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Bulletin no 14 September 2005 The Bulletin - Editor’s comment In this edition - We begin a series on Sexual Discrimination and harassment in Judo from the early days of women first entering the world of Martial Arts in the west, to the present day. We begin with a serialised article by Hervé Lemarechal which has been translated from the original French. Hervé has been studying the history of Women in Judo for several years, he is a senior French Police officer and practising Judoka.Coming up - Do you have an opinion on the style of Gleeson? Discussion of the controversy begins next issue. Please send in contributions.News - The Kano Society are holding another Kata course this autumn and we will be having a newaza course and film show later. Please look at the web site for details and for further information. Regards Diana Birch |
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Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in Judo Herve Lemarechal
Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in Judo (from its initiation up to 1960) The process of emancipation of women has, at least in the West, reached maturity. This process has encompassed several aspects – equality in political rights; access to the work place; exercise of electoral rights; freedom over one’s body in terms of fertility control, sexuality, choice of dress and involvement in sport. |
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Up until the fifties, the social role of women was essentially to keep in her place as child bearer and carer of children. As the Germans say ‘The three Ks’ (Kinder, Kuche, Kirche – Children, Cooking, Church). The woman was above all mother. The only contraception allowed was ‘natural’. It was thus out of the question for a woman to show her body, to undress; the female body was protected from masculine desire by rules of modesty and morality. |
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The gradual conquest of rights over ones own body was a significant aspect of female emancipation. Sport could compromise health and the reproductive functions – a sportive female could in theory produce abnormal children or maybe not produce any at all. It should not come as a surprise therefore that the practice of sport was exclusively reserved for men – all activities of this nature being perceived as indecent or even immoral or dangerous for females. Thus with the turn of the twentieth century, female sport progressively made its appearance. Slowly but surely, women started to ride bicycles, play tennis, swim. These women, few in number initially, were constrained in their practice of sport by strict social codes, discretion, modest clothing, their clothes in fact were not supposed to reveal even a modicum of their anatomy |
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Progress was made by women from the best strata of society, with free time on their hands and no financial problems and few qualms regarding their adherence to strict social norms The development of Female Judo in the West It was not expected that females would involve themselves in a combat sport – a type of activity very much reserved for males. At the end of the 19 century jujitsu enjoyed a veritable boom in the west, in particular in certain anglo saxon communities. The first Jujitsu club opened in London (the famous Budokwai) and in the USA due to the relations existing between Japan and these two countries. The rapid success of jujitsu can be explained by newspaper reports of the Russian Japanese conflict (1904 – 1905) in which the Japanese soldiers did not hesitate in victoriously confronting their enemy in hand to hand battle. The prospect of being able to vanquish an enemy with secret techniques of superior efficiency could not fail to seduce and entertain the gentlemen of London and American society. The same fascination for Jujitsu was found in France but essentially for military reasons it seems. . But whilst in Paris Jujitsu remained a uniquely male activity, this was not the case on the other side of the channel. The Anglo-Saxon culture being more tolerant of individual behaviour than Latin culture, adapted easily to the female practice of combat sports. Two types of women involved themselves in Jujitsu. Upper class women for whom Jujitsu was a pastime, a way of standing out, to make a statement about oneself, something that they could involve themselves in with a certain element of elitism.
Women of a more humble background who were motivated by political ideals. This was promoted particularly by the first London suffragettes whose meetings were regularly disrupted by the police. Some of them would not hesitate in putting forward a veritable female commando charged with defending their militants, thanks to lessons provided by Mrs Garrud, probably the very first teacher of Jujitsu in the west. The London police lacked confidence in having to confront them. However social constraints still weighed heavily and females practised JuJitsu in everyday clothes. The Judogi dress was not for them.
Women at the Budokwai |
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It seems that Jujitsu a particularly exacting discipline fell into disuse in the west. The fashion passed. Slowly but surely, judo, which appeared at the end of the 19 century began a definitive take over.
