He specialised in French savate and in the art of stick fighting known as canne de combat, which he heavily modified to better suit his theories of effective self defense.

Leaving the army in 1898, he founded a school of arms and self defence in Geneva and then moved to London, where he became the chief instructor of the Bartitsu Club operated by Edward William Barton-Wright.

Around this time, Vigny also established a tradition of annual exhibitions of combat sports and self defence skills.

He continued to work as a hand-to-hand combat instructor, including an engagement training recruits at Aldershot Military School.

During the 1940s, Lang's book became the basis for self-defence training of tens of thousands of Jews living in Palestine.