Suffra-jitsu?
In the early 1900s suffragettes were arrested, thrown to the ground, groped, force-fed with rubber tubes and two marchers were killed. These proper British protesters decided to turn to jiu jitsu for their own protection. They were trained in this Japanese martial art by a a 4’11”, 46-year-old woman named Edith Garrud.
Garrud and fellow suffragette Gertrude Harding also formed the Bodyguard to protect organizer Emeline Pankhurst. Nicknamed “The Amazons” by the media, this group of 30 young and fit suffragettes acted as a line of defense around Pankhurst.
Comments
Post a Comment