FOREWORD

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DEDICATION

Special dedication to my lovely and understanding wife Mylinda, my energetic and enthusiastic son Christopher, and my stunningly beautiful daughter Allison.-Kirk Lawson

SPECIAL THANKS

Special thanks to Dr. Milo Thurston of the Linacre School of Defense (www.sirwilliamhope.org) for making the original raw scans available in PDF form and for passing the PDF on to me to transcribe.

Jiu= Jitsuand other Methods of Self-Defence.

LONDON:

L. UPCOTT GILL, LONDON AND COUNTY PRINTING WORKS.

BAZAAR BUILDINGS, W.C.

Jiu= Jitsuand other Methods of Self-Defence.

BY

PERCY LONGHURST,Author of “Wrestling,” winner of the Light-weight Wrestling

Competition, G.G.S., 1899, and Hon. Sec. of the National

Amateur Wrestling Association of Great Britain.

Profusely Illustrated.

LONDON:

L. UPCOTT GILL, BAZAAR BUILDINGS, DRURY LANE, W.C.

NEW YORK:

CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS, 153-157, FIFTH AVENUE.

1906

PREFACE .

The ability to successfully defend oneself againstsudden attack anywhere and at any time is of primeimportance to all, and therefore the Author offersno apology for presenting this little book to thepublic.

In the following pages are described the mosteffective and easily learnt methods of defence againstbodily assault comprised in the Japanese art of Jiu-Jitsu—admittedly the most satisfactory science ofself-defence in existence—including several speciallyadapted to the use of the gentler sex, together witha description of other tricks of self-defence Wellwithin the capacity of the merest novice inantagonistics.

Jiu = Jitsu. The fact that the unique Japanese system of self-defence known as Jiu-Jitsu (the word is speltindifferently Jiu-Jitsu and Ju-Jitsu), should havecreated so favourable an impression on the Britishpublic in general, and the British athlete inparticular, and in so short a time, moreover,is sufficient proof that there is, as the man inthe street says, “something in it.” The Britisher isa strongly conservative person; he is not fond ofinnovations; he views anything new with a certainamount of distrust, and when innovations come fromforeign sources feels not only suspicious and distrust-ful, but extremely sceptical.

It was as nearly as possible six years ago that theattempt to introduce Jiu-Jitsu into England wasmade, and I have a very lively recollection of the firstexposition of the science given to the public. I wason the platform with several others interested inantagonistics, and we were not impressed. I hadwitnessed several private exhibitions previously, andmy incredulity as to the utility of the new systemhad been strengthened. The public demonstration

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left my unbelief somewhat shaken; but I was any-thing but satisfied that Jiu-Jitsu, although it pro-vided an interesting spectacle, as a practical form ofantagonistics had any value worth consideration.Since then I have had plenty of opportunities of form-ing a more practical opinion, and the original suspicionand disbelief have not only been greatly modified butchanged to a sound respect.

It was Mr. Barton-Wright, an English gentlemanof many years’ residence in Japan as an engineer,who first introduced the system into England; he itwas who first brought over Tani and Uyenishi, the twoJapanese who gave the first music-hall exhibitionof the art. Since then the shrewed Scotsman Apollo,the professional strong man, has taken one of theseprofessors in hand, carrying him from place to placeuntil there is scarcely a town of considerable sizesouth of Glasgow where Tani has not given demon-strations of Jiu-Jitsu.

Now, with regard to Jiu-Jitsu as a practical methodof self-defence. There has been much claimed for it,as those who have heard Apollo’s declamations orread the newspaper reports are aware. Many will.think it has been greatly overrated; and certainlythere are those who are inclined to protest too muchin its favour. But it must be remembered thatApollo, who had sung the loudest song, is naturallyanxious to attract the attention of the public to Tani’sperformances.

Jiu-Jitsu, so we have been emphatically told, issuperior as a means of self-defence to boxing, wrest-ling, la savate, the shillalah or cudgel play (of which,as interpreted by M. Pierre Vigny, I shall have some-thing to say later)—in fact, to any system whateverthat man has devised for self-protection from bodily

Jiu= Jitsu. 3

assault. The proof of this is said to lie in the easewith which Tani and the newcomer, Myaki, defeattheir opponents, amongst whom are some who areacknowledged as the cleverest exponents of Westernstyles of wrestling. The best English wrestlers, andeven the mighty Hackenschmidt himself, have suc-cumbed to Tani’s unbreakable locks in a very fewminutes. But neither Tani nor Myaki has yet metan opponent permitted to use any and every methodof attack, hence the demonstrations given cannotclaim to be thoroughly conclusive.

It is only reasonable to suppose that a first-rateboxer, wrestler, or savatier would demolish anopponent unacquainted with these systems with easeequal to that with which Tani vanquishes those whocome against him. Tani’s opponents do not knowwhat to do; their knowledge scarcely lies in thedirection of bone-breaking. They do not know whathe is going to do. His victories in his own style—to which his antagonists are limited—are not difficultto explain.

I am told by seafaring men that in the squabbleswhich occasionally take place in Japanese ports andelsewhere the Jap, if the trouble result in a close-quarters struggle, invariably gets the better of it, nomatter what difference exist as to size and weight;but the Jap has no liking for fisticuffs.but.

I have many reasons for not believing that Jiu-Jitsu is the all-powerful system it is claimed to be;but I will assert that as a general means of self-defence it is of extraordinary value. Once theJiu-Jitsuite gets to close quarters, superior strengthand weight lose their value. The good little boxer,if hustled into a corner by a much bigger andstronger man, is likely to have a bad time of it.

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From such a situation tho man familiar with Jiu-Jitsu would in all probability emerge victorious.

An opponent’s ignorance of one’s special knowledgeof any system of self-defence constitutes one-half thevalue of such knowledge. In a would-be murdereror violent thief one is not likely to find an expertboxer or wrestler; and in any rough-and-tumble fightor chance encounter in which by force of circum-stances one may become involved it is almost invari-ably the case that an assailant will get to closequarters if he can. If one be a good boxer one willtry to prevent this; if a Jiu-Jitsuite, one will ask fornothing better. Not only will one be able to preserveone’s life or bodily soundness, but the cowardly assail-ant will be taught a wholesome lesson. The ruffianwho demands watch and purse under threats of vio-lence, the housebreaker, or despicable rascal whotakes advantage, or attempts to take advantage, ofa woman’s physical weakness, may, by a simpleJiu-Jitsu trick, be thrown to the ground helplessand groaning, incapable of movement save at therisk of further injury; and may, if necessary,be disabled, and all without the exertion of anyextraordinary strength. The weak limbs and un-trained muscles of a woman are quite capable ofcausing the disablement of tho most powerfulscoundrel that ever trod the earth. Herein lies thegreat value of Jiu-Jitsu; the physically weak andthe feminine sex, who are debarred from acquiringsuch systems of self-defence as boxing or wrestling,have in Jiu-Jitsu an accomplishment quite suited tothem. It is as well within the reach of the weak as ofthe strong, of the little as of the big, as possible fora woman as it is for a man, for it is almost entirelya matter of skill, and science, and knowledge.

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But I do not say—and let this be clearly under-stood—that Jiu-Jitsu is an absolutely infalliblesystem: such still remains to be discovered, and pro-bably it never will be, circumstances and the personalelement wielding so large an influence. The personknowing Jiu-Jitsu is not, ipso facto, rendered invul-nerable against injury by personal assault; he willnot inevitably overcome any chance assailant. Butit is an extremely valuable form of self-defence, and,in conjunction with boxing, forms the nearestapproach to the perfect—and undiscoverable—system.

In the following pages I shall endeavour to givea brief and lucid description of some of the most use-ful Jiu-Jitsu tricks, together with a few others basedon the same principles as the Japanese art.

Described briefly, Jiu-Jitsu is a combination, orseries of combinations, of holds and locks, fixed inmost cases upon the limbs, in such a manner that bythe exercise of additional pressure dislocation of ajoint or actual breakage of a bone may be broughtabout. The art is based entirely upon a thoroughknowledge of body balance, together with an accurateunderstanding of the construction of the humanskeleton. The joints of the limbs and body have buta limited movement. Whether the individual actionbe backward, forward, sideways, or almost rotary, thelimit is reached when full extension takes place.Beyond that limit the peculiar construction of thejoint will not admit of further movement, and ifforce be used to attempt to pass that limit dangeris caused. Pressure on any joint beyond, or con-trary to, that which is natural causes, first, intensepain; secondly, if the pressure be increased, disloca-tion of the joint. By a carefully thought-out system

6 Jiu= Jitsu.

of holds, locks, and leverages, Jiu-Jitsu supplies therequired extra pressure to bring about this result.Anyone of the simplest intelligence can readilyappreciate, if not the principle of these holds, etc., atleast the effects. The man who understands theguiding principles, and the many erxisting opportuni-ties for acting upon these, understands the secret ofJiu-Jitsu : all he requires is to be shown the mannerof making use of the opportunities.

Some, who have not given much thought to thesubject, may feel surprised to learn that such simplemethods of rendering a strong, healthy individualabsolutely helpless should exist; others may wonderhow it comes about that no Western athlete shouldhave discovered the system. As a matter of fact, theAmerican and Lancashire wrestlers who practisecatch-as-catch-can wrestling have discovered severaltricks which may be classed in the Japanesesystem. The wrestler acquainted with the“foot or shoulder twist,” the “hammer-lock,”the “double nelson,” or the “hang” (a particularlydangerous hold, made by joining the hands with theforearms placed against the sides of the opponent’sneck, which is thus held as in a vice), knows thatthe efficacy of these formidable holds is based uponthe same principle as the Jiu-Jitsu locks and holds.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Jiu-Jitsusystem is the simplicity characterising the variousmethods employed. A most interesting example ofthis marvellous simplicity is shown in Fig. 1, illus-trating an ordinary wrist-lock. The attacker—onthe right—has attempted to seize his victim by thecoat-collar, but before the grasp has been taken thedefendant has placed his hands on the back of hisassailant’s hand, thus flattening the palm against his

Jiu= Jitsu. 7

chest: no grasp is taken, the hands being simplyplaced above the other. Pressing the captured handto his chest, the defendant steps backward with hisright foot, going down on the knee, and the assailantis thus brought to the ground in a helpless position,

for his wrist may be easily broken or he may bedisabled by a blow on the side of the head. Themovement is quite simple.

What may be done with an apparently simplearm-and-collar hold, taken as shown in Fig. 2,

Fig . 1. A goo d firm Wrist =l oc k— one of the simpl es t in Jiu=J its uhol ds, by means of which the defe nde r co ul d break hisass ailant ’s wrist .

8 Jiu= Jitsu.

will be at once realised by anyone makingpractical experiment. The hold is obtainedthus: Grasp your antagonist—who is facing you—by his left wrist with your left hand; the back ofyour hand to be uppermost when taking the hold.

Step forward diagonally with the right foot, whichthus comes in the rear of your opponents leftfoot, as shown, and simultaneously thrust yourright hand under the captured arm and graspthe coat-collar, on the further side for choice.These movements will bring you almost side by

Fig . 2. Arm=and=Colla r Hol d with Outs ide St roke . Theop po ne nt’ s arm, having no backward move ment, co ul dea sily be disl oc at ed .

Jiu= Jitsu. 9

side with, and facing the same direction as,your opponent. His arm is now lying acrossyour forearm, which acts as a fulcrum sufficientlystrong to allow of your seriously injuring the cap-tured limb by violent downward pressure of his hand.Your opponent’s palm being uppermost, his limb hasno backward movement, consequently breakage ordislocation of the elbow-joint must result if youchoose to exert sufficient force.

In making this movement you have brought your-self at the side of your antagonist, and if you retainyour hold you may hold him thus as long as youplease, for the intense pain he suffers, and the fear offurther injury, should deter him from any strugglingor making any effective offensive movement.You should not, however, be ready to take this forgranted: the man may become desperate, you maynot have obtained a perfectly satisfactory hold, theremay be a companion ruffian whom you are calledupon to tackle; therefore it is well to dispose of theone you have in hand. This may be done in morethan one way. The man may be thrown either for-ward or backward, slung down in such a manner as toleave him on the ground badly hurt, or you may fallwith him, and in such a position that you will beable to insert one of the terrible hold-fast locks thatthe Japanese Jiu-Jitsuite brings into force when heand his assailant go to the ground together. Adescription of these various locks and holds for dis-abling a man who is down, or for keeping him there,will be given subsequently.

Presuming that you have decided to throw yourman after having obtained the arm-and-collar hold,give a sharp, quick blow to his nearest foot, justabove the heel, with the inner edge of the right

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foot (it is assumed that you are on the left side ofyour assailant), and at the same moment twist himviolently backward. One of the ground-locksreferred to above may be used to complete thebusiness.

In the exhibitions of Jiu-Jitsu the performancetakes place on thick straw mats, which greatly mini-mise the force of a fall; but when such throws asthose described take place in a stone-paved orasphalted thoroughfare, the throw alone is almostsufficient to disable the victim, temporarily at least.As this is, I take it, the immediate end in view—foron the occasions when reliance has to be placed onone’s knowledge of self-defence one is not particularlyconcerned with the preservation of the assailant’shealth—the desired object may be brought about bycausing the man when he is thrown to fall on theback of his head. This will be brought about by sotiming one’s movements that the leg-stroke and thestrong backward jerk of the upper part of the bodyoccur simultaneously.

Somewhat similar to the preceding throw is thatillustrated in Fig. 3. By this means a man is thrownon his face, and with such force that if his foreheadcome into violent contact with such unyielding sub-stances as flagstones or cobble-stones he will bedeprived of the opportunity for further violence. Theman having been thrown, one of the many arm orleg locks, which will be dealt with hereafter, maybe made use of.

