Jiujitsufragistas: Las Amazonas de Londres

by Clément Xavier, Lisa Lugrin, Albertine Ralenti

In the early 20th century, women in England were demanding the right to vote―and often faced violent retaliation. Rather than back down, suffragist group the Women's Social and Political Union formed an all-women security unit. Activist leader Emmeline Pankhurst asked Edith Garrud to train them. These "jujitsuffragettes" fought against abuse and arrest while pursuing long overdue rights. Edith Garrud was a pioneering instructor of women's self-defense and a pivotal figure in British women’s suffrage. This graphic retelling of Garrud's life reveals the resilience and (sometimes physical) resistance of her era's voting-rights activists.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Bande Dessinée, Historical, Comics, Biography

136 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2023

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the women's suffrage movement (WSM) in England is is faced with police brutality at protests they turn to Edith Garrud to teach membes of a bodyguard unit self defense lessons. For many of the women it is a revelation; abusive husbands soon learn that the 'litte lady' is not their personal punching bag after a night of drinking anymore. A very interesting GN about a little known aspect of the WSM.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Garrud and her husband William oversee a dojo where they teach Jujitsu. Jujitsu is a martial art that utilizes an opponent’s weaknesses against them. Edith organized a group of suffragettes who were trained in jujitsu to be the Bodyguard unit for the leader of the WAPU, Emmaline Pankhurst.
This graphic novel shows the injustice and indifference shown to women in England at the dawn of the 20th century. Women were not considered citizens, they were judged in court by a jury of men.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via a Librarything giveaway.

The Bodyguard Unit retells the little-known story Edith Garrud who trained Suffragettes in jiu-jitsu (suffrajitsu). These women were bodyguards for the Pankhursts. This graphic novel isn’t a full blown biography of Garrud; it focuses on her training the women and her interaction with the suffragettes as well as her taking up what today we would call women’s issues.

The story does not just focus on Edith Garrud but also her husband, who while supportive to a very large degree (they, in fact, run a dojo together) also has to learn to deal with his viewpoint on certain issues. In fact, the most powerful section of the book is the trial that the Garruds most face because one of the woman students used her skills to defend herself from the abuse of her husband.

It isn’t all serious issues, though. There are several humorous touches and the loving nature of the Garruds relationship is shown not only though the writing but the artwork. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the style of illustration, but the style truly does match the story. It is a good wedding.

The fact that actually photos and in on case stills from a moving picture are woven into the illustrations was also a nice touch and reminds the reader that the story is in fact true. This is especially true with the film stills considering not only its relevance to the trial, but also abusive relationships.

Additionally, the fact that a short graphic novel also conveys the tensions between the Pankhurst women in terms of not only women’s voting rights but larger class issues (as well as WWI) was additionally a good touch. It is amazing that in such a small space the creators will able to pack so much in but also to pack it in well. This is a nice addition to the work of Tony Wolf who has also dealt with this story via graphic novel format.

[Marta Cava]

Molt molt interessant com les sufragistes angleses van aprendre defensa personal per evitar la repressió cap a la seva lluita

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bien apprécié le récit, les nuances, les insertions historiques d'images, photos et illustrations. J'ai aussi adoré l'ajout de réflexions plus contemporaines dans la postface sur la continuation des violences policières.

[Ligaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha estado muy bien, me ha parecido muy interesante y me ha dejado con ganas de leer más sobre el tema el final
Los dibujos geniales, el mostrar como era la época de 10

[Guillaume Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très bon!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

How familiar are you with the suffragist movement in Great Britain? If you are at all familiar, you would know how Emmeline Pankurst was, and the fights for women’s voting rights that often got violent.

I had studied this movement, in this time period, for a historical novel I wanted to write, but I never knew, or read about what this graphic novel talks about, how women learned Jujitsu to defend themselves when they were not out into the world to protest. This allowed them to get away from the police, as well as to defend themselves when they were beaten or attacked for protesting.

Women were allowed to learn Jujitsu, not because people thought it was ok for women to learn to defend themselves, but because it came for Asia, and thus was inferior, and not a threat to the average British man.

Edith Garrud was the woman who trained them, a very small five foot woman, but knowing jujitsu allowed her to topple police that were far larger then her.

As with any historical novel, I love how this teaches me about a time, though fictionalized, to things that I never knew happened.

Also like how photos from local papers from the time made it into the book to show how the papers view these women.

Thanks to Netgalleky for making this book available for an honest review. The book is being published August 1st from Graphic Universe.