12 – PreWar 1939-1945 and during the war. In the years preceding the Second World War, here and there, one comes across women who devoted themselves to the pratcise of judo, but in reality they are very few. In France for example, some young women joined the first French Judo club, founded by Kawaishi, himself from the Budokwai. He gathered students including the famous atomic scientist F Joliot-Curie. A filmed newsreel report gave publicity to the occasion of the visit of the Japanese ambassador Shigimura. In Germany and in Italy, at that time under fascist dictator rule, it was out of the question for females to practice Judo since the women were intent on maternal roles, dictators have always followed the politics of encouraging births. Thus according to Joseph Svinth one can only trace about thirty German female Judoka . In Austria a certain Gerda Frost seems to have been authorised to teach Judo between the wars. |
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It was in Great Britain and in the USA that the greatest number of female Judoka are noted. In London, according to Svinth, a handful of women, amongst whom Dame Edith Russel-Smith practiced judo at the Budokwai. She gained her black belt before the war. In certain large USA cities, female judo seems to have been much more widely practiced. In every case, it was adult females, never children. The courses were stricltly female and the students (at last) wore Judogi like the males. However female judo remained a curiosity. The emphasis was on the beauty of movement, the aesthetics, the practice of the katas. One should not put up any resistance or consider any defence. The practice of Judo should not in any way harm or injure the exponents. Female judo was more like a ballet than a combat sport.
During the Second World War, the practice of female judo assumed increased importance due to the military influence. In the USA in particular, the women involved (WACs, WAVES) often received an introduction to judo aimed at improving their physical condition and their endurance. In France, under the fascist Vichy regime, females police auxillaries received a self defence training derived from Judo.
Miss Watts throws Yukio Tani with Haraigoshi 13 – The very first female judokas.
Very early on a female course opened at the Budokwai. It ignored all the teaching principles in use by instructors in relation to their female students. Gradually in Europe, USA and in France Judo courses were opened to females. Here are some examples of female judokas who practiced judo seriously from the beginning.
Sarah Mayer – from high society (upper class) Budokwai member, studied with G Koizumi, then in Japan as part of her travels in the far east when she travelled alone, an emancipated woman, she practised judo very seriously and achieved her black belt before returning to her country where she continued to practise. Miss Sarah Mayer appears to have been the very first westerner to have achieved a certain level in judo. Miss WADSWORTH from the USA; Miss Helen WATTS; Miss Ruth B GARDNER; and many others who remain nameless. |
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14. Female Judo begins to spread From 1950 onwards female judo began to increase slowly but surely. A valuable historical source is provided by the international Judo annual established by Henri Plee. In France Female judoka numbered 130 out of a total of 7542 in other words 1.72%! In Belgium we see around 20 young women in Brussells receiving special courses.
They consisted of mainly adults, sometimes young women, children’s judo remained unusual as this activity was believed to be too dangerous. But whilst JuJitsu was the province of women of the upper classes, judo attracted women of more modest means, students, secretaries, social workers, high school students etc |
The sisters A and C du Plat practising Judo at the Anglo-Japanese Judo Club Strathmore Gardens London 1936 |
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In Paris a national female championship was organised in May 1950 on the fringe of the National championships. Refereed by Kawaishi in person, it was open to women from orange belt. The names of twenty participants are recorded. This tournament left the audience perplexed and was not repeated. Whilst being very much a minority activity, female judo began to be talked about. A little all over the press reports sprang up on the subject. |
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Two German Women training in Judo in Germany under the Nazi Era |
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Judo was presented as an activity with a disarming level of ease and effectiveness. The women brought publicity to Judo despite themselves. An obsession with judo began to grow in female circles. The gradually liberalisation of society, the right to vote, the post war thirst for living, the development of fashion styles (shorter skirts), came together to orientate women towards liberating activities including sport. |
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The first black belt was awarded to a woman Mme Levannier in 1951. By July 1965 there were 50 French Black belts. Female clubs began to appear. Also in Paris Mme Levannier, first female black belt, opened a female course in 1956 which numbered fourty participants including three black belts.
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French actress Brigitte AUBER (brown belt), PARIS 1956 |
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Judo grew amongst actresses and comediennes. Judo became a vehicle for comediennes to stand out and be written about in the newspapers. French actress Brigitte AUBER (brown belt), PARIS 1956 British actress Honor BLACKMAN (“James Bond girl”) With the general advancement of female judo we begin to see the first signs of sexual discrimination some of which persist today. (to be continued) |
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