The women’s movement into the 1900s sought equal opportunity for the sexes. Our guest argues the same values that earned women the right to vote motivated them to develop self-defense skills.
Wendy Rouse's new book is called Her Own Hero, and it brings the reader through women's self-defense in the Progressive Era. Rouse says women who entered martial arts often for physical activity became crusaders for their own rights. She says they revealed violence against women that society refused to acknowledge. Rouse says women found empowerment in fighting gender expectations and discovered their own power.
Rouse says those themes hold true today. She encourages people interested to consider Empowerment Self-Defense. She says certified instructors are listed on the National Women's Martial Arts Federation website.
Have you taken a self-defense class? What do you think about the movement? Contact us on twitter @JoyCardinShow or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theideasnetwork/.