In Africa , warriors once fought with spears in their right hand and carried shields in their left. A warrior who met someone he did not want to fight, would lay down his shield and hold his left hand out. Thus, he was not able to protect himself if the other
person was to attack.
As they shook with their left hands, they had no shields and both held spears in their right hand. Therefore, each had to really trust the other before deciding to shake hands. This feeling of trust, and the fact that such warriors, who put down their shields, were considered brave, impressed Robert Baden-Powell and he chose this special handshake for the Scout Movement.
