Suffrajitsu': How the suffragettes fought back using martial arts

[dixiegrrrrl]

I thought I was pretty aware of Suffragette history, but this article has lots of unknown info.
And marvelous pictures.
To think, men of Britain would beat women up in public out of fear of her power......wow.

The struggle in the years before the war became increasingly bitter. Women were arrested and, when they went on hunger strike, were force-fed using rubber tubes. While out on marches, many complained of being manhandled and knocked to the ground. Things took a darker turn after "Black Friday" on 18 November 1910.
A group of around 300 suffragettes met a wall of policemen outside Parliament. Heavily outnumbered, the women were assaulted by both police and male vigilantes in the crowd. Many sustained serious injuries and two women died as a result. More than 100 suffragettes were arrested.

Some started putting cardboard over their ribs for protection. But Garrud was already teaching the WSPU to fight back. Her chosen method was the ancient Japanese martial art of jiu-jitsu. It emphasised using the attacker's force against them, channelling their momentum and targeting their pressure points.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34425615

[A Little Weird]

1. What an interesting bit of history

Not just impressive that they learned jiu-jitsu, but also that they were able to do it in ankle-length skirts!

[niyad]

2. thank you so much. did not know this.

[jsadegh]

3. Wow

Thanks for the recommendation, this sounds excellent. I love when history gets spiced up by cool, unique stories like this.