The Art of Jujitsu
Jujitsu History
Jujitsu is one of the oldest forms of hand-to-hand combat in Japan. Records of Jujitsu date back over 2,500 years. Jujitsu, translated into English, means flexible or gentle art.
The beginnings of Jujitsu can be traced to the turbulent period of Japanese history between the 8th and 16th Century. During this time, there was almost constant civil war in Japan and the classical weapontry systems were developed and honed on the battlefield. Close fighting techniques were developed as part of these systems to be used in conjunction with weapons against armored, armed opponents for situations where the use of weapons was impractical or forbidden. Many other martial arts, such as Judo and Aikido, have their roots in Jujitsu.
What is Jujitsu
The movements of Jujitsu are efficient, flowing and circular. Jujitsu is a distinctly beautiful martial art to observe. The execution of the techniques in Jujitsu are viewed as gentle, however, the impact upon the attacker is by no means "gentle."
In Jujitsu, a jujutsuka (practitioner of Jujitsu) will train in the use of many potentially fatal moves. A jujutsuka learns to use whatever means is available to immobilize an attacker. Jujutsuka are taught break falling skills which allow them to safely practice otherwise dangerous throws. Jujitsu is usually practiced within a very small circle and many Jujitsu techniques are used for close combat fighting.
Japanese Jujitsu focuses on throwing, kicking, striking, kneeing, choking, immbolizing and pinning, joint-locking techniques and the use of certain weapons. The execution of Jujitsu techniques depends on the motion and aggressiveness of the attacker. Jujitsu is a martial art which can be applied against armed or unarmed attackers.
Jujitsu is used to maintain the most efficient use of your energy, use minimal movements and utilize your opponent's momentum to your advantage. Jujitsu focuses on immobilizing and taking your opponent's down to the floor. Jujitsu is an art of yielding to an opponent's force rather than trying to oppose force with force. Manipulating an oppent's attack using his force and direction allows jujutsuka to control the balance of their opponent which will prevent the opponent from resisting the counter attack.
Jujitsu does not rely on brute strength. Jujitsu helps develop a strong spirit, teaches the principals of physics, knowledge of human anatomy, how to use leverage and balance and continuous motion to maximize your effectiveness against a larger and stronger opponent.
Most important, Jujitsu teaches us the best way to win a fight is to avoid one. A jujutsuka learns the fundamental rules that you must always be aware of your surroundings, watch for signs of danger and if the need arises, use whatever method is available to protect yourself.
