“Her Own Hero” Author to Kick Off Women’s History Month with Book Tour and Self-Defense Classes

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 28, 2018 -- Author and historian Wendy L. Rouse will kick off Women’s History Month this March with a cross-country book tour and self-defense demonstrations, beginning Saturday, March 3, in Austin, Texas.

A champion for women’s history and empowerment, Rouse is the author of “Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement,” which explores the historical and political implications of women’s empowerment through the decades. Unpacking the surprising roots of the women’s self-defense movement, Rouse takes a hard look at the social and political inequalities that fueled the movement for women’s physical empowerment.

The tour, which stops in Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City and more, will feature an intimate chat with Wendy, and many dates will include a self-defense class. The demonstrations, courtesy of local certified Empowerment Self-Defense instructors specializing in women’s self-defense, will include skill lessons for awareness, verbal assertiveness and physical protection.

Tour dates include:

• Austin, Texas
  • Saturday, March 3
  • BookWoman Book Store
  • 4 p.m.
• San Francisco, Calif.
  • Tuesday, March 13
  • California Historical Society
  • 6 p.m.
• San Diego, Calif.
  • Saturday, March 24
  • Women’s Museum of California
  • 4:30 p.m.
• New York, New York
  • Thursday, March 29
  • Bluestockings Bookstore
  • 7 p.m.
• Cambridge, Mass.
  • Friday, March 30
  • Harvard Coop
  • 7 p.m.
• Chicago, Ill.
  • Friday, July 20
  • Women & Children First Bookstore
  • 7:30 p.m.

With the conversation about women’s rights and social issues more prevalent than ever, Rouse argues in her book that, through self-defense training, women have fought to debunk patriarchal myths about feminine weakness, creating a new image of the powerful, self-reliant woman.

“Now more than ever, it is absolutely crucial that women understand our physical and emotional strength,” said Rouse. “It is my hope, through ‘Her Own Hero’ and the book tour, that people begin to reject the notion that women are inherently vulnerable. Though the players may have changed, the fight remains the same: to debunk the patriarchal notion of feminine fragility.”

To sign up for the tour and demonstrations, visit the links above. If you are media interested in covering the events, please reach out to the press contact listed below.

“Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement” is available now on NYU Press and Amazon.com.

About “Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement”

At the turn of the twentieth century, women famously organized to demand greater social and political freedoms, including gaining the right to vote. However, few realize that the Progressive Era also witnessed the birth of the women’s self-defense movement. Some women were inspired to take up boxing and jiu-jitsu for very personal reasons that ranged from protecting themselves from attacks by strangers on the street to rejecting gendered notions about feminine weakness and empowering themselves as their own protectors. Perhaps more importantly, the discussion surrounding women's self-defense revealed powerful myths about the source of violence against women opening up conversations about the less visible violence that many women faced in their own homes. Through self-defense training women debunked patriarchal myths about inherent feminine weakness, creating a new image of women as powerful and self-reliant.

Press contacts
Matthew Bryant
Uproar PR for Wendy L. Rouse
[email protected]
(312) 878-4575 x246