On the Home Front: Women's Self Defense in the World War II Era

During the World War II era Rosie was not only learning

riveting, she was learning self defense. With men away at the

frontlines, and many nations the world over facing the real

specter of hostile invasion, women's self defense became a

matter of common concern.



In this regard, for a host of societal and other reasons, women

shied away (or were enticed away) from using handguns as a means

of self defense. Rather, as the decade of the 1940s moved

onward, and as the Axis powers seemed perilously close to

victory, more and more women enrolled in women's self defense

training programs.



These programs focused on teaching women

martial arts styled self defense techniques.



With more and more interest in women's self defense arising in

countries such as the United States and United Kingdom, a

growing number of females found themselves on tracks towards

becoming martial arts instructors. On some level, the martial

arts proved to be somewhat of a leveling influence between men

and women. Historically, when it came to various types of

physical activity, men had at least a perceived advantage over

their female counterparts.



However, when it came to women's self

defense involving martial arts training, a leveling effect

occurred.



Martial arts vaporize the advantage enjoyed by men in other

physical and athletic arenas. Therefore, when it came to

developing meaningful and useful women's self defense techniques

and practices, martial arts was a natural approach.



As has been mentioned, in rather short speed, women found

themselves in the position of teaching others martial arts

techniques. In reality, in no other sporting or arena of

physical activity have women risen from participants to

instructors so quickly as in martial arts during the 1940s.



In

point of fact, as submission fighting and martial arts became

associated with basic training regimens in the United States and

the United Kingdom, women began to be called upon to serve as

qualified instructors.



As the war drew to an end in the 1945, the connection between

women and the martial arts continued. (Many people dismissed the

involvement of women in the martial arts during the war years as

just a passing fad. However, this conclusion proved to be wrong

as women maintained an interest in the martial arts long after

the war ended.



)



Immediately following the end of World War II, the interest of

women in the martial arts was related to an ongoing desire to be

prepared to defend against the prospect of a hostile power

making a move against their homeland. Cold War fears were quick

to replace the battles of World War II.



Eventually, a dual set of interests developed for women

interested in the martial arts. On one hand, the martial arts

were extremely relevant to women's self defense. On the other

hand, the martial arts rapidly became an effective means for

women's exercise and physical fitness.