ICELANDIC JIU-JITSU.

Northland Age, Volume VIII, Issue 25, 9 February 1912, Page 2

ICELANDIC JIU-JITSU.

ITB SECRETS HAVE BEEN GUARDED FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. “Up to the present time, Gllma, the ancient pastime and means of personal defence in Iceland, has been jealously guarded from all foreigners. "Indeed the only occasion when strangers were allowed to witness it during the whole of the last century was when it was displayed before King Christian IX. of Denmark at Thingvellir, when he visited Iceland in 1874, and even then only two men took part—the present Rev. Siguraur Gunnarsson of Stykkisholm and the Rev. Larus Halldorsson of Reykjavik.

"But times change, and thus today, even in far-away Iceland, where news from the rmtside world is slow to creep in, we have at last recognised that no good purpose is being served by still keeping secret our *u cieut form of self-defence, the know ledge of which, valuable though it is in everyday life, must necessarily

play second fiddle in scientific war fare.

"On that account, therefore, to-day I feel no qualms in divulging the secrets of this form of self defence, which has been practised in Iceland since 1100, when my country was a republic. It was not then limited to the platform or to any special occasion, for throughout the land from the country farm to the Althing (Parliament) it was a daily exenciae in which most men took part. "The essential idea of this Icelandic form of self-defence is to enable the weaker to hold their own with the stronger, and I am not exaggerating when I say that if she will take-the trouble to learn some of the tricks and hitches of Glima even a woman possessed of only ordinary strength will be able to defend her self against and overcome an oppo nent possessed of far greater physi cal strength.”—"Strand Magazine.”