The phrase “ju jitsu” seems to be everywhere.
Thirty years ago
It was hard to find someone who had heard of ju jitsu! Let alone someone who had a basic understanding of what sets it apart from other martial arts. Finding a nearby place to train “ju jitsu” would have been challenging…few options were available. If you found a dojo, you learned from whoever was there, and had no way of knowing if the instruction was any good. Regardless of the dojo you did find, it would have almost certainly been Japanese Jujitsu.
Today
Today, a basic internet search will yield a dizzying display of dojos within miles of you, each offering a variety of “martial arts”. Many will offer “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu,” while other schools will offer a menu of different disciplines and types of martial arts, with ju jitsu offered along with Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and “self-defense”.
The current state of affairs can be very confusing to someone interested in ju jitsu. Few instructors claiming to know ju jitsu have actually studied it in earnest. Regardless of where you end up, your decision should be based on fact and reality, not advertisement, hype and drive to attract students at any cost. Know what you want and what is being offered and educate yourself to recognize quality instruction and training.
History
Traditional ju jitsu is based on hundred’s of years of military based fighting systems dating back to the samurai. It was developed for one purpose – to kill and survive on a battlefield. It’s forefathers developed ju jitsu with only a life-or-death outcome in mind. There were no point systems or rules on a battlefield, and the longer you fought, the more tired you became. Your chance of surviving repeated altercations with enemy soldiers dropped if you took too long to dispatch your adversary. For samurai and regular soldiers alike, ju jitsu had to be practical, efficient and devastating.
To put things in perspective, we should keep in mind that human beings have been fighting each other for thousands of years. Other than using sticks and stones, hand-to-hand fighting was our ancestors most likely form of defending themselves. Our ancient relatives did not necessarily care what “techniques” they used as long as they were effective. Over time, our ancient ancestors learned which physical attacks were more effective against an opponent than others. And over time, with trial and error, the most efficient and effective “techniques” of hand-to-hand combat were recognized, honed and taught to subsequent generations. As civilizations grew and members of those societies dedicated themselves to defending their homes and societies, armies and soldiers eventually developed systems of fighting comprised of the most effective techniques. Thus, the “martial arts” (literally “art of the military”) was born.
The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Chinese – all of the great civilizations developed various fighting systems employing similar techniques. An astute student of martial arts will recognize many of the same concepts and movements of ju jitsu running through all of the well established martial arts. Any society or country claiming to have invented “martial arts” should be viewed with great skepticism. That said, each society put their own spin on martial arts based on their needs, their society, their environment, their customs, attributes of their citizens and on their known enemies. The Japanese were no exception as ju jitsu evolved.
Japanese Ju jitsu
Japanese ju jitsu is comprised of many different aspects of hand-to-hand fighting. It includes defending against every manner of physical attack, “throwing” an opponent to the ground, striking, joint locks, grappling, and knowing how to defend against such attacks. Like every other civilization and society that developed a form of fighting, the Japanese samurai emphasized what their society valued in their culture and it is reflected in the vary name itself – ju jitsu is “the gentle art”. Japanese ju jitsu is the parent of so many martial arts known today. The combat sports of judo, aikido, mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can directly trace their ancestry back to the Japanese martial art of ju jitsu.
Ju jitsu is a true “martial art”. It is based on practical and simple techniques to disable an opponent . Ju jitsu was developed to be used on a battlefield or in a castle protecting the emperor. There are no points to be awarded by a referee. It is meant to be used on the battle field. Today, it is taught for use on a road, sidewalk, in your house, at an ATM machine, in an ally or in a bar. It address all of the variety of environments and circumstances where a person may need to defend themselves. It includes close open-hand techniques for wrist, elbow, and shoulder manipulation. It provides techniques for throwing a person to the ground using balance and leverage to overcome size and superior strength. It provides grappling and wrestling techniques for when the fight inevitably ends up on the ground. It provides techniques to defend yourself against attacks from weapons such as knives, clubs, and guns. Most of all, it provides its students a system of basic principles which they can adapt to defend against any unplanned aggression.