Story: Martial arts

Avengers-style self-defence, 1966

The British television series The Avengers, starring a judo-kicking, catsuit-wearing secret agent named Emma Peel, was hugely popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It inspired a number of New Zealand women to learn similar self-defence moves. This government newsreel from 1966, shot in the style of the programme, shows a class of women learning judo in Wellington.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: Pictorial Parade 179. National Film Unit, 1966

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Bronwyn Dalley, 'Martial arts - Martial arts from the 1970s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/39049/avengers-style-self-defence-1966 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Bronwyn Dalley, published 5 Sep 2013, updated 27 Jan 2015