Personal Safety Tips

Some years ago I had the pleasure of working at a jiu-jitsu school in Tokio… My instructor complimented me upon my work. Then he suddenly asked: 'You like see what Japanese woman can do?'

I assured him that it would give me great pleasure to have such an exhibition…

She was laughing as she approached, … a supple young woman bounding with the vim of life, and graceful in every line of contour.

While I stood looking at her, the little woman halted before me, made a polite bow, and then backed away, in the manner that is common to students of jiu-jitsu when inviting combat. She was fully six inches shorter than I and at a great disadvantage in point of weight…

I bowed, and we backed off a little way, then approached each other sinuously, each looking for an opening. There was a clinch that lasted, as nearly as I could judge, about five seconds. Three seconds later I was compelled to pat the floor in token of surrender. There were five bouts in all, of which I secured the distinction of winning one…

--Physical Training for Women by Japanese Methods by H. Irving Hancock (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1904), 4-7.