I have previously shared some of the
comic book instruction in self defense that peaked in the 1950's. It may interest WARSKYL readers to know that long before comic books, someone might receive instruction in jiu-jitsu by purchasing cigarettes. (NOT an endorsement!)
A publication of the New York Public library explains about cigarette cards:
Cigarette or tobacco cards began in the mid-19th century as premiums, enclosed in product packaging. They were usually issued in numbered series of twenty-five, fifty, or larger runs to be collected, spurring subsequent purchases of the same brand. Typically, these small cards feature illustrations on one side with related information and advertising text on the other. (This digital presentation enables both views.) The height of cigarette card popularity occurred in the early decades of the 20th century, when tobacco companies around the world issued card sets in an encyclopedic range of subjects. After a slump during the First World War, popularity resumed, with new emphasis on film stars, sports, and military topics.
I have discovered that jiu-jitsu appeared as one of the topics in a cigarette card series. Here is an example.
This series shares some of the deficits of the least helpful comic book instruction. Sparse details in both the drawings and the instructions leave a lot to the practitioner's imagination. This leads to practice based on trial and error, which may well result in injury.