In this attack there is no breaking strain placedupon the arm, and the success of the move dependsupon quickness. To a man practised in Cumberlandand Westmorland wrestling, attack on an assailant’sright side will come more natural; it is, however,

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just as well to become familiar with attack on eitherside, to be used when circumstances occur.

From the front position seize your antagonist’sright wrist with your right hand, draw it upward andacross, and take a short step forward with the leftfoot, turning your left side inward; at the samemoment push your left arm under the captured arm,

and place your hand on your antagonist’s neck, press-ing the head well forward. If it be possible to bringthe palm of the captured hand uppermost, so muchthe better. As these movements are made, strikeacross the man’s legs with your left leg, at the sametime screwing him forward; this manœuvre, if pro-perly performed, should throw him headlong to theground.

Fig . 3. Arm Hol d, Half-N elso n and Cross Butto ck, by whichmeans a man m ay be fo rc ibly thro wn on his fa ce .

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A variation of this attack is shown in Fig. 4.Having got your man into the required position, asexplained in the preceding paragraph, instead ofthrowing him forward, strike upward sharply with

the knee; if you strike with the left knee the blowshould land on the point of his jaw, and may begiven with sufficient force to dislocate the same aswell as to bring about unconsciousness. If the blowbe dealt with the right knee, the forehead will be thepart struck. It must be remembered in dealing this“knee jolt” not to allow the knee-cap to strike your

Fig . 4. Arm Ho ld, Half= Ne lso n and Knee Stro ke. A variat ionof the at ta ck shown in Fig . 3.

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antagonist’s head, but to strike so that the head ofthe leg-bones is the striking point. It is obviousthat an opponent’s head must be forced low down torender the knee-stroke perfectly effective.

Whether an assailant be the thieving rascal whostops you in a dark street late at night, and, on yourrefusal to comply with his demand for money, pro-ceeds to obtain, or to try to obtain, what he wants bythe aid of violence, or the murderous ruffian whodelights in hammering those whom he believes to behis physical inferiors, or one who attempts violenceowing to inability to control his aroused temper, itis a ten-to-one chance that unless he be acquaintedwith boxing he will commence the attack with hisfists and then attempt to come to close holds. Also itis more than probable that he will do most of hishitting with the right hand, and quite certain thathe will strike downward—“chop,” as the boxingman would call it—or hit round arm. The round-arm hitter may be either countered with a straightleft in the face, or the swinging arm turnedaside, and the other hand applied with force to theear or jaw. But the “chopper” may be dealt withsomewhat differently.

In delivering his right-hand blow the man willadvance his right leg; this gives the experiencedopponent an opportunity that should not be missed.Grip the wrist of the descending arm. with the lefthand, and simultaneously seize the man’s coat collarwith your other hand, as indicated in Fig. 5. Stepacross his advanced leg with your further leg—thatis, the right—get your foot well behind him, notclose against his heel, but some 6in. away, so thatyour calf is pressed against his leg; then give aquick thrust backwards, and also to your left—this

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is most important—so that he is bent backwardsacross your thigh and broght to the ground withsufficient force to render unnecessary any furtherattention.

Quickness, and no less careful attention to thebackward swing, are absolutely necessary to success;but if well performed the result will be surprising.A simple backward push after having stepped acrossis all but useless; if properly swung, the victim’shead strikes the ground with stunning effect. There

Fig . 5. Arm=and=Colla r Ho ld and Le g St roke , bring ing theass ailant t o t he g ro und backwa rds.

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are few more simple tricks for discomfiting an assail-ant—the fall is so swift, so thorough; and if the fallitself be not sufficient, one can follow it up on theground with a strangle, or arm- or leg-lock, which

will finish matters. It is a defence for which, in thecourse of almost any hand-to-hand encounter, theopportunity will arise. Even the experienced boxermay sometimes be floored thereby, as naturally hestands with one foot well advanced. It may be per-formed on either side of the body, and in the handsof an expert cannot fail.

Fig . 6. A Hea d Twist that will cau se any ass ailant to bre akhis hold rou nd the bo dy.

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When in a struggle one succeeds in obtaining afair hold around the body, it may appear that one’sopponent is in a desperate position. He may belifted from the ground and dashed violently down-ward, or, if the holder know how to use his legs,thrown backwards with crushing force. As a rulethe one so held knows no means of releasing himself;he struggles and wriggles, in the hope of breakingthe grip, but cannot succeed. He may try to get agrip upon his antagonists throat, but as of necessityhis elbows will be turned outward, he cannot exertvery great force even if he get the grip. He mayattempt to snap the holder’s head back by pushingon the chin or forehead, but there are· no means soeffective as those depicted in Figs. 6 and 7. Atwist as shown in Fig. 6 is guaranteed to cause anyman to break his hold, and, if made by one withstrong wrists and hands, may be sufficiently severeto cause dislocation of the cervical vertebræ. It isbest to make the twist as shown in the illustration.The left hand is placed on the chin, the right on theback of the head, and the head may be then jerkedsideways and just a trifle upward, the chin beingforced round towards the right shoulder.

The release shown in Fig. 7 may not be fullyappreciated until actual trial is made, but of itseffectiveness I can speak from personal experience.It depends simply upon pressure on a nerve-centre,and the pain thus caused is most acute. The posi-tion, in various parts of the human body, of nerve-centres upon which pressure may be easily broughthas been most accurately ascertained by the nativeexponents of Jiu-Jitsu, and this knowledge enablesthem to perform feats which may appear almostmiraculous. Sharp violent pressure on some of the

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nerve-centres produces a. sort of local paralysis, andone familiar with their location may, by pressurethereupon, break a hold, release a hand-grip, andreduce the victim to a state of helplessness that is

almost ludicrous, in far less time than it takes oneto describe the process.

The diagrams given in Fig. 8 show the situationsof the most easily operated upon of these nerve-centres. Three of them are located in the hand,and sharp pressure exerted on these particular spots

C

Fig . 7. Re le as e fro m Waist Ho ld by press ure on the ter minat ingpo rt ion of the dividing ca rtila ge of the nos e.

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with the tip of a finger or thumb will break a hand-grip of the strongest mam. One is to be found atthe base of the thumb, on the outer edge of thewrist, in the depression thut lies between the twomain sinews of the thumb, and which may easily befound when the thumb is moved away from the hand.

Another lies on the back of the hand, about an inchbelow, and midway between, the big knuckles of thefirst and second fingers; while a third is similarlysituated below the third and little lingers. Anothersuch “tender spot” is located on the inside of theupper part of either arm a little below the armpit—

Fig . 8. Di ag ra ms showing the po sit ions of the Nerve =ce nte rs(indicat ed by the cro ss es ) most ea sily op er ate d on by the Jiu=Jits uist .

Jiu= Jitsu. 19

at the spot where the end of the big biceps musclesmay be distinguished. Very little experiment uponone’s own limb will enable one to locate the positionof the nerve which, lying near to the,surface at theelbow, responds so quickly to sharp pressure of thefingers. Pressure on a certain spot lying midwayaround the outer side of the small part of the legbelow the knee, the pressure being directed towardsthe bone, will also produce the same excruciatingneuralgic pain (in the diagram the muscles are laidopen to reveal this nerve-centre). Frequent practicewill enable one to find these nerve-centres quickly andaccurately, and convince one of the ease by which anantagonist may be so temporarily incapacitated asto give one the opportunity for using a “finishingstroke.”

Except by those who have learnt the fact, andtheir teachers, much incredulity may be felt thatanything so simple as pressure on the terminatingportion of the dividing cartilage of the nose shouldproduce acute pain. Such, however, is the fact, andif any reader refuse to accept the assurance let himpress hard with the edge of a finger on the inter-mediate cartilage at the spot where it joins the upperlip. The pressure should be somewhat upward. If,after a few seconds, he is not sensible of so disagree-able a feeling that he will be anxious to remove thepressure, I shall be very greatly surprised. If thistrick be employed, an assailant who has obtained abody-hold will quickly release his grip, and as hegoes backwards an excellent opening will be affordedfor a paralysing left-handed blow on the “mark”—that most vulnerable spot just below the base of thebreast-bone—the recipient being left absolutelyhelpless and doubled up with agony.

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In Fig. 9 is illustrated a self-defence trick on theJiu-Jitsu principle of subjecting the joint of a limbto pressure in a contrary and unnatural direction.The move is decidedly useful if an assailant be armedwith a knife, dagger, knuckle-duster, or life-pre-

server, inasmuch as he is placed in such a positionthat transference of the weapon to his free hand isimpossible, while if he make any offensive movementwith foot or hand the captured limb may be brokenwith as much ease as one would snap a sugar-stick.

The assailants wrist is grasped by the opposite

Fig . 9. Arm=and=Colla r Hol d acro ss the Neck, by which meansthe as sailant ’s a rm c ou ld be broke n.

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hand—the left hand seizes the right wrist and viceversâ—it is descending, a firm grasp is simul-taneously taken of the coat collar with the otherhand, and a step forward made with the left foot. Asthese movements take place the head is lowered sothat it passes beneath the captured arm, which isdrawn down until the back of the upper part isresting upon the nape of the defendant’s neck.Persistent pressure with both hands would result inthe arm breaking at the elbow, the neck acting asthe fulcrum.

A man so held is all but helpless; if he attemptreprisals with his free hand, all his opponent has todo is to push downwards with both hands, and theresulting pain will cause even the hardiest to crypeccavi. As will be obvious, the man obtaining thismaster hold will have no desire to remain in theposition, even although he is holding the trumpcard; the victim quickly realises his absolute help-lessness, and may be easily thrown on his back andincapacitated by the thrower placing his right foot,from the outside, behind his victim’s heels. A quickstroke, supplemented by a jerk of arm and collar,will cause the would-be “knifer” to measure hislength on the ground.

It is well, if one can do it, when seizing the armedhand, to grasp in such a manner that the thumbis underneath, the palm being turned outwards,and the elbow raised. This method is preferable toseizing the wrist with the thumb uppermost, for thereason that when the attack is completed the backof the hand will be brought uppermost, in which posi-tion the hand is capable of exercising greater powerover the captured arm than is possible when it isreversed.

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The assailant who rushes in head down intendingto butt his victim in the stomach, may be met with anupward jolt of the knee, which, if applied in time,will considerably disconcert the “butter.” Anothermethod which will also come in useful if, in the

course of a struggle, an opponent get his head down,is to throw the right arm over the neck, bringingthe forearm underneath and across the lower partof the face, as shown in Fig. 10—a front-chanceryhold, in fact. The object of this hold is not tostrangle the victim, for it is not necessary that the

Fig . 10 . Hea d Ho ld. A “Fro nt Chancery” Hol d fo r use on anoppo nent who g et s his head down t o “ but t. ”

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forearm should be across the throat, but to bring pros-sure upon the neck-hone. So severe is the strainthat the man thus hold is practically incapacitatedfrom further action.

Fig. 11 illustrates the preliminary stage of one ofthe neatest tricks in the whole catalogue of thissystem of self-defence, and the termination is shownin Fig. 12. Although in the illustration the victimis shown as having been seized when in the act ofstriking a blow, this trick may very well be made

Fig . 11 . Arm=and=Coat Hol d. The pre liminary st ag e of on e ofthe nea te st Jiu=Jit su tr icks.

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use of as a preventive against contemplated violence.At the first sign of attack the wrist—the right one—should be seized by the opposite hand, thumb inside ifpossible, a step forward taken with either foot—if theaggressor’s right wrist be seized it may be found moreconvenient to make the step with the right foot, and

vice versâa—and the back of the coat behind theshoulder grasped with the right hand. Immediatelythis is done push the captured wrist upward as highas possible, keeping a arm hold with the other hand.As a result, the victim will be forced to bend almostdouble, owing to the unbearable strain placed uponhis arm. In this position he is quite helpless, as will

Fig . 12. Finish to the Arm=and=Coat Ho ld sho wn in Fig. 11 .the vict im being f or ce d to be nd almo st d oub le.

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be seen on reference to Fig. 12, and may be held thusindefinitely or finished off, if need be, with a violentknee jolt in the face or ribs, or brought to the groundin such a position that one of the many fatal armlocks may be brought into use.

It will be sufficiently obvious that individualpeculiarities and attendant circumstances will largelydetermine which of the many Jiu-Jitsu chips hereinreferred to shall be used when occasion requires.Some may be more readily applied to a short than to

Fig . 13 . Arm=and=Colla r Ho ld and Hand, or Leg Loc k. A highlyef fec tiv e co mbinatio n f or o ne fa miliar with wres tl ing.

26 Jiu= Jitsu.

a tall antagonist; some are particularly useful to aman who has no acquaintance with other forms ofself-defence; while others will be more easilyadopted by those familiar with wrestling tricks. Ofthe last class, the combination shown in Fig 13 will,if applied by one who is, in addition, active andpowerful, prove terribly effective. It illustrates thecontinuation of an attack following upon the obtain-ing of the before-referred-to arm and collar hold.

The necessary hold obtained, the maker of thethrow brings his right leg—presuming he is at hisadversary’s left side—over his opponent’s left leg,twisting his limb so that the toe of his boot is broughtunder the calf to the outside of the ankle. Firmlyinserted, this lock (known to Cumberland and West-morland wrestlers as the “hank,” and elsewhere asthe “grapevine”) is sufficient to throw the victim offhis balance, his foot being dragged from the ground,and by a jerk of the captured arm—bent back almostto the point of dislocation—he is hurled to the groundbackward with great violence, the thrower goingdown with him, and falling in such a position thathe will be able immediately to put in an arm lockwhich will render the victim incapable of any furtherresistance.

One of the most beautifully simple tricks for render-ing an aggressive person absolutely harmless is thatillustrated in Fig. 14. Properly effected, no man, how-ever strong, can withstand it, and it requires but amoderate exercise of strength for its accomplishment.