[mary rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is not a title i would have chosen for myself, solely because i don’t often explore nonfiction graphic novels, but i think i may have to make more of an effort to do so. this was a short read with a simple plot that incorporated historical documents and media in a really interesting and fun way. the art style was also very charming, and the translation was really smooth and easy to read. my sole complaint is that edith’s relationship with her husband feels a bit inconsistent, or maybe their conflicts were less dramatic than they appeared to me while i was reading? either way, that threw me a bit, and i was glad to see them reconcile and work together by the novel’s end. i’m obviously no expert, but my own experience tells me that young readers go absolutely nuts for graphic novels right now, so i wouldn’t be surprised to see more supply in response to the high demand for nonfiction graphic novels. this one is a very good place to start.

this review is also available on instagram here!

[Dustyloup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lu en français. Review in English
Wow, why did I wait so long to read this?! I'm a sucker for nonfiction graphic novels and the French are so good at them! There's the funding and the will to produce intelligent,
well-documented work.

So, if you liked Good night stories for rebel girls or Brazen (Culottées) or if you are interested in any of the following topics, head to your local library or bookstore now!
Violence against women, Women's rights, workers' rights, WWI, self defense, the right to peacefully assemble.

I wish that there were more detail about why Edith and her husband closed their studio in 1925, but I guess there was none available.
I'm glad the story didn't shy away from Emmeline Pankhurst's decision to support the war effort and the split it caused in the suffragist movement and even in her family. If you're interested, read up on the white feather movement.

[Vickyalohomora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tengo que decir que desconocía este lado de la historia y no me esperaba para nada la trama. Me ha encantado tanto a nivel de ilustración como de contenido histórico, y ha llegado a emocionarme varias veces. Es una pena que no sea más conocido, porque desde luego es un trabajazo.

Gracias, Edith Garrud y gracias, “Amazonas”💜

[Chamout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent et très instructif ! J'adore et recommande !

[Ninice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent !

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into a part of history that I'd never heard of before!

[Nicole Darrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story! Suffragettes in England and jujitsu?! Who knew??

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Learner Publishing Group for the arc!!

This book was good and quite educational. I had never heard of jujitsu in the women's suffrage movement, and since I am from the United States, I never heard of any of the European movement. I think this graphic novel does a good job of portraying the history while keeping it entertaining but also real. I loved how real images were sprinkled in. My only critique is the fact it felt rushed or like it moved too fast. I wonder if time stamps could be made clearer throughout.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who says graphic novels are just mindless comic books? Clearly they have never read anything like this! I learned about a facet of the suffrage movement that I didn't know existed! And, the graphic novel was funny, well-written, and inspiring.

[Noémie Luneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le combat des suffragettes via l'histoire d'Edith Garrud, professeur de jiu-jitsu qui leur enseigna l'auto-défense, est très sympa. Ça m'a donné envie d'en savoir plus !

[Elena Mejías Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una novela gráfica sobre cómo las sufragistas en la Inglaterra de 1910 pelearon por hacerse oír y conseguir el voto femenino pada todas. Una novela gráfica de más de 100 páginas que incluye contexto histórico.

Muy recomendada.

Ganadora del premio Château de Cheverny de cómic histórico 2021

[lucciiaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al haber visto ya la película "Las sufragistas", el libro se me hizo bastante predecible, pero eso no quita que me ha gustado bastante.

No conocía a la protagonista Edith, es la primera vez que leo algo sobre ella y su marido. Que es un hombre diferente a la mayoría de aquella época. Hay escenas sobre ellos dos que me parecen súper cute.

El libro, como bien indica el título, es sobre el movimiento de las sufragistas pero con un toque de autodefensa, en este caso: el Jiujitsu.

Aparte, las ilustraciones estuvieron bastante bonitas. Me encantó la del parque o jardín ✨.

En general el libro me entretuvo bastante y es muy fácil y rápido de leer. Además hay diálogos interesantes y divertidos.

[Histoire et fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Les suffragettes, ça vous dit quelque chose ? Il s’agit de ces femmes britanniques qui, au tout début du XXe siècle, militent pour obtenir le droit de vote. Avec leurs longues robes et leurs chapeaux, on les imagine mal pratiquer les arts martiaux… Et pourtant ! La bande dessinée historique Jujitsufragettes dévoile le parcours méconnu d’Edith Garrud et de son mari. Ces professeurs de jujitsu ont aidé les suffragettes à se défendre contre les brutalités policières dans les années 1910. Une histoire de lutte politique violente racontée avec humour et tendresse.

