What is Jiu Jitsu?

Jiu Jitsu originated in medieval Japan where soldiers of the various Warlords used it to defend themselves against both armed and unarmed attackers. It was also used to overpower a potentially much stronger attacker and restrain or incapacitate them until help arrived. Today the police and army are taught aspects of Jiu Jitsu for much the same reasons.

Primarily, Jitsu is characterised by a flexibility of techniques that allow a response varying from gentle but firm dissuasion to infliction of serious injury. The philosophy of Jiu Jitsu is that you should be able to defend yourself against any style of attack, in any situation, choosing a response that suits the circumstances, without having to rely on strength and power.

Modern day Jiu Jitsu employs throws, holds, locks, blocking and evading techniques, kicks and strikes plus disarming techniques to protect against various weapons. In addition techniques to deal with modern-day problems such as knuckle-dusters, baseball bats and broken bottles, have also been added.

Although Jiu Jitsu is not as specialized as some other styles ( Karate for example, with its emphasis on striking ), Jiu Jitsu remains effective because it encompasses all combative techniques. Variety is often an effective form of attack and defence, since if an opponent does not know how