As will be seen, it is merely a hold of a person’sthumb so taken that, by the principle of leverageand counteracting pressure, the thumb may beimmediately broken, or, if one does not care to pro-ceed to such extremes—though when it is a case of

Jiu= Jitsu. 27

one’s own safety against an aggressor’s immunityfrom damage, too great tender-heartedness is inadvis-able—the man so grasped may be brought into sucha position that he can be securely held, or thrown insuch a manner that further tactics of disablement

can be applied with ease. In practising this trick,let me warn any enthusiast against using any greatforce when experimenting upon a willing friend: amoment’s too vigorous pressure will cause consider-able injury.

The thumb is grasped in such a manner that it liesbetween one’s own thumb and the base of the first

Fig . 14. The Thumb Twist. A simpl e tr ick which, if pro pe rl yef fec te d, the stro ng es t o f m en canno t withst and.

28 Jiu= Jitsu.

finger. One’s thumb is laid across the bottom of thesecond joint of the captured member, and by strongcontrary pressure is forced backward, with the resultindicated. To relieve the extreme pain caused, thevictim’s arm naturally bends inward, and he will

turn his back more or less to his captor, thus givingthe opportunity for further measures, an example ofwhich is shown in Fig. 15.

In this illustration the defendant has followed upa successful use of the thumb twist by catching hiserstwhile aggressor around the throat, the grip of thethumb being retained with the intention of pulling

Fig . 15. Finish to the Thumb Twist, by cat ching the agg re sso rrou nd the thro at .

Jiu= Jitsu. 29

him backwards. The hold is of the further collar,the arm being not merely placed across the throat,and the edge of the collar is tightened across theflesh of the neck in such a manner that pressure isexerted above the carotid artery—the great blood-vessel traversing the side of the neck and conveyingthe blood from the heart to the head.

The Jiu-Jitsuite of Japan makes peculiar and mostastonishingly effective use of such collar holds. In therepresentations of Jiu-Jitsu given on the music-hallstages, both the native professors and their opponentswear stout canvas jackets with wide, loose collars,which are freely made use of during the bouts.Strangle holds of great power and efficacy are fre-quently brought into play, and I can speak fromexperience of the ease with which they are obtainedand the disagreeableness of their efforts. But in anytussle in which the Jap is called upon to defendhimself, and in which he makes use of collar holds,he does not depend upon mere strangulation. Pres-sure upon the windpipe to stop his adversary’s breath-ing is not what he attempts. He desires to disablehis man immediately, and strangulation is a matternot of moments, but of seconds. He settles the busi-ness by placing the pressure not across the wind-pipe, but across the side of the neck, and immediatelyover the carotid artery. Pressure sufficient to stopthe circulation of blood through this artery producesunconsciousness. I cannot indeed claim to have hadpersonal experience of being thus “put to sleep,” butit is a commonplace form of putting an end to afight amongst the Japs themselves. There arewrestlers in this country whom Tani has “knockedout” with the collar hold, and one of them, who hasbeen through the process more than once, has told

30 Jiu= Jitsu.

me that on these occasions he suddenly lapsed into astate of unconsciousness, not knowing what hadcaused it, and, moreover, on recovery, felt no pain,no dizziness—in fact, no worse at all for histemporary want of life. The pressure may beretained to the point of causing death, the corpsebeing left without a mark, and only an autopsy wouldshow the cause of dissolution. There are severalthings in connection with the Japs undreamt of inour philosophy, and it is indeed curious that so extra-ordinary yet so simple an operation should not havecome to the knowledge of European physiologists andsurgeons; but the facts remain.

The cross-collar hold is one frequently employedby the Japs, usually when it is their intention tomake use of the “knock out,” explained in the pre-ceding paragraph; but this is not invariably thecase. I have myself been rendered hors de combat bya. purely strangle hold (not the one referred to above)obtained from a collar grip, and similar to thatportrayed in Fig. 16. The user of this holdmust be careful, if it be mere strangulation he isstriving for, to take his grip so that the knucklesof his hands are inside; then, when the pressurecomes, these knuckles are forced into either side ofthe windpipe, with painful effect.

As a useful attack, such a grip is infinitelypreferable to an ordinary hold of the throatbetween thumb and fingers, which is opento the serious objection of being completelybroken by the bending back of the little finger. Inthe collar hold the fingers, being inside, are protectedfrom such a painful countermove, and, grippingrough cloth, are not so liable to slip.

Instead of crossing the wrists, as is necessary in

Jiu= Jitsu. 31

the cross-collar hold, one may grasp an aggressor’scollar on either side and proceed to throttle him, theknuckles, of course, being inside as before. If this beattempted, it must be remembered that the collarmust be grasped well backward, so that the back of

the hand comes under the angle of the jaw. Theobjection to this hold is that the other man may gethold of one’s thumbs and force them backward, thusforcing one, under fear of dislocation, to break thehold.

If anyone wish to make experiment as to theefficacy of the cross-collar grip as applied to causing

Fig . 16. Coll ar Hol d, by which a man can be readily stra ngl ed.

32 Jiu= Jitsu.

unconsciousness, let him cross his hands, graspopposite collars of his own jacket, well back, anddraw the cloth tightly across the throat so that pres-sure is above the carotid artery. Almost immediatelyhe will be sensible of slight pain and heaviness inthe head; a sort of dizziness succeeds, and when heremoves the pressure he will experience somewhatthe same feeling—minus the pain—as follows a sharpblow on the point of the jaw or a severe fall on thehead, thus showing that the brain has beentemporarily affected.

An introduction to Jiu-Jitsu opens one’s mind tomost unexpected possibilities in the way of physicalresistance and attack. Let me give an example. Inthe course of an encounter between a murderousrough or a dangerous housebreaker and one unini-tiated in self-defence the latter succeeds in graspinghis antagonists wrist, let us assume the right wrist.Perhaps he has seized it while stopping a descendingblow—not an uncommon circumstance. What does hedo? Attempt to retain his hold so as to prevent the pos-sibility of another blow being struck. The hand maybe grasping a knife, knuckle-duster, or life-preserver,or it may be empty. In any case, it is the aim of theman so placed to keep the captured hand as far awayas possible. To this end he uses all his strength intrying to push the limb upwards, so that the handis in the air.

The man well at home with Jiu-Jitsu and itsapplication to positions of this kind is anxious tobring about the very opposite. He wants to retainpossession of the captured wrist. He does notrequire to waste his energies in pushing the handaway; he wants to keep that hand close to him, forby so doing he is able to bring into play certain

Jiu= Jitsu. 33

means which will give him a commanding advantage,as, for instance, that shown in Fig. 17.

Here the descending arm has been seized by theleft hand, brought down, and by a single turn of thehand the back of the elbow has been twisted upper-

most. A blow on the joint here will injure or evenbreak it, according to the force used. So simple is themanœuvre that it would appear to be hardly worthwhile referring to or illustrating it; but it is pre-cisely because it is so simple that its wonderful effec-tiveness will not be otherwise realised.

D

Fig . 17. A Simple Arm Twist . The arm is se ized, brou ghtdown, and by a turn of the hand the elbo w is twist edupp ermo st .

34 Jiu= Jitsu.

Figs. 18, 19, and 20 show the different stages of amuch more severe variation of the preceding trick,one which is not difficult to apply, and for a man ofshort stature is of inestimable value when confrontedby an antagonist much taller than himself.

It is supposed that the antagonist’s right wrist

has been caught in one’s left hand. Keeping a firmhold, the next move is to step forward, with the rightfoot outside the opponent’s right foot, simultaneouslyraising the captured arm and stooping beneath it.One’s back is turned in making this step, so thatone comes into position at the side, and slightly inthe rear of, the opponent, as shown in Fig. 19. The

Fig . 18 . Anot her Arm Twist, a se ve re va riatio n ofFig. 1 7— First s ta ge .

Jiu= Jitsu. 35

captured arm has been violently twisted around, andforced into a position that causes the most exquisitepain, dislocation of the elbow resulting if the pres-sure be continued. The victim is now in a mostsorry, even hopeless, condition. He is practically

powerless: he cannot strike with his free hand, hecannot release himself, he dare not kick, for he isperfectly conscious that any movement on his ownpart merely aggravates the pain he is suffering, andhe is quite sensible that it lies within his opponent’spower to disable him. He may be held thus until

D 2

Fig . 19 . Seve re Arm Twist —Se co nd sta ge . The agg re sso r’ sarm brou ght be hind his back into a po sit ion from whichhe c annot rele as e it.

36 Jiu= Jitsu.

help arrives, or thrown to the ground with greatease, the hold being still retained, or the arm maybe broken or dislocated by his captor proceeding tothe third stage. By placing the right hand on theelbow, as shown in Fig. 20, it is possible to dislocatethe joint without any trouble; or, if it be desired to

throw the man, a stroke of the leg—the left, as inthe illustration, will send him down on his head—areally terrible fall, and the best method of finishingthe business, for he is already leaning forward inthe hope of mitigating the pain he feels.

It is not essential that the grip as shown in Fig. 18should be obtained, for the arm-twist may be equally

Fig . 20. Seve re Arm Twist —T hird st ag e. The man thus heldmay be ea sily thrown to the gro un d by a le g= st ro ke , or hisarm disl oc at ed .

Jiu= Jitsu. 37

as well performed if one can get hold of the rightwrist with the right hand, instead of right withleft, as illustrated. In this latter case one is ina somewhat better position for administering thecoup de grâce in the form of a blow with the fist inthe short ribs, in the back, a little above the hipsand immediately above the kidneys—“the kidneypunch” of the boxer—or behind the ear, finishingtouches which cannot be so easily given with theright hand owing to the difficulty of hitting acrossone’s own body. If this hold be obtained one mustbear in mind that it is necessary to push the arm upthe back farther than the previously-described holdrequires, or the victim may find it possible to releasehimself by straightening the limb.To finish the twist, as shown in Fig. 19, with aright-hand hold it is necessary to take the elbow fromunderneath and pull towards the victim’s side, takingcare to keep his hand well up the back.

Extreme quickness of action is a sine quâ non inthe satisfactory execution of the arm-twist; butthere are few more effective tricks of self-defence, andpractice until efficiency is acquired is well repaid.

In Fig. 21 is depicted a lock on the leg and foot,which, it must be admitted, is not very easy of accom-plishment, except by an expert. In the illustrationit is shown as a defence and counter-stroke to anattempt by an assailant to deliver a damaging kick.Usually it is brought into use when an assailant hasbeen thrown to the ground and one desires to keephim there, or to render him incapable of furthermischief.

The hold once obtained, all is perfectly plain sail-ing: no effort of the man so held, no matter howstrong he be, will obtain release. He is caused most

38 Jiu= Jitsu.

intense pain, is in danger of having his ankle broken,or at least the muscles of the leg injured by theunnatural extension, and is in such a position thatany offensive movement or counter-stroke is out ofhis power. As I have said, there is an initial diffi-culty in obtaining the hold, and only continual

practice, combined with a quick eye and the gift ofseizing opportunities, will enable one to make effec-tive use of the chip.

Immediately the aggressor’s foot is raised to deliverthe kick, and comes within one’s reach, the forearmis. thrown under and across the leg, low down, and in

Fig . 21 . Right Le g=and=Foot Loc k. By mea ns of this holdan ass ailant ’s le g may b e r endere d us el es s.

Jiu= Jitsu. 39

such a manner that the leg is confined under the arm.The leg is drawn upwards, so that the foot is closelygripped under one’s armpit. If the left arm hasbeen used to hold the kicker’s right foot, the forearmwill be pressing against the tendon Achilles and the

lower part of the big muscles of the calf. This havingbeen done, the right hand is placed upon the capturedleg just below the knee, with the butt resting on theprominent part of the shin, and pressing thereinto.At the same moment the left hand is thrust forward

Fig . 22 . Finish to a Le ft Leg =and=Foot Lo ck . By a stro ngthrust wit h the upra ised foo t the agg re ss or may be thrownto the gr ou nd d isab led.

40 Jiu= Jitsu.

and placed upon the right forearm, thus forming alock on the foot that is unbreakable. The variousmovements no doubt appear to be very complicated,but in actual practice it will be found that this isnot really so.

The foot thus held as in a vice by means of contrarypressures, the left arm being pushed upward, whilethe right hand presses the upper part of the legdownward, so great a strain is placed upon the anklejoint and instep that dislocation or breakage is not adifficult matter. Fig. 22 shows how a man thusseized by the left leg may be effectually disabled.

It may be objected that many, if not all, of thesetricks are brutal. Granted; they are brutal: theyare intended to be so. When one is defending one’slife one is not playing a game in which the laws ofsportsmanship and good feeling will be observed.Assuredly the man who attacks and robs the lonelypedestrian has no idea of abiding by any rules of fairplay; he means to get what he can by fair meansor foul, the latter for choice, and if his intendedvictim shrink from making use of any means todefeat this object, the two are not starting level. Itmay be brutal and unsportsmanlike to kick or breakan assailant’s arm; but in the game of life and death,the man who refuses to make use of a chip because ina bout of friendly contention it would be consideredunfair, is neither more nor less than a fool.

The chip illustrated in Figs. 23 and 24 is, it will berecognised, similar to the Cornwall and Devon throwknown as the “flying mare.” In this case, however,contrary to the observance of the wrestler, the manto be thrown is grasped in such a manner that hispalm is kept uppermost.

The right wrist is grasped with the left hand, a

Jiu= Jitsu. 41

step taken forward with the right foot, and the righthand placed at the back 0f the captured arm justabove the elbow, the back cf the hand being under-neath. This hold obtained, the thrower turns his

back to his opponent, bringing the captured armover his shoulder. The hand is kept down while out-ward pressure is maintained with the right hand,thus throwing a tremendous strain on the assailant’selbow. The position arrived at is shown in Fig 24.

Fig . 23 . Arm Throw— First sta ge . A throw simila r to theCornwall and De vo n “F lying Mare ,” but the palm of thehand is to be kep t upp ermo st ..