Au siècle dernier, le jujitsu était encore un sport largement confidentiel en Europe. Développé par les samouraïs japonais au XVIIe siècle, il repose sur des techniques de combat qui mettent en avant la souplesse plus que la force. Le jujitsu enseigne comment retourner la force de son adversaire contre lui-même, plutôt que de chercher à lui résister. Cela explique son utilité dans les formations d’autodéfense. Il permet à des personnes dites « faibles » de ne pas se retrouver démunies face à des attaquants plus forts.

En 1899, Edith et William Garrud font partie des premiers professeurs de jujitsu en Europe. Un peu par hasard, Edith rencontre une militante suffragette qui lui propose de former des petits groupes de militantes féministes au jujitsu pour leur permettre de mieux se protéger pendant les manifestations. Un pari osé mais qu’Edith choisit de relever avec le soutien de son mari.

Face à la politique répressive du gouvernement qui emprisonne les suffragettes arrêtées lors de manifestations souvent largement pacifiques, le jujitsu offre un outil inédit de résistance. Elle-même passionnée de wu dao, un sport proche du jujitsu, la dessinatrice Lisa Lugrin a su mettre en image de manière simple et convaincante les principales prises permettant aux femmes de se défendre en cas d’attaques. Si les illustrations ont un petit côté « naïf » qui fait penser aux albums de Tintin, le rythme soutenu du scénario et la qualité des dialogues font de Jujitsufragettes un roman graphique riche et touchant. La première scène, très drôle, met tout de suite dans le bain.

Malgré un ton relativement léger, la dure réalité du combat des suffragettes n’est pas éludée et les tensions internes au mouvement sont intégrées au scénario. Le résultat est un ouvrage à la fois divertissant, informatif et émouvant.

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my favorite thing about books is learning something new and when I saw this graphic novel written about a historical event I was super excited cause I had never heard of the Bodyguard Unit before coming across this book.

This is the story of The Bodyguard Unit, a group of women who learned Jujitsu to help protect themselves and others from the police during the Women's Suffrage movement in England. The group was taught Jujitsu by Edith Garrud who with her husband ran a dojo which welcomed men and women from all walks of life.

What I Loved:
- Dojo, Edith and her husband ran a dojo who welcomed anyone who wanted to learn Jujitsu, this concept was revolutionary for the time and I loved they focused on the two running the business together
- Actual articles/picture, throughout the story the author chose to include actual newspaper clippings and photos from the time period which help strengthen the story for me
- Learning, I don't know a lot about the Women's Suffrage movement and this was a great opportunity for me to learn something unique about the struggle and now I can't wait to start learning even more
- Growth/Understanding, Edith's husband was very against her helping the Suffragettes but through their experiences individually and together he developed a better understanding of the movement and ended up being one of the biggest supports of the Bodyguard Unit

I will be telling anyone who will listen about this book and recommending it to everyone because I think in the time we are currently living everyone should take the time and learn about how the women before us had to fight for basic rights and we need to continue those traditions.

If you like non-fiction, are interested in the Women's Suffrage movement or just learning about a different part of women's history run don't walk to get your hands on this book!

[Susan Beamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a graphic novel every now and then. They are so colorful. This one tells a powerful story without bogging down in dry detail. I think that makes the point of the book more likely to stay with the reader.
In the early 1900s in England women had had enough of waiting for their rights to be recognized and put into law. They were getting violent pushback from the men. Edith Garrud, a student of Jujitsu, a Japanese self defense martial art, taught several of the women suffragettes how to fight. And fight they did, because the men had no intention of allowing women to make decisions for themselves, much less vote. The men used violence against the women, to "put them in their place" and show them how weak they were. As for the Jujitsu, it was developed in Japan, not Britain, therefor it could not be very good.
The women Edith trained formed the backbone of what they called "The Bodyguard Unit". It was the main fighting section of the suffragette protest and parade organization. It was so effective the men took to throwing things at the women instead of attacking them bodily.
Women eventually got the vote and slowly other rights that men took for granted, like owning property and having savings accounts their fathers or husbands couldn't just take. We are still having to watch that men don't try to take those things back.
I won the copy of the book I read for this review on a ShelfAwareness contest from the publisher, Lerner Publishing Group.

