckle Boxing Champion (1872-1879) opened a saloon and sporting house in 1875, at the corners of Ridge Ave & Wood St in Philadelphia's 15th Ward (todays neighborhood of Fairmount). Called the Champion's Rest, or was said to contain "a large barroom on the first floor, a more modest but 'handsomely furnished, well ventilated, and well lighted' pool room on the second, and an exhibition room on the third. The exhibition room contained a 16-foot roped and staked ring where sparing matches, which drew audiences of nearly 200 people, were held at least every Saturday night."