The slogan of Pankhurst’s WSPU was “Deeds Not Words.” She favored a more active approach to campaigning for suffrage. With a more direct approach, the WSPU women soon found themselves in conflict with citizens and police. They were finding themselves in increasingly dangerous situations. Plainclothes police officers often violently broke up their demonstrations. Over 100 suffragists were injured in a span of several months, with four ultimately dying from their injuries. The need for self-defense was becoming very clear to the women of the WSPU.
A new member of the WFL, Edith Garrud, ended up being the answer to the safety problems of the suffragists. Her teachings of Jiu-Jitsu, or “suffrajitsu” as it came to be known, not only provided self-defense for the women but also offered alibis for suffragists questioned by police about vandalism or public demonstrations. The widespread general trend of Jiu-Jitsu at the turn of the century even impacted popular culture, making it into literature and the news.