[Kim Mento · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I knew nothing about Edith Garrud or the Bodyguard Unit before reading this graphic novel, and now I want to learn more! Edith Garrud (a tiny woman) and her husband were jujutsu instructors in London in the early 1900's. Actually, she was the first female martial arts instructor outside of Asian countries. Although women were banned from participating in combat sports, jujutsu was considered harmless. Edith taught the suffragettes self-defense from the police officers who were mercilessly beating them, and that is where the story begins!

This isn't a one-sided story. It does show the extremists who burned down the country home of the chancellor, and a young teacher does whip Churchill with a riding stick. The brutality of the police officers on the women is also shown.

I loved this story and this book! It is a graphic novel, but occasionally, there are photographs or political cartoons from the time. After reading this book, I looked for the movie that Cecil Armstrong and Edith Garrud made. I also found myself searching for more information about her life. I love books that make you want to learn more!

In our library in the nonfiction graphic biography section.
GN
92
GARRUD

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-balanced presentation of a little bit of the history of the women's suffragist movement in England 1910-1914, from the perspective of the couple - Edith Garrud and her husband - who taught ju-jitsu to the women demonstrating for their equal rights.

Not-too-long-not-too-short, uncluttered, clearly illustrated, captivating, exciting action, excellent (seemingly accurate) period costumes but modern art style.

I especially liked how there were a few times when someone was being humorously misleading for dramatic effect within the story, and we readers were just expected to understand the double-message; respecting the reader, not over-explaining, using humor and contrast.

There were also several places where people struggled with nuance and competing values - either within themselves or among their collaborators or family members. This is so hard for people in real life. I liked how it was included (not smoothed over) but also left a bit open for differing conclusions to be drawn.

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you willing to fight for what you believe in?

The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women's Suffrage, and Jujitsu by Clément Xavier is a historical graphic novel about the pre World War I suffragette movement in the UK.

The book follows Edith Garrud, a young woman who taught jujitsu in London, one of the first female martial arts instructors in the west.

Follow her path as she gets involved with the women’s suffrage movement. Eventually as police violence escalates, she begins teaching some of the other members of the movement, leading to “Suffrajitsu” which is just a wonderful term.

The book features several notable events from the 1910s, including a prominent role by suffragette Emmine Pankhurst and noting various political actions that occurred, including what could be described as the first women’s self defense video.

Standing up for your rights and defending yourself when confronted by violence is only natural…and this was an interesting historical anecdote that I rather enjoyed.

[Swampscott Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bodyguard Unit, by Clement Xavier and Lisa Lugrin presents an interesting and accurate view of the English suffragettes and their struggle for voting rights.Translated from French, it is organized in the style of a graphic novel, and describes how jiu jitsu was used by some suffragettes for self defense. I thought that the development of the main character, Edith, was good and that she was definitely a protagonist readers could easily support throughout the book. The illustrations are very well done as well, and are engaging while also being informative. The one thing I wish was done better was the ending, but overall, I thought this was a really cool book.

--Teen volunteer, 11th grade

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic non-fiction account of the fight for women's suffrage in Britain.
It begins in 1910. Husband and wife William and Edith Garrud run one of the first jujitsu dojos in London. Edith becomes involved in training some of the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union) suffragettes in self-defense, since some of the protests have turned violent. Eventually, some of these women become the Bodyguard, defending Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the WSPU.

I found the historical information super interesting and on a topic that I didn't know much about. But the introduction and some of the dialogue had such a feminist slant that it detracted from the actual storyline. Not all men are presented as anti-women, including Edith's husband.

[Taylor S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bodyguard Unit tells the true story of Edith Garrud in the form of historical fiction. This graphic novel tells the story of how Edith empowered women during the English suffrage movement by teaching them jujitsu. As someone not from England, I had no prior knowledge on this topic, so it was really interesting to learn about it in this format, I also really love the art style. I do wish some of the transitions in the story were a bit more smooth because it did lead to some confusion at times. Overall though, I really enjoyed this story and loved the historical fiction route this tale took!

As a thanks to NetGalley for providing me this ebook, I choose to voluntarily leave this review.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu’ by Clement Xavier with illustrations by Lisa Lugrin is a graphic novel based on a true story.

Edith Gurrud and her husband taught jujitsu in England in the early 20th century and started getting women as students. The suffragist movement was also going on and the women realized they needed a way to protect themselves from the police. Edith showed them how to defend themselves while pursuing their rights.

This was a fascinating slice of history that I was unfamiliar with. The art is good and the book includes a great forward as well as actual photos and newspaper drawings of the time.