42 Jiu= Jitsu.

Having come to this stage, it is not advisable tostop, for, in spite of the pain and the fear of disloca-tion, the man may attempt something unpleasantwith his free hand. This will be obviated by throw-ing him clean over one’s shoulder, stooping whileso doing to facilitate his downfall; or, if in turning

in one’s right foot has gone outside the assailantsright foot, as it should, he may be thrown across thehip. In either case he will fall very hard, and asthe arm-hold must be retained, one will be in a posi-tion to put in an arm-lock when on the ground,which will complete the business.

Fig . 24 . Arm Throw— Sec on d st ag e. The arm may be broke nor the m an thro wn comp let el y ov er on e’ s shou lder.

Ground= Locks. 43

Ground=Locks.

I have described some of the principal throws ofwhich the Jiu-Jitsu exponent would make use indealing with an assailant, and it will be noticed thatmost of the Jiu-Jitsu “chips” are for the purposeof bringing an opponent to the ground. In somecases, it is true, an adversary is held in such a posi-tion while on his legs that he is not only renderedharmless, but is, if his captor choose to exert therequired force, in danger of sustaining severe in-juries. But although the Jiu-Jitsuite may get suchholds on an opponent, it does not follow that heinvariably will, and he is by no means loth to goto the ground, for while there will occur the oppor-tunities for fixing one of those terrible locks on arm,leg, or throat which give the victim his quietus ina very few seconds.

Jiu-Jitsu is self-defence, and the exponent of Jiu-Jitsu rarely attempts to meet force with force, butrelies upon his quickness and the opportunities hisassailant’s attack leaves open for an effective counter-move. He never rushes at an opponent, or en-deavours by main force to insert one of his paralys-ing holds: he gives way—falls, perhaps, dragginghis enemy with him, and, before the latter has re-covered from his surprise, he finds the Jiu-Jitsuite,by some slight movement, has contrived to grip hiswrist, arm, or leg in such a manner that, if hemove, dislocation or breakage will take place.

Whether falling to the ground is expedient mustdepend upon circumstances. If attacked by half-a-dozen men it would hardly be advisable to over-throw one, follow him to the earth, and fix one of

44 Jiu= Jitsu.

the arm-breaking locks; there is reasonable groundto suppose that the discomfited man’s friends wouldnot be so thoroughly mindful of his awkward plightas to refrain from further assault because his armor leg might be broken. On the contrary, the sup-position is that they would resort to their iron-shodboots, regardless of their companion’s fate. Undersuch circumstances one would not use the sametactics as if one were assaulted by a single man, orengaged in a tussle with a burglar or housebreakerwhom one would be glad to secure until the policearrived to take charge of him. A chance combatwith three or four assailants would take the formof a sudden, vigorous assault, the use of the fistsupon the nearest or least-prepared, followed up bythe bringing into play of the arm twist, arm-across-the-neck hold, or a leg stroke from a wrist-and-collarhold, upon the first who might be advantageouslygripped. When, however, one is desirous of secur-ing or rendering hors de combat a single adversary,then what for convenience’ sake I will style “groundlocks” come in exceedingly useful.

Which of the several locks one will make use ofdepends largely upon the method of bringing anopponent to the ground, for in some instances itis possible to fall with him in such a manner that,without any alteration of the initial hold, the manis held safely and securely, rendered helpless andincapable not only of effective retaliation, but ofpassive resistance. In most of the locks describedit will be noticed that the Jiu-Jitsu exponent goesto the ground with the opponent he has succeeded inoverthrowing. To fall to the ground is an art whichmust be learned. To fall is simple: to fall in sucha manner that one sustains no hurt in so doing does

Ground= Locks. 45

not come naturally to one conscious of the act. Aman under tho influence of liquor rarely hurts him-self when he falls down, except he strike the edgeof a wall, or at lamp-post, or similar object, for thoreason that his joints are quite loose, his musclesunbraced, and on this account the resistance hisbody offers to tho shock is lessened to a wonderful

degree. The native pupils of Jiu-Jitsu have toundergo a preliminary course of training in the artof falling safely, and it is well for all those aboutto take up Jiu-Jitsu to copy the example. In fallingthe force of the shock is proportionate to the re-sistance offered. Anyone may easily prove for him-self what this means by jumping from a moderate

Fig . 25. Leg =and=Foot Loc k on the Gr ou nd. Sev er e Press urewill render the muscle s of the leg use le ss or dislo ca te thebo nes of the foot ..

46 Jiu= Jitsu.

height—say, 6ft.—on to firm ground, landing, first,with stiff legs and unbent knees, and, secondly, withslackened joints and muscles, thus allowing himselfto sink almost to the ground. Professional acrobatsand gymnasts survive falls which would indubitablykill or permanently injure other persons who havenot the trained man’s knack of falling properly.Non-resistance is, in fact, the keynote to Jiu-Jitsu,and further on is described and illustrated a crush-ing counter-stroke to a vigorous attack, and whichcommences with the simple move of falling on one’sback in front of an assailant.

Illustrations 25 and 26 portray a couple of verysevere hold-fast locks, the former being used whenan adversary has been thrown on his back, the lattercoming into play when he is on his face.

Fig. 25 is a leg-and-foot lock, precisely similar inexecution and effect to that shown in Fig. 21, withthe addition that one’s heel is firmly pressed on thefree leg, below the knee, the pressure bing placed onthe inner edge of the large bone—the tibia—of theleg, and producing the most excruciating pain.This lock may be most advantageously employed tofollow up successful use of an ankle hold, obtainedby quickly stooping down, seizing the assailant byone or both of his ankles, and pulling his feet fromunder him.

The double-leg lock, shown in Fig. 26, is one ofthe most simple and efficacious in the whole cate-gory. It may be brought into play with extremeease and quickness, held in position, even on thestrongest man, with the exertion of but moderateeffort, and is guaranteed to hold the burliest ruffianin durance as long as his captor desires. As may beseen, the lock consists merely of seizing the feet,

Ground= Locks. 47

bending the legs backwards to the thighs, andcrossing the feet. One foot may be relinquished atthis stage, pressure on the other keeping the firstin position, and threatening the victim with speedyfracture or dislocation. The anguished expressionof the victim’s features in the illustration is, I canguarantee, not simulated, but a genuine reflectionof his feelings, and yet the pressure exerted was,according to the operator, quite insignificant.

An opponent who has been thrown on his face—as, for instance, by the throw illustrated in Fig. 3,or from any wrist-and-collar hold, supplemented bya stroke across the front of the legs and a forwardtwist—may be finished off or held fast by the lockillustrated in Fig. 27. Assume the original hold tohave been of wrist and collar; as the man has fallenforward his opponent has relinquished the collar, butthe wrist-hold has been retained, and the arm drawn

Fig . 26 . Dou bl e=Leg Loc k. A simple but ve ry painfu llo ck, w hich will hold down the st ronge st man.

48 Jiu= Jitsu.

backwards. The operator then places his fore-handat the back of the captured limb, and his right kneeabove the shoulder bone, placing all his weightthereon. A fulcrum has thus been formed againstwhich the arm may be forced, and, if necessary,broken at the shoulder like a dead stick. Quickness,of course, is required, but there is nothing reallydifficult in the move, and it may be relied upon to

hold a man absolutely helpless. The captured armis, too, in such a position that a sudden severe blowon the elbow will at once disable the limb.

The ground-lock that may be made use of aftera successful carrying into effect of the throw illus-trated in Fig. 2 is shown in Fig. 28. There areothers, but this is the most simple. The throwersimply keeps the original hold, and, falling with hisadversary, subjects his man to such vigorous pres-

Fig . 27 . Loc k to fol lo w a For ward Thro w, as in Fig. 3 Theel bow =joint may be broke n or the sho ul der disl oc at ed withgr ea t ea se .

Ground= Locks. 49

sure on the captured arm as will bring about fractureor merely prevent further resistance, as occasionrequires.

Fig. 5 illustrated the foil to an opponent who hasattempted to use his fists. He is thrown by a backheel, the thrower first obtaining a grip of wrist andcollar. To complete the assailant’s discomfiture,one would introduce the lock shown in Fig. 29.This is less difficult of accomplishment than may

appear. As one proceeds to throw the man—notforgetting that the swing to the left is as necessaryfor the use of this lock afterwards as for the victim’soverthrow—and he is actually falling, one’s left footis shot forward, and one sits down on the ground.The right leg is shifted so as to cross the adversary’sthighs, and his captured arm falls naturally acrossthe outstretched left leg, the limb being thus forciblybent across one’s thigh. If the left knee be raisedsomewhat still greater pressure may be exercised

E

Fig . 28 . Finish to Out side Strok e (Fig . 2) . The re sul t isobt aine d by simpl e pres su re on the cap tu red arm, theorig inal hold n ot be ing change d.

50 Jiu= Jitsu.

over the left arm, and the owner rendered hors decombat. Some little practice is required before onecan perform the various movements simultaneouslyand accurately, and at first one may experience adecidedly disagreeable bump as one reaches theground; but continued practice will soon alter this.The fall of the victim is, as a rule, so heavy, thatthe very faint hope that exists of being able to check

the introduction of the arm-breaking lock disappears.In sitting down, recollect not to fall directly, norwith stiffened loins and tense back muscles.

Fig. 30 illustrates a most useful means of dis-abling an opponent, a means not at all difficult ofemployment, and, in the hands of one perfectlyfamiliar with its use, most efficacious as a defenceagainst an assailant who has some knowledge of the

Fig . 29. Finish to Back Hee l or Le g Strok e (Fig. 5) . Thethro we r’s lef t leg is pus hed fo rwa rd as he sits down bythe side of his assa ilant, whos e ca pt ure d arm is drawnac ros s the throw er’ s lef t thig h.

Ground= Locks. 51

use of his fists. Circumstances under which thecomplete move may be made would be almost certainto arise in any contingency wherein an applicationof a knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu would be valuable.

I have not thought it necessary to illustrate thepreliminary part of the manœuvre which brings aman into the required position for the lock as illus-trated to be applied, since this will be easily under-

stood by anyone who has followed the precedinginstructions intelligently.

An assailant strikes at one with his left fist, step-ping forward with the left leg in accordance withtho principles of boxing. The blow is parried, thewrist or coat-sleeve of the aggressor grasped, and asharp forward and downward jerk is given; at thesame moment one’s left hand grasps the collar, andone strikes a quick blow sideways with one’s right

E 2

Fig . 30 . A mos t Usef ul Trick. With an ordinary hold of wristand col lar an ass ailant ’s le g is truc k inwards, and as hefa lls his arm is drawn acro ss one ’s ou ts tr et che d thigh.An e ff ect ive co un te r aga inst a b ox er.

52 Jiu= Jitsu.

foot against the ankle of the assailant—delivers, infact, a true “outside stroke.” All these movements

arc carried out while facing the assailant. (If onehas acquired a proper command of balance—through

Fig

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Ground= Locks. 53

it must be admitted that only the native professors,as yet, show this command—instead of striking atthe ankle, the sole of one’s foot may be placed at theside of the knee, and the assailant partly jerked,partly levered, over.) As the man comes down, one’sright leg is thrust forward, so that when he actuallytouches the ground his captured arm is lying acrossthat thigh in such a manner that a sudden, quickpressure will break the limb. The great advantageof this trick is that one is facing one·’s adversary;there is no necessity to step to his side as in someof the arm-and-collar hold throws. The movementsfollow each other almost automatically, and soquickly will one be able to carry out the move that,when practising with a friend, not five seconds willelapse between the striking of the blow and thegiving of the signal of defeat by the discomfitedstriker. There are few better or safer moves in theJiu-Jitsuite’s repertoire, and, although it might notfoil a past-master of the art, it may be reckonedupon to bring to grief ninety-nine men out of anyhundred.

In Fig. 31 is illustrated a lock that may bebrought into use when one has brought an opponentdown by the hank (Fig. 13). In making this throwone goes to the ground with the adversary, the rightleg is not withdrawn from the lock (thus preventingthe victim from rising), and, as one has retainedthe arm-and-collar hold, the man is in such a posi-tion that a comparatively slight exertion of strengthwill hold him helpless and secure.

The arm-throw illustrated in Figs. 23 and 24may be most effectually completed—if need be—bythe insertion of the lock depicted in Fig. 32. Withthe hold as before described, do not, if this lock be

54 Jiu= Jitsu.

intended, throw the man clean forward on to hishead, but drag him over the hip, swinging him so

that he falls flat on his back. Go down with him,thrusting the feet forward so that you assume a

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Ground= Locks. 55

sitting position, and draw the captured arm acrossthe right thigh. Once in this position, any assailantwill be little inclined for further resistance; themere fall, if on a hard surface, would almost stunhim, and his arm may be snapped without anytrouble.

The three illustrations, Figs. 33 to 35, give acapital rendering of the different stages of one ofthe cleverest and most effective throws included inthe music-hall exhibitions of Jiu-Jitsu that havebeen given in this country by native exponents.

It will doubtless be objected—and the apparenttruth of the objection must be admitted—that thethrow appears altogether too clever and theatrical tobe of any practical value in an actual encounter; butthe objection, I feel quite sure, would not be sus-tained were the objector to pit himself against anopponent expert at the throw. It certainly givesone the impression of being nothing better than ashowy, exhibition trick. I thought it so myselfuntil, in a friendly encounter with a native pro-fessor, I was one day taken unawares, and bowledover in the manner shown. That the actual throwis not so impossible as it appears, receives addi-tional support from the fact—related to me by avery clever Lancashire catch-as-catch-can wrestler,who had had close and practical experience of thetrick throws which enter into the répertoire of themost scientific wrestlers of his county, and of which,by the way, the cleverest wrestlers of elsewhere areignorant—that a very similar throw was used withgreat effect by Lancashire wrestlers of many decadesback. Why this particular trick throw should havebecome almost unknown to modern wrestlers I can-not say; perhaps because it is a trick capable of

56 Jiu= Jitsu.

accomplishment by the very few, and requiring anenormous amount of practice.

