Suffrajitsu: Suffragette + Ju-jitsu (1910)
British suffragettes learn to defend themselves from aggressive police and husbands
The requirement for suffragette self-defense was reinforced by events such as the Black Friday Raid, wherein plain clothes police officers had allegedly physically and sexually assaulted unarmed women attempting to force entry to the House of Commons during a "Raid on Parliament" protest action.
Outside of the training suffragettes received related to ju-jitsu, weapons were also frequently taken into account by their practicality, to prevent attack on their persons, both domestically and by the police.
Suffrajitsu is a term used to describe the application of martial arts or self-defence techniques by members of the Women's Social and Political Union during 1913/14. The term derives from a portmanteau of Suffragette and Ju-jitsu and was first coined by an anonymous English journalist during March of 1914.
Image 1: Edith Garrud and a volunteer dressed as a policeman demonstrate a number of positions. Garrud teaches as an instructor demonstrating protecting yourself from police. Wikipedia
Image 2: (April 8, 1911 Health and Strength Magazine) Ju-Jutsu as a Husband-Tamer. A play by Edith Garrud demonstrating how martial arts can prevent domestic violence in the home against women. Source
1. A real good counter and lock for right body-blow (swing or kidney punch).
2. Bill is top-dog, or thinks he is.
3. Bill is foiled by a knee-push when Liz straightens her right leg quickly. Bill will fall backwards, and Lizzie's left foot prevents him recovering his balance.
4. Liz catches a hand-twist as Bill is getting up. Liz can take him anywhere she likes now.
5. Bill seizes a shovel from the fire-place and makes a final attempt to overcome his missus, but she runs in to get under the blow, and so loses its force. She has just turned, ready to take a hip throw.
6. The hip throw; the heaviest and last. Bill does not get up again until he has apologised to Liz.
7. Liz has securely tied both Bill's legs, one acting as a wedge on which to wrench the other. She is just exclaiming: "Where's that there skewer?" and she holds her husband fast until he taps the mat and halloos out "Enough!"