"Girls Get Rough" Women's Self-Defense in the United States During World War II
Publication Date
5-1-2025
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Pacific Historical Review
Volume
94
Issue
2
DOI
10.1525/phr.2025.94.2.117
First Page
117
Last Page
137
Abstract
World War II challenged traditional gender norms as women increasingly took on responsibilities on the home front and in the defense industry that had been formerly reserved for men. The war also fueled a renewed interest in women's self-defense. Justified in nationalistic and militaristic terms,women's self-defense trainingwas depicted as a necessary national defense measure. Racialized and gendered constructions of the potential perpetrator, the self-defense instructor, and the practitioner of self-defense were also impacted by the war. Yet, the long-term repercussions of this wartime interest in women's self-defense were far less permanent and muchmore nuanced.
Keywords
jiu-jitsu, judo, martial arts, self-defense, women, World War II
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Wendy L. Rouse. ""Girls Get Rough" Women's Self-Defense in the United States During World War II" Pacific Historical Review (2025): 117-137. https://doi.org/10.1525/phr.2025.94.2.117