The wrestler would seize his opponent by the upperportion of either arm—no jackets. being worn—squatbackwards, raising one foot and placing it against thegroin, as in Fig. 33, and hoist his opponent clean overhis own head. In the throw illustrated in Fig. 33 and

34 the throw is rendered easier by reason of thelooser, yet more secure, hold afforded by the jacket,and also by the thrower being enabled to sink on hisshoulders, a position which in Lancashire wrestlingwould cost the operator the fall.

The fall is best made against an opponent whoattempts to rush his victim backwards and fall onhim. The victim does not resist: on the contrary,

Fig . 33 . Somers au lt Thro w—F irst sta ge. The thro we r, gr asp -ing his op po ne nt’ s jac ket , fa lls on his back, his foot beingplac ed aga inst the sto mach of the victim, who is drage dfor ward.

throw

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.

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Th

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58 Jiu= Jitsu.

he goes back, seizing his assailant’s coat—the cross-collar hoid, as shown in Fig. 33, is the best, as itprovides the opening for the paralysing conclusionto the fall—and drops on his back, raising his rightfoot as he does so, and placing it against the aggres-sor’s groin. A quick, strong pull is given, the rightleg is straightened, and the assailant is levered—the straight leg acting as a fulcrum—lifted, or

hoisted a complete somersault clean over the per-former’s head, and hurled flat on his back on theground behind his opponent’s head. Comparativelyinconsiderable strength is actually required to carryout these manœuvres successfully, but it is essentialthat the move be performed quickly, that the leg bekept straight and firm during the act of lifting theman, and that the firm hold of the jacket be retained.The foot of the right leg should be placed obliquely

Fig . 35 . Somers au lt Thro w—F inal st ag e. The throwe r hasturne d a back some rsa ult and co me int o the abo ve po si-tion on the to p of his vict im, who mahy be thrott le d intoinsensibilit y by the hold on his j acke t col la r.

Ground= Locks. 59

against the man’s body, so that the heel is firmlypressed into his abdomen. A short, squarely-builtman is the most difficult to dispose of in this man-ner, and a tall man the most easy, as in the formercase the heavier part of the body would be belowone’s foot, while in the latter the greater weightwould naturally be brought forward, and would aidin the execution of the overhead pull. The weightof the person thrown enters little in the throw, ex-cept when he falls, and I can vouch for the stunningeffect on a heavy man who has been brought overquickly and properly in this manner. The positionat the completion of the fall is shown in Fig. 34.

The conclusion of the throw presents little diffi-culty for those who are not of such build as topreclude the possibility of turning a ground somer-sault. Still firmly grasping the thrown man’s coat,turn heels over head, and come down in a sittingposition across the victim’s chest (as in Fig. 35), andbefore he has sufficiently recovered to know wherehe lies, or how he got there, fix the cross-collarthrottle hold, or press the fingers immediately overthe carotid artery, and the man is at your mercy.

I do not pretend to say that in the foregoing pagesI have referred to every Jiu-Jitsu hold or lock known.There are scores; but such as I have described willbe found easy of acquirement, and quite sufficient,when acquired, to enable one to face a chanceencounter with one or two assailants with confidenceand a reasonable hope of success. Male readersalso will do well not to ignore the tricks included inthe section devoted to “Jiu-Jitsu for Ladies.”

60 Jiu= Jitsu.

Jiu=Jitsu for Ladies.

But this bold lord with manly strength enduedShe with one finder and thumb subdued.

PO P E ( “Rape of the Lock. ”)

The misfortune of liability to bodily violence isnot confined to men, as, unhappily, the dailyrecords of the police courts prove only too well.Women are only too frequently the victims of physi-cal assault which has as its object robbery, delightof the exercise of sheer brutality, or worse, andthey labour under a natural physical inferiority,of which the thief, the brute, and the bully are per-fectly ready and willing to take the fullest advantage.

Social conditions, the lack of opportunity, herphysical disadvantages, as well as the refinement anddelicacy of the feminine character, combine to placea woman more or less at the mercy of the violentlydisposed and criminal portion of mankind. Theopportunity of defending herself from violence bythe various methods man has contrived is practicallydenied a woman; and experience has proved that thechivalrous regard for the weaker sex which man ispresumed to have, and which should be her chiefdefence, is but a very weak reed on which to lean.

Perhaps, however, it would be more correct to saythat the opportunity was denied, for since the intro-duction of the Japanese art of Jiu-Jitsu, which is notbeyond the capabilities of women as are other formsof self-defence, the chance is afforded for women toreduce, if not indeed to destroy, the inferioritywherein they have stood to man in matters apper-taining to the safeguarding of the person.

Jiu-Jitsu, depending as it does almost entirely upon

for Ladies. 61

the applicability of particular or technical skill,which may be styled science, as opposed to the use ofsheer brute strength, is peculiarly adapted for womendesirous of rendering themselves immune as far aspossible from the effects of men’s brutal instincts andviolent passions. It is not insisted that any womanwho has given sufficient time to the study of the artto become thoroughly acquainted with Jiu-Jitsu—and here I would like to insert a word of cautionagainst placing too great belief in advertisementswhich profess that one may be transformed into anexpert after a three months’ course of tuition by post—will inevitably overcome and disable any masculineassailant, irrespective of the disparity in weight andmuscular power that may exist or the circumstancesunder which she is attacked. Such a statement andsuch has been made—is, in my opinion, misleadingand mischievous.

As I have said elsewhere, Jiu-Jitsu is not perfect:nothing of human origin is perfect, and it is anexaggeration of fact to declare that muscular poweris of absolutely no account in the successful perform-ance of the very many—scores there are—clevertricks which constitute Jiu-Jitsu. A certain degreeof muscular force is required; but it will be readilygranted that there are a large number of Jiu-Jitsuholds which may be retained by the exercise of quiteinconsiderable effort, and well within the powers ofany average woman, and which are yet sufficientlypowerful to render the victim perfectly helpless.But to get the victim into such a position that theseholds may be obtained, or to defend oneself until theopportunity is presented for the use of them, cer-tainly necessitates the possession of a certain degreeof physical force. The ultra-enthusiast will de-

62 Jiu= Jitsu.

clare that, correctly performed and correctly timed,the requisite strength is no greater than is requiredto move one’s own hand, arm, or foot, as the casemay be. This is true—to an extent—and may wellbe easy of demonstration in exhibition Jiu-Jitsu;but in an actual encounter, when an assailantspassions are inflamed and he is capable of using anyand every means to accomplish his object, the desira-bility of awaiting the precise opportunity for anyparticularly effective trick may be doubtful. If oneopportunity do not occur, another will, declares theenthusiast; but we have yet to see practically demon-strated that, with no limit placed on an assailant’sactions, the clever-looking, simple moves of the Jiu-Jitsuite would be so invariably successful of accom-plishment.

By prompt action much may be achieved that atfirst glance seems impossible; and on perfect com-mand of nerve, presence of mind, and acute intelli-gence—qualities which are developed to a wonderfuldegree by the study of the Japanese science—dependsthe recognition of the arrival of the psychologicalmoment when the victim is off his guard, and of theopportunity for the insertion of a Jiu-Jitsu trickwhich will place the assailant hors de combat. Intel-ligent anticipation, the ability to act when anassailant is unprepared, will enable a woman to per-form feats surprising to herself even against a manof twice her strength. At no time, either in ordinarypractice or in a real struggle, should the Jiu-Jitsuitedream of opposing force by force; holds must not beobtained by the exercise of mere strength, but mustbe dependent upon quick and accurate judgment oftime and opportunity. And, fortunately for woman,she is gifted with an acknowledged superiority in

for Ladies. 63

quickness, not only of movement but of perception,and such quickness is the principal of the severalqualities which go to the formation of the very souland spirit of Jiu-Jitsu. A quicker mental perception,allied as it is with greater quickness of movement,plus a knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu, places a woman on thesame level as, if not indeed a higher one than, theaverage uninitiated man, greatly her superior inmere muscular power. That a woman, thoughquicker of apprehension, is as a rule less ready toexecute than a man, may be urged against her chanceof conducting successfully a struggle against amasculine assailant; but this hesitancy, it has beenshown, quickly disappears as one’s acquaintance withJiu-Jitsu increases.

Jiu-Jitsu is eminently a science of self-defencepeculiarly suitable for study by women, and it is onlywhen one has acquired a knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu thatone can say how suitable. At the same time thereare limits. Perhaps it might not be impossible—there is little that is—for a small lady to seize a tooattentive, herculean stranger, who was not expectingsuch treatment, by sleeve and coat lapel, and throwhim clean over her head, and to repeat the operationwith variations which leave him a limp, groaninghandful for the police, as was recently reported in aNew York newspaper; but it is expecting too much,both of womankind and of Jiu-Jitsu, to believe thatany feminine exponent of the art, under any andevery circumstance, and against any assailant, willas a matter of course toss him about like a shuttle-cock, and force him into such a position that shecould hold him, a howling wreck, until a policemanarrived. It is such exaggerated conceptions of thescience which lead many to believe that Jiu-Jitsu is

64 Jiu= Jitsu.

greatly overrated, and cause them to assert that thewoman knowing Jiu-Jitsu would fare no better thanher ignorant sister in a genuine hand-to-hand scufflewith a male opponent.

Viewed from other standpoints than its utility as adefensive science, Jiu-Jitsu has much to recommendit to ladies. The practice of the art induces grace ofcarriage, suppleness of body, and lightness of move-ment without the fear of hardening and coarseningthe muscles, and thereby spoiling the contour of thefigure, which is one of the arguments levelled againstfeminine indulgence in athletic recreations. Jiu-Jitsu teaches one to walk lightly, to overcome anystiffness of bearing, and gives an elasticity to thefigure and a brightness and quickness to the eye farbeyond what may be acquired by any gymnasticexercises, while it neither requires nor superinducesany appreciable development of muscle.

But it is in respect of its value as a defence againstpersonal assault, and as a foundation for the growthof confidence and a sense of personal security, thatI am urging its adoption by women. It may notbe possible nor desirable that actual tuition at oneof the· very few schools where the art is taught toladies should be obtained, and it must be admittedthat unless that be done there is much in Jiu-Jitsuwhich will remain unknown; but it is quite possibleby practice at home to make oneself familiar withsome of the most effective of the Japanese tricks,and, in time, to acquire such dexterity that a longrailway journey alone, a long country walk or cycleride without a male escort, or that greatest of allfeminine horrors, the staying alone in a house atnight, may be undertaken with equanimity or with-out the slightest fear of any disagreeable experiences

for Ladies. 65

at the hands of evil-minded fellow-travellers,ruffianly tramps, or threatening housebreakers.

It may perhaps be urged that the ready perform-ance of Jiu-Jitsu chips which are accomplished withease by ladies wearing regulation gymnastic costumeof short skirts and knickerbockers, would be im-possible when the performer was dressed in the ordi-nary indoor or outdoor garments of common use.Certainly the wearing of a tightly-fitting dress, withits attendant heavy and superabundant skirts, wouldprove a hindrance to the successful accomplishmentof many of the moves, and would go far to negativethe agility and quickness of movement on which inJiu-Jitsu so much depends; but it would be dan-gerous to assume that the expert of the practicehall would be rendered helpless directly she donnedthe garments of conventional use. The objection,however, has been borne in mind, and only suchtricks are here illustrated as may be accomplishedeasily irrespective of costume.

Let me take, for instance, a simple arm hold, ofthe terrible effectiveness of which I have frequentlyhad unpleasant proof while practising. It is a holdwhich any woman of ordinary strength could obtainon a would-be assaulter who laid his hand on herchest or shoulder, and which, properly performed,and with the quickness which is so essential in Jiu-Jitsu, will bring the brawniest scoundrel flat on hisback with a force and suddenness that will severelysurprise, not to say hurt, him, and in such may positionthat a further pressure on his limb will leave himcrippled and harmless.

Assume the assailant to have placed his righthand on the shoulder of the lady Jiu-Jitsuite, hisother fist being raised ready to enforce the demand

F

66 Jiu= Jitsu.

he utters. With lightning quickness the lady willgrasp his arm by wrist and elbow, as shown in Fig.36. (For the excellent photographs from whichFigs. 36 to 47 are reproduced I am indebtedto Mr. C. Harris, of Sutton, Sarrcy.) A slighteffort only is required to bend the limb backward

so that the hand approaches the shoulder. Thepressure is then altered from backward to trans-verse, the forearm being bent outwards—the righthand pushing outwards and the left pulling inwards—with the effect that so terrible at strain is placedupon the elbow-joint that the scoundrelly assailant

Fig . 36. Wrist =and=Elbow Ho ld. The arm is bent backwards,great strain being placed on the elbow=joint to allow of anassa ilant being f or ce d t o the g ro und.

Jiu= Jitsu. 67

is forced over sideways—he cannot heip himself—and, the pressure being continued, he is broughtheavily to the ground (Fig. 37).

It may be objected that a woman would not havethe strength to bend the arm backward in order tobring it into the required position. This is so; astrong man might not be able to do so, if his opponent

realised what was intended and kept his arm rigid.But the move is not to be accomplished by force; itsefficacy lies in its application at the precise moment.

On such an unyielding surface as asphalt or pavingstones the force with which the fail is made will besufficient to disable the victim, for he cannot save hishead from severe contact with the ground. Even if

F 2

Fig . 37. Wrist=and=Elbow Hol d—the fa ll res ult ing. Thestra in on the elb ow =jo int is so sev ere that the vict immust be thro wn.

68 Jiu= Jitsu.

not actually stunned, he will generality have conceivedso great a respect for his conqueror that he will bechary of further molestation.

If, however, the fall have not been very severe,gr circumstances demand that nothing be left tochance, the throw may be followed up by thelady pressing her right knee—the hold havingbeen taken of the right arm, she will be on her

assailants right side when he falls—on the upperpart of the captured arm, and, holding the wrist tokeep the forearm vertical, with the other handforcing the hand inwards. Quite inconsiderable forcewill break the bones of the wrist and render theassaulter quite helpless (Fig. 38). It it be the lefthand the assailant has placed upon his intendedvictim, the movements will be altered accordingly.Let me add, too, that the whole of the throwing

Fig . 38. Finish to Wrist=and=Elbow Hol d. The thro we r’skne e is pla ce d on the vict im’s upp er arm, the rig ht handshif te d from wrist to hand, which is bent inwards, thusdislo ca ti ng or bre aking the wrist.

for Ladies. 69

movement must be continuous, so that the personthrown shall have no opportunity of mitigating theforce of his fall by shifting a foot sideways.

A variation of this useful trick—to be used whenan assailant has one leg well advanced—may be madeby seizing the assailant’s right wrist (if it be his right

leg which is forward) with the left hand, the rightgrasping his arm just above the elbow, as in Fig. 39.A twist of the forearm similar to that described aboveis then made, care being taken not to bend the armin such a direction that its owner will be allowed tostraighten it; i.e., the hand must not be pushed too

Fig . 39. Rev er sed Wrist=and=Elbow Hol d wit h Knee Thro w.The arm is be nt bac kwards and the throwe r’ s kneeplac ed be hind the adv ance d leg of the assaila nt, who isthen thrown ver y heav ily.

70 Jiu= Jitsu.

far outwards. The effect of this twist is that theperson will be thrown off his balance and bent side-ways. Simultaneously the Jiu-Jitsuite’s right foot isbrought across and placed behind her opponent’s rightheel, her knee thus coming at the back of his knee.The twisting being persisted in, the man will bethrown to the ground very heavily indeed, as, if the

movements be properly timed, the back of his headshould be the first part of him to strike the earth(Fig. 40). Remember that the man is not to be forcedbackwards, but sideways across the thrower’s knee.The wrist-lock (Fig. 38) may complete the fall.

A lady conversant with Jiu-Jitsu, if seized by thewrist—the left one for arguments sake—by anassailant, would not waste time and strength in

Fig . 40. Rev er sed Wrist =and=Elbo w Ho ld with Knee Throw—the fa ll res ult ing. The as sailant is swung backwardsove r the thro wer ’s knee, fal ling on the bac k of his head.

for Ladies. 71

attempting to release her arm by vigorous tuggingand straining: she would make use of at wrist-lock.Resistance to pressure, the meeting of force byforce, is contrary to the principles of Jiu-Jitsu, whichteaches yielding—a difficult matter for the novice tomaster. Thus the lady would make no attempt to

force her wrist free, but, dropping her arm so thatit rested against her chest (Fig. 41), her forearmbeing thus brought horizontally across her body, shewould place the wrist of her free arm crosswise uponher assaulter’s wrist—which would be vertical—presstowards herself. and lean forward. The operation is

Fig . 41. Wrist Lo ck. A loc k to bre ak a hold of one ’s wrist.The cap tu red arm is lo we red until it rest s aga inst theches t.

72 Jiu= Jitsu.

simplicity itself; its effect wonderful. The strain onthe wrist joint produced by the contrary pressuresacting upon it will be so great, and the pain so violent,that the assailant will have no inclination to proceedfurther; his grip will relax, but he will not bereleased. With the lady’s left hand pressing hisunclosed fingers outwards, while an inward pressure

is maintained with her other arm and her weightbent forward, be will be held fast with his hand orwrist in imminent danger of being smashed (Fig. 42),and may, if desired, be forced upon his face.

Exact knowledge what to do, continual practiceto ensure accurate performance of the various moves,and quickness are the essentials to proficient use of

Fig . 42 . Wrist Loc k. The wrist of the free hand is plac edacro ss the as saila nt’ s wrist and pre ss ed st ron gl y tow ardsone ’s bo dy.

for Ladies. 73

Jiu-Jitsu, tricks, and it may be said at once thatwithout the third essential the first and second areof but little use. Every movement must be madewith lightning-like rapidity. This cannot be toostrongly insisted upon, and it is far preferable toacquire thoroughly the knack of performing two orthree tricks with the necessary accuracy and despatchthan to obtain a superficial knowledge of a score,and be able to use none of them in such manner thattheir object be properly accomplished. Immediateperception of an antagonist’s intentions, quick ap-prehension of his weaknesses of position—and let itbe borne in mind that it is all but impossible forthe body and limbs to be disposed in any mannerwhich does not offer a point of successful attack tothe quick and skilful Jiu-Jitsuite—and quicknessare the safeguards against injury and the foundationof an assailants discomfiture. But I do not wishit to be thought that a person well at home withJiu-Jitsu is infallibly protected against assault, andit will be decidedly unwise of any feminine masterof the few tricks I have described—my object indealing with only a few is already sufficiently ex-plained—to imagine that she will be at match for acouple or more powerful masculine assailants. Ifshe have thoroughly mastered these few she mayconsider herself fairly well qualified to hold her ownagainst a single opponent; and if desirous of furtherknowledge of the art she will find sufficient in theearlier portion of this volume.

Probably one of the most effective of the Jiu-Jitsuthrows which are within the compass of any ordinarywoman’s ability is that illustrated by Figs. 43 to 45.An assailant in advancing to the attack, to strikewith hand, stick, or knife, always places one foot

74 Jiu= Jitsu.

well in advance of the other—almost invariably theright if he have a weapon in his hand. If he bemerely intending a grasp of the clothes or person, hewill usually step in left; foot foremost, gripping withhis left hand, and thus leaving his right free tomenace or strike. This advanced limb is his weakest

point, and the defender seizes it, literally. Droppingon one knee, she steps forward with her other foot,simultaneously seizing the advanced leg at the ankle,pulling it upward and forward, and pushing withher free hand against her assailant’s body (Fig. 43).With which hand the defender shall seize the ankle,

Fig . 43 . Ankle Throw. Dro pp ing on on e knee, the ass ailant ’sadvanc ed le g is seize d at the ankle, and the free handpres se d ag ainst his bo dy.

for Ladies. 75

and on which knee she shall stoop, depend uponcircumstances and individual peculiarities. I shouldrecommend that if the right ankle be the objectiveof the attack, the thrower should drop on the leftknee, seize the ankle with the left hand, and take ashort step forward and inside the captured leg withthe right foot. By so doing it seems. to me possiblefor the body thrust with the right hand to be mademore effective, as, leaning over one’s right knee, onecould reach further. And conversely, if the left legbe attacked the thrower would fall on the right knee,and make the body thrust with the left hand. Butall are not alike; some might find it preferable, ifattacking the right leg, to drop on the right knee andmake the forward movement with the left foot, themovements of the hands being, however, the same asI recommend. It must be left to individual choice,selecting the method that comes most easy and natural.The lady to whose assistance I am indebted forthe accompanying photographs assured me thatneither position. I have suggested was, to her, as easyto assume as that shown in Fig. 43; it certainlypossesses peculiar advantages for the insertion of thelock which completes the discomfiture of the assailantthrown by the· ankle-hold.

Whichever position be assumed, the jerk of the footmust be quick, and the· body thrust vigorous andapplied at the same moment. If these movementsbe properly timed, the unfortunate victim willmeasure his length backwards on the ground withsufficient force to leave him stunned (Fig. 44).Should his conqueror not be content to leave him thus,or should he not be badly hurt, she will be able toput in a foot-lock, which will hold him as longas his captor wishes, and he will not be inclined

76 Jiu= Jitsu.

to struggle at all to release himself. Thecaptured foot is brought under the shoulder,

Fig

. 4

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the ankle-hold abandoned, and tho arm passedunder tho leg, the hand resting upon the forepart of the thrower’s other arm, the hand of which is

for Ladies. 77

placed below the knee of the locked leg. Should thevictim be so unwise as to attempt to kick with hisother foot very moderate pressure on the leg of thefoot in chancery (Fig. 45) will cause him to desist,probably straining the muscles so badly that he willnot be able to use the limb for many hours after-wards; or, if necessary, still more severe injuries maybe inflicted.

A different defence to a similar attack—one

which considerably surprised me when I was firstintroduced to it by Mr. Barton Wright several yearsago, and which is by no means too much for femininestrength—is that illustrated in Fig. 46. The de-scending hand of the assailant is jerked up, his wristseized, and the defender simultaneously steps outsidethe assailant’s advanced leg so that her knee—theleg being bent—is pressed against his bent knee.A sideways and downward jerk of the captured

Fig . 45. Loc k to comp let e Ankle Thro w. The assa ilant’ s footis broug ht under the shou lde r, the thro wer’ s arm pas sedunder his lo we r leg, and her hand pla ce d on herfo re arm.

78 Jiu= Jitsu.

hand will lay the assaulter on the ground, the wholesecret of the move being, of course, the disturbanceof the balance. Considerable confidence and greatquickness are required for the satisfactory accom-plishment of this throw, and, admittedly, there

are better defences which may be used when theassailant has a very great superiority of weight. Ifthe thrower make a slight backward kick with heradvanced foot at the same moment as she jerks thecaptured arm round, it will facilitate her assailantsdownfall.

Fig . 46 . Wrist Ho ld and Knee Thro w. The assaila nt’ s wristis gr as pe d with bo th hands, the rig ht foo t place d behindhis advanc ed leg, and he is swu ng heav ily on to hisbac k.

for Ladies. 79

Fig. 47 illustrates a hold which may be used torender an assailant absolutely hors do combat. Itrequires but little expenditure of muscular power,although I am bound to admit it is open to theobjection I have so frequently heard expressed inconnection with Jiu-Jitsu locks: “It looks all verywell, but you’ve got to get the man in the positionfirst.” There is a certain amount of truth in this;but, granted the ability to throw an assailant downas described in the preceding paragraph—and it

is not so very difficult to bring a man off his feetwhen the principle of body-balance is understood—no lady would have any difficulty in securing theparalysing hold illustrated. It is best used againstan assailant who, by one of the methods I havedescribed, has been thrown heavily upon his back.Before he has recovered from the shock the Jiu-Jitsuite is behind his head, her right forearm isplaced under his chin and across his throat, the edgeof her wrist being forced against his windpipe; his

Fig . 47. Hea d Loc k. A most punishing hold which may beuse d to finish an as saila nt throw n on his back.

80 Jiu= Jitsu.

head is raised, the back being violently pressed bythe shoulder of the arm forming tho lock. Thevictim is, absolutely helpless, and unconsciousnesswill result if the pressure be continued. The victimneed not be dragged into a sitting position as shownin the illustration, and the operator herself maydecide whether she can act more readily from astanding or from a kneeling position.

Simple Tricks of

Self = Defense. WHATEVER priority of claim as an effective meansof self-defence from bodily assault Jiu-Jitsu maypossess, it is sufficiently obvious that its acquisitiondoes not come within the reach, or perhaps theinclination, of all. The teachers of Jiu-Jitsu are notnumerous, the· fees for personal tuition are not low(I would repeat that the offers of tuition of Jiu-Jitsuby correspondence, as freely advertised, may notimplicitly be relied upon), and everyone has not thetime or desire, or the facilities, for acquiring a know-ledge of the art through the legitimate professors.At the same time there is no reason why any andevery one should not make himself familiar withthe many effective tricks of self-defence and simplemeans of discomfiting a chance assailant which atvarious times have been evolved from the severalarts of offence and defence either with the bare handsor with implements of wood and metal.

A walking-stick, for example, is familiar enoughto the hands of most men, but its effective useoffensively or defensively is comparatively unknown.

G

82 Simple Tricks of

If the individual who carries a substantial walk-ing stick know enough of its use to strike asshown in. Fig. 48—a paralysing blow at the kneeor kneecap—or in Fig. 49—a blow capable, if pro-perly struck, of breaking the wrist of the brawniestruffian that ever existed—or at few of the manyscientific tricks of self-defence, it is possible that the

activity of homicidal rascals may be considerablyreduced.

The stronger a man is, and the more skilled he is inthe effective use of his strength, the better able is heto cope with his assailant or assailants in a case ofsudden assault. Not only this, but the consciousnessof being able to take care of himself will give him

Fig . 48 . Striking a pa ralys ing Blow at the Knee with a Stick.The knee=ca p may be eas ily bro ken and the vict im dis=abl ed if pro pe rl y st ruc k.

Self=Defence. 83

an increased confidence and courage, a display ofwhich will frequently carry a man unharmed throughwhat might otherwise prove a serious matter.Courage invariably produces a demoralising effectupon cowards, and many cases might be quoted

wherein a defiant attitude and courageous demeanourhave saved a man from great danger.

I recall a story, related to me by a member of theparty to whom the adventure occurred, which willillustrate my meaning. A party of Americans,including several ladies, were making a “slumming”

G 2

Fig . 49. A Blo w with a Stick at the Edg e of the Wrist =bo ne.If pro pe rl y stru ck, it will brea k the wrist of the stro nges truff ian.

84 Simple Tricks of

excursion in the East End of London, and foundthemselves in a court closed at one end. When theyattempted to leave the court they found the entranceblocked by a number of roughs and loafers,thoroughly bad characters, who, seeing that the partywere practically caught in a trap, thought the chanceof robbing them too good to miss.

Demands for money were met at first with acommand to “clear off,” but the roughs, confidentin their superior numbers, merely laughed andthreatened terrible violence if their demands were notconceded; so threatening, in fact, did they becomethat the guide of the party begged his companions tohand over some of their loose cash to pacify theassailants. They were in at tight place, and resist-ance was useless. The people of the neighbourhoodbore a dangerous character, and soon they might findthemselves in an even worse position.

Foremost amongst the roughs was a little, badly-deformed man, who, in a torrent of foul and violentlanguage, kept urging his companions not to wastetime, but if what they asked for was not given, togo in and take it at once. One of the Americanparty happened to be a young fellow of some athleticprowess, a keen Rugby footballer, good boxer, fencer,and all-round man generally. Until now he had saidnothing; but when the guide advised submission, hewalked boldly towards the roughs and, taking thehunchback by the collar, loudly commanded him tobe off; he, the gentleman, could not think of layinghis hands upon one so obviously inferior in physiqueto himself, but if the biggest of the roughs wouldcome forward he could be accommodated with thebest thrashing he had ever had in his life.

The challenge, given with the greatest coolness and

Self=Defence. 85

confidence, staggered the roughs. They were amazed.Then, perhaps realising that they had not so soft ajob in front of them as they had imagined, theirfeelings underwent a great change. Bursting intoloud cheers, they declared the affair was all a joke,and insisted upon sending forthwith for sundry potsof beer, in which to drink the healths of thechallenger and his friends.

A good knowledge of boxing, of wrestling, or offencing is of inestimable use to a man in any chanceencounter. It will invariably give him the advan-tage over a single opponent, even if the latter be muchbigger and stronger than himself, and will evenenable one successfully to contend against several;for, if one assailant be badly hurt, knocked sense-less by a well-directed blow on the point of the jaw,or thrown hard on the pavement by a clever stroke,the moral effect on his companions is immense. Thismoral effect is a point which must not be overlooked :it is not always the actual damage inflicted whichmakes the greatest impression; it is the instillinginto the minds of one’s opponents a disagreeable fearof what you may do to them which is to be reckonedon.

For any man, however, to become an expert boxer,wrestler, or fencer, much time spent in practice isrequired, and some men have neither the time northe inclination for the acquirement of thenecessary knowledge on the chance that one dayit may be of use to them; but it will notbe difficult for any man to acquire certain easily-learnt tricks of which he may make formidableuse should occasion require it. Fig. 50 is an interest-ing example of one such trick. The illustrationclearly explains what takes place; one has only to

86 Simple Tricks of

bear in mind that the palm must be kept uppermost,and the strongest man would be powerless if so held.This is in effect a Jiu-Jitsu hold, but it was perfectlyfamiliar to athletic persons—and roughs—in thiscountry a century before any Englishman had evenheard of the Japanese art.

Now, I propose giving a few hints on personaldefence by means of certain tricks and chips,gathered from most methods of self-defence—box-ing, wrestling, fencing, &c.—which may be easilylearnt, and the knowledge of which will give a

Fig . 50. An Arm=bre aking Ho ld, simple but effe ct ive . Thedownward pre ss ure of the right hand will snap theelbo w=jo int.

Self=Defence. 87

person the power of successfully defending himselfagainst anyone who attacks him either for hisproperty or with that wanton savagery which dis-tinguishes the ruffian of to-day. Of the efficacy ofthese chips there is no doubt. Long acquaintancewith most antagonistic exercises has proved theirvalue, and although therein they are not used withthe idea of inflicting actual bodily injury, theirexecution may be carried so far that such will result;and I surmise that when attacked and compelled todefend one’s self, any hesitation about injuring theassailant is scarcely likely to be felt.

Of all methods of offence and defence the use ofNature’s weapons, the fists, is the most natural, andthe man skilled in boxing, and who possessesmoderate strength, should be a match for anantagonist stronger, though more ignorant, than him-self. By the man who is not a skilled performer,however, the following points should be borne inmind.

“The best defence is to attack,” and the man whohits first, hits hard, and keeps on hitting, willdemoralise his assailants far more than he who simplydefends himself, with no thought of retaliation.

There are two ways of meeting an enemy, saysSir Francis Drake in “Westward Ho!” “One is tohit him first and say ‘You touch me and I’ll do thatagain’; the other is to wait until he hits you, andthen say, ‘If you do that again I’ll hit you’”; andthe man who is suddenly accosted in a threateningmanner by one or more individuals will do well tobear this advice in mind.

A man can learn to deliver a punishing right handcross-counter at the head (Fig. 51) or a hard drivein the “wind” without becoming an expert boxer,

88 Simple Tricks of

and if either blow be got well home, the recipient willprobably take little interest in things generally—for awhile at least. For the former, the clenched fist—take care how you double your fingers; the thumbshould be well across the fingers, not be vertical—isdriven across to your assailants face, landing, if

possible, on the angle of the jaw under the ear, oron the “point” (a spot located at the bottom of animaginary line drawn downwards from the end of themouth). The right foot should be in the rear whenthe blow is delivered, and, so that all one’s weight maybe behind the blow, a step in advance with the left

Fig . 51 . A Rig ht=hand Cro ss=co unt er at the head—a met hodof def en ce that is within t he s cop e o f a ny nov ice.

Self=Defence. 89

foot should be made, the shoulder being also thrustforward.

For the body blow (Fig. 52), it is well to lead at thehead with the left hand, and directly afterwards tobend the left knee, drop the body, and drive your fist alittle below the breastbone, or into the short (lower)

ribs, bringing your right shoulder forward as before,and getting all your weight behind the blow. Donot forget, moreover, to strike with the big knucklesof the hand., the impact being far greater and theshook more severe than if the knuckles of the fingersbe the striking point.

Fig . 52. A Right =hand Cros s=cou nte r to the Body. The blo wsho uld be stru ck wit h the big knuckle s.

90 Simple Tricks of

If you do use your fists, don’t waste time in hittingat a man’s chest, or lose your head and swing yourarms about; but hit straight and hard, aiming atthose parts where you can inflict the most pain anddamage. This, by the way, is a point on which Imost strongly insist. Your business, if attacked, isto keep yourself from being hurt, and the best wayto do this is to hurt your assailant. There is no needto observe all the niceties of fair play. Your adver-sary is not going to respect those rules, neither needyou; he will use every means known to him to effecthis purpose at the risk of causing you any injury,however severe, so do not debar yourself from the useof any trick or chip because it is unsportsmanlike ornot in the rules of the game. There is no necessityto descend to savage brutality: you can defend your-self and hurt your opponent without that; but inmany cases it is a question of life or death, and—well,your life is of more value to you than his. What-ever you attempt, carry it out with the intention ofdisabling your man; put into it all the “devil” andviciousness you like, and if the victim spend a fewweeks in the hospital, hen will only have himself tothank for it.

If a man rush at you with his head loweredwith the intention of driving it into your stomach,either meet him with an upper cut from yourfist, the elbow being kept down and the clenchedhand driven upwards, so that the big knuckles catchhis face; or as his head nears you, jerk your kneeupwards, and if the blow be well timed, he will besent reeling backwards, stunned and severely hurt.If you are quick, and can see what the man intends,you may also step aside as he nears you, and whenhe passes, catch him behind the ear with your fist.

Self=Defence. 91

A most effectual stroke may be made upon a personwho attacks with a blow at the head with the lefthand (Fig. 53). As his arm shoots forward,bring your left arm across vertically, so thatthe outside of your forearm meets the outside of yourantagonists forearm, then push outward; this man-

œuvre turns your assailant sideways, giving you theopportunity for a punishing right-hand blow at thehead, the temple or behind the ear for choice, or thatterrible stroke—to be delivered with the knuckles ofthe fingers—practised by the professional boxers ofancient Rome, and which falls across the carotid

Fig . 53 . Uno rtho dox but te ll ing Gu ard and ef fe ct iv e Cou nte rto a le ft =hand Blow at the He ad. This is ve ry use fu lwhen emplo ye d aga inst a long =armed oppo ne nt.

92 Simple Tricks of

artery, causing, if properly delivered, unconscious-ness, or even death. ln this connection it is interest-ing to note that the Jiu-Jitsuite will sometimes strikethus, but with the toughened edge of his open hand,to bring about a like result.

A man who makes wild round-arm swingingblows at your head may be severely checked by the

point of your elbow, raised so that it catches himon the inside of his upper arm.

The science of wrestling affords one or two tipswhich are exceedingly useful as at means of defence,and none more so than the throw at both feet (Fig.54), a chip of particular service against an assailantarmed with knife, belt, or bludgeon. Duck down

Fig . 54 . The Thro w at bot h Fe et, a chip of gr ea t se rviceaga inst an arme d assa ilant. The vict im fa lls with gre atfo rce on the back of his head.

Self=Defence. 93

swiftly, the left foot advanced and the knee bentforward over the foot, so as to enable you to getdown sufficiently low to seize the man’s ankles fromthe outside, with your head between his shins; nowpull sharply forward and upward at the same time,pressing your shoulders hard against his legs, andthe man will measure his length on the ground, com-ing down with terrible force, usually on the backof the head, with consequences that may prove seriousif the ground be paved or macadamised. In wrest-ling the feet would only be pulled forward, so as toreduce the force of the fall; but any soft-heartednessof this kind would be misplaced in a case of assaultand intended robbery.

Most men, if suddenly gripped by the throat, willclutch at their assailants wrist in an attempt to dragthe hand away—not an easy thing to do if the manhas a, powerful grip, or has pushed his victim’s headagainst a wall. A tip that never fails, and will causethe brawniest ruffian ever born to release his grip, isto catch the little finger of the hand and force itbackwards. Extremely simple, but nothing moreefficacious. This finger, no matter how firm the grip,holds but very slightly. It is easily secured, and thepain caused by forcing it back is so great that theowner involuntarily relinquishes his hold.

If you are satisfied with merely breaking the hold,well and good. If not, the linger may be forced backso far as to break like a match; or, having securedpossession of the hand, you may hold it tightly, turnyourself under the arm captured—between it and thebody, that is—thus twisting the arm quite round, thepain causing the victim to bend quite double. Youhave now a commanding hold; you can break thearm as easily as a rotten stick; the 1nan cannot release

94 Simple Tricks of

himself, and if he attempt to kick, a twist of his armwill quickly subdue him, and you can either holdhim thus until help arrives or push him beforeyou while searching for a policeman.

A police whistle, by the way, is a very handyinstrument, particularly if an affray take place in a

town, where there is reasonable hope that it will beheard by some guardian of the peace, and bring hishelp.

A most punishing hold to get on a man is obtainedby gripping, say, his left wrist with your left hand(Fig. 55). Keep his palm uppermost, take one step

Fig . 55. A most punishing Ho ld, fro m which it is impo ssibl eto esc ape . If an att ac k were made with the as saila nt’ srig ht hand, his elb ow =joint co ul d b e s nappe d.

Self=Defence. 95

forward with your right foot, turn your right sidein to your opponent, bringing his captured arm underyour right arm (that is, your right arm is thrown overhis left), and drawing it toward you. Your rightforearm is then passed under his left arm near theelbow, and the hand placed on your left forearm.The man is now fixed; his arm is held in a lockfrom which it is impossible to release it; your armpassing under his, and sustained by the hand beingon your other arm, forms a fulcrum for most powerfulleverage, quite sufficient to snap the elbow-joint,which you may carry out should he attempt to strikewith his free hand.

The operation seems a very complicated one; butreference to the illustration (Fig. 55) clearly showshow it is performed, and after a few trials you willfind that the lock can be made with great quicknessand neatness. It is a trick greatly used by Tani, theJapanese wrestler; but it was known in this countrymany years before anything was known in Englandof Jiu-Jitsu.

If a man in attacking you step forward with, say,his left foot, and you are able to seize his left wrist,you may throw him to the ground easily by strikingat the outside of his left ankle with the inner edgeof your right foot, at the same time pulling his handforward and downward—a wrestling chip known asthe “outside stroke.”

If you can get the shoulder twist on a man he willbe practically powerless. The chip is not difficult,and is made by gripping his right wrist with yourleft hand, holding the elbow with your right andstepping forward to twist his arm up his back.

Should you be seized around the waist from thefront, you may, if your arms be free, release yourself

96 Simple Tricks of

by thrusting your right forearm across the aggressor’sthroat, with the hand gripping his right shoulder;the left arm is passed around the back ofhis head, the hand taking hold of the right forearm.You now have the “strangle-hold” fixed, and canthrottle your assailant should he not let go. Or seizehis chin with your left hand, the back of his headwith your right, and twist his head forcibly to hisright. He won’t retain his hold for long.

If clipped around the body from behind, and thearms secured, don’t let your weight fall backwards;but bend the knees, lean forward, turn out the elbows,and endeavour to seize your opponent by the coatlapels and throw him clean over your head; a violentstamp upon the instep of one of his feet, causinghim to draw them backward, will assist you in thisoperation.

Kicking is one of the favourite tricks of the mid-night assailant, although usually made use of whenthe victim is on the ground; but the running kickat the belly, so dangerous in its effects, in which thesegentry sometimes indulge, may be most effectivelystopped—if you know how: if you do not, it isdifficult to avoid.

As the kick is delivered—you must be quick withyour counter—raise the right knee and bring the legacross, so that the heel is on the outside of the otherleg; then, when the kicker’s leg meets yours, hisshin—bone at its weakest part—just above the ankle—will meet yours at its strongest, the probable resultbeing that his leg will be broken. A direct kick atthe shins may be countered by raising one foot—the right to meet a right foot kick, and the left tomeet a left kick—and thrusting it somewhat forwardsome ten or twelve inches from the ground. The

Self=Defence. 97

contact of the shin-bone with the edge of your bootwill cause the kicker considerable pain. Such moves asthese might not be of much use against a Parisianrough, who is usually acquainted with the mysteriesof la savate, but will be exceedingly useful whenattacked by his English counterpart.

The position known as the head-in-chancery is amost disagreeable one in which to be caught, and it isalmost impossible to free one’s self if one be unac-quainted with the trick of raising the hand—the rightone if the head be under an opponent’s left arm—behind the other man’s back, and placing it acrosshis forehead. The head is now pulled back, and theman may be dragged backwards to the ground; therelease from this truly paralysing hold is instan-taneous.

Self-defence with an ordinary walking-stick orumbrella may be carried to a pitch undreamt of bythe ordinary man; but it is not necessary to use theweapon with the skill of M. Vigny to discomfit achance assailant. To use a stick as he doesrequires long training and assiduous practice. It isimpossible to convey on paper any idea of the mar-vellous system of strokes and parries this master hasevolved. Against one skilled in his system half adozen assailants would be powerless, so irrepressiblyeffective is the use he teaches of an ordinary thickMalacca cane. Standing on guard with the feet in aline, he grasps his stick with a hand at either end,his arms being hold above his head. Whether theblow will come from the right or left depends alto-gether upon the attack he intends. The side of the head,elbow, throat, and knee are the usual points of attack,though perhaps his most effective stroke is a terribleupward slash at the inside of the legs. Extraordinary

H

98 Simple Tricks of

quickness, the continual changing of the weaponfrom one hand to another, and constant attack, arethe chief points of his system of stick defence. Thereare, however, several uses to which one can put astick and that will prove most effective. An expert

fencer, for instance, armed with a light, stiff walking-stick would be able to keep at bay one or two ruffians,and if the stick happened to possess a sharp ironferrule, to injure them seriously if they persisted intheir attack. The point would be at their eyes,mouths, or throats every time they tried to reach

Fig . 56 . A Kno ck=ou t Blo w with a stick we ll pla ce d on theside o f the h ead and nea r the bas e of the skull .

Self=Defence. 99

him—a fact which was most successfully demon-strated by a friend of mine who happened to be anexpert with the rapier.

Should your weapon be only a thin flexible cane,the most you can do is to inflict such actual painon your assailant that he will be prevented fromcontinuing his assault. It is useless to strike wildlyat his body, arms, shoulders, or head; but strike atthe thigh, where a sharp cut will cause the mostintense pain, or at the face, where at blow across theeyes may temporarily disable him.

With a stout, heavy stick the blows should bedirected to vulnerable spots, or those where the bonesare least protected by at covering of fat or muscle,such as the temple, the jaw, the wrist, the elbow, orthe knee. If the stick be not perfectly circular—that is, if a section be elliptical in shape—you willhave a sort of edge with which you may deliver aterrible blow. One blow from such a stick well placedtowards the side of the head (Fig. 56), and near tothe base of the skull, will be sufficient; the recipientwill require no more for the time being.

A short, loaded stick should always be used againstthe projecting bones, as a heavy blow will smash thebone; but a stiff, knobby stick, with a good ferrule,can also be used to thrust with good effect. If yourassailant get too close for you to strike with effect,hold the stick with both hands a short distance fromthe ends, and drive the ferrule hard into the man’sstomach or “mark” (Fig. 57). The motion may bereversed if you are surrounded.

The best stick you can have is one possessingextreme toughness and strength, with pliability: onethat will not bend too much, will not snap if a trans-vorsc strain be suddenly laid upon it, as in a down-

H 2

100 Simple Tricks of

ward blow, one that will not easily splinter, and isnot too heavy to use with the greatest quickness. Agood Irish blackthorn—Paddy’s shillalah—is per-haps the ideal stick, and the work it will do in thehands of a, desperate man familiar with its use isremarkable. Oak, ash, and hazel also make service-

able walking—sticks with which a handy man can doa lot of mischief; but they are not the equal of theblackthorn.

Bear in mind, if attacked by a ruffian armed alsowith a stick, to hold your own weapon nearly one-third of its length from the ferrule; the lower por-tion serves as an excellent guard to your arm and

Fig . 57 . Thrust at the Body with a Stick. If delive re d onthe rig ht sp ot this w ill paral yse a n anta go nist .

Self=Defence. 101

elbow. Also do not forget that an upward blow maybe made just as dangerous as a swinging downrightstroke, and is not so easily guarded. Once more Iwill remind my readers not to neglect that paralysingdrive at the “mark,” which, delivered with someforce, is even more effective than a similar blow withthe fist.

Examples are not wanting of the deadly effect withwhich an umbrella may be wielded, and many an eyehas been blinded by the accidental or intentional useof the homely “gamp.” Umbrellas are now usuallymade with somewhat slender handles, so that a thrustat long range may cause the shaft to snap; butgripped with both hands—the right a few inches fromthe handle, and the left a foot from the ferrule, andused in a similar manner to the rifle and bayonet—tremendous execution can be done at close quarterson your assailants’ ribs and faces. An upward produnder the chin or in the throat with the sharp ferrulewill hurt a man considerably, and when you do “getone in,” and your assailant steps back, if you stepquickly in with your right foot, raising your rightarm, the handle may be dashed with great force at hishead.

Never strike a downright blow with an umbrella:the stick will probably break, and the thick silk willprevent any real damage from being done. At thesame time it is an excellent defensive weapon for thesame reason. An umbrella with a hooked handlemay be used most effectively (Fig. 58), the hook beingused to catch an assailant suddenly by the neck, thusdragging him on his face; or, if it be fixed aroundthe ankle, it is no difficult matter to send a personheadlong to the ground. with very great force.

In conclusion, let me say that though it is

102 Simple Tricks of

impossible to guard against every contingency thatmay arise, the knowledge. of how to set about anassailant in a manner calculated to disable him inthe shortest possible time will give you a more thaneven chance of coming out on top. One may besurrounded, taken unawares, but if not disabledimmediately one may, given the knowledge and the

necessary presence of mind, be enabled, even thoughthrown to the ground, to offer so effective a resistancethat one’s assaulters will be glad to retreat. Alwaysget in the first blow, and see that it is an effectiveone. Remember that “the best defence is toattack.” Make up your mind what you are goingto do, and do it at once. Do not lose your head;

Fig . 58 . Effe ct ive use of a Hoo k=handled Embrel la, catc hingthe assa ilant by the neck and dragg ing him to hisfac e.

Self=Defence. 103

and should your assailants be armed with belts orlong sticks get to close quarters, and hit with yourfists, low down, and with your elbows inside, anduse the throw at both feet (Fig. 54) immediately theopportunity occurs. This move accomplished, as itshould be, like lightning, will demoralise the remain-ing assailants. Don’t go about the streets in ahalf—asleep condition; if in a neighbourhood wheretrouble may arise keep your ears and eyes open andyour hands out of your pockets. And when passingalong a dark or narrow thoroughfare walk in themiddle of the road.

INDEX. –––––––

A.

Achilles tendon, pressure on, 39Advantages of Jiu-Jitsu, 3Advertisements of Jiu-Jitsu

training, caution regard-ing, 61, 81

American wrestlers, 6Ankle hold, 46

throw for ladies, 73, 74Apollo, 2Arm hold, half-nelson, and cross

buttock, 10, 11hold, half-nelson, and knee

stroke, 12hold for ladies, 65-73nerve-centres on, 18throw, 40, 41throw, ground-lock to follow,

53, 54twist, severe, 34-37twist, simple, 33Arm-and-coat hold, 23Arm-and-collar holds, 7, 8, 13,

14, 20, 25holds, ground-locks to fol-low, 47, 48, 51, 52

Arm-breaking hold, simple, 85,86

Armed assailant, tackling, 20,32, 73, 92, 100, 103

Attack the best method of de-fence, 87, 102

B.

Back-he¤el, 13, 14, 49ground-lock to follow, 49 50

Balance, proper command of, 52

Barton-Wright, Mr., introducerof Jiu-Jitsu, 2, 77

Blackthorn, 100Body, cross-counter at, 89

hold, release from, 15, 17,95, 96

Body-thrust with stick, 100Boxing compared with Jiu-Jitsu,

2-5knowledge of, useful, 85, S7

Brutality v. sport, 40, 90Butt in the stomach, meeting.

22, 90

C.

Cane or stick, striking with, 81,97-102

M. Vigny’·s systlem of de-fence with, 97

thin, striking with, 99Carotid artery, pressure on, 29,

32, 91Chancery hold, front, 22Chancery, release of head in, 97“Chopper,” dealing with, 13Clenching list, method of, 88Coat-and-arm hold, 23Collar holds, 29, 31

holds, Japanese use of, 29Collar-and-arm holds, 7, 8, 13,

14, 20, 25holds, ground-locks to fol-

low, 47, 48, 51, 52Cornish flying mane, 40, 41Courage, effects of, 83Cross-buttock, 10, 11Cross-collar hold, 30, 31

hold, ground-lock to follow,55-59

106 Index.

Cross-counter at the body, 89at the head, 87, 88

Cudgel play, 2Cumberland hank, 26

D.

Defence, attack the best methodof, 87, 102

simple tricks of, 81Devon flying mare, 40, 41Double-Leg lock, 46, 47Double nelson, 6

E.

Elbow-and-wrist holds for ladies,65, 66, 69

Essentials of Jiu-Jitsu, 5, 73Exaggerated ideas regarding

Jiu-Jitsu, 5, 63

F.

Falling to the ground, art of, 44expediency of, 43

Feet, throw at both, 92Fencing, knowledge of, useful,

85, 98Finger, forcing back little, 93Fist, method of clenching and

using, S8, 90Flying mare, 40, 41Foot lock for ladies, 75, 77

or shoulder twist, 6Foot-and-Leg lock, 37, 40

lock on the ground, 45, 46Force v. judgment, 62, 71, 79Forward throw, ground-look to

follow, 47, 48Front chancery hold, 22

G.

Grapevine or hank, 26Ground-locks, 43

H.

Hackenschmidt, 3Half-nelson, 10, ll

Hammer lock, 6Hand, nerve-centres in, 17, 18

striking with edge of, 92Hang, the, 6Hank, 25, 26

ground-lock to follow, 52, 53Head, counter to blow at, 91Head, cross-counter at, 87, 88Head hold (front chancery hold),

22in chancery, release of, 97knock-out blow with stick

on, 98lock for ladies, 79twist, 15, 16, 96

Home practice for ladies, 64

I.

Introduction of Jiu-Jitsu intoEngland, 1

J.

Japanese exponents of Jiu-Jitsu,2, 3, 29, 45, 53

Jiu-Jitsu as a means of self-defence, 1, 43, 60

compared with boxing, lasavate, &c., 2

for ladies, 60Joints, movements of, 5Judgment v. force, 62, 71, 79

K.

Kick, counterstroke to, 37-40preventing, 37, 96running, 96

Kidney punch, 37Knee jolt, 12

striking, with stick, 82stroke, 12stroke to meet “butter,” 90throw and wrist hold for

ladies, 77, 78Knock-out blow with stick, 98,

99Knuckles, striking with, 89, 90

Index. 107

L.

Ladies’ costume, 65Ladies, Jiu-Jitsu for, 60Lancashire wrestlers, 6Left-hand blow at the head,

counter to, 91Leg lock, 25

look, double, 46, 47nerve-centres on, 18stroke, 13, 14stroke, ground-lock to fol-

low, 49, 50Leg-and-foot lock, 37-40

lock on the ground, 45, 46Limitations of Jiu-Jitsu, 3, 5,

61, 63, 73Loaded stick, 99

M.

“Mark,” the, 19, 100, 101Moral effect of a well-placed

blow or stroke, 85Myaki, 3

N.

Native exponents of Jiu—Jitsu,2, 3, 29, 45, 53

Neck, arm - and - collar holdacross, 20

Nerve-centres, effects of pres-sure on, 16

location of, 17, 18Nose, nerve-centre on, 16, 18, 19

O.

Outside stroke, 95stroke, ground-locks to fol-

low, 48, 49, 52

P.

“Point,” the, 88Police whistle, 94Prompt action, importance of,

62, 73, 103

Q.Quickness essential to self-de-

fence, 62, 73, 103R.

Right-hand cross-counter at thehead, 87, 88

cross-counter at the body, 89*Running kick, 96

S.Savate, la., 2, 97Schools of Jiu-Jitsu, 61, 64, 81Self-defence, Jiu-Jitsu as a

method of, 2, 43simple tricks of, 81

Shillalah, 2, 100Shins, meeting kick at, 96Shoulder twist, 95

or foot twist, 6Simple tricks of self-defence, 81Simplicity of Jiu-Jitsu, 6“Slumming,” dangers of, 83Somersault throw, 55-59Sport v. brutality, 40, 90Stick, body-thrust with, 100

choice of, for self-defence,100

defence with, 81knock-out blow with, 98, 99loaded, 100M. Vigny’s system of de-

fence with, 97method of holding, 100with hooked handle, 101, 102

Stomach, meeting butt in, 22, 90Strangle hold, 96Strangulation, 30Striking with 2, stick, 81, 97-102

with the fist, 88-90Swinging blows, checking, 92

T.Tani, 2, 3, 29, 95Throw at both feet, 92Thumb of clenched fist, 88

twist, 26, 27twist, finish to, 28

Tricks of self-defence, simple, 81

108 Index.

U.

Umbrella, self-defence with, 101with hooked handle, use cf,

101, 102Uyenishi, 2

V.

Vigny (M. Pierre), 2system of defence with stick,

97

W.

Waist held, release from, 15, 17,95, 96

`Walking-stick, choice of, 100defence with, 81, 83method of holding, 100M. Vigny’s system cf defence

with, 97

Westmorland hank, 26Whistle, police, 94“Wind,” drive in the, 87Women, Jiu-Jitsu for, 60Women’s costume, 65Wrestling, knowledge of, use-

ful, 85Wright, Mr. Barton, introducer

of Jiu-Jitsu, 2, 77Wrist grip, 94, 95

hold and knee throw forladies, 77, 78

lock, 6, 7lock. lady’s release from,

70, 71Wrist-and-collar hold, ground-

lock to follow, 50, 51Wrist-and-elbow holds for ladies,

65, 66, 69Wrist-bone, striking, with

stick, 82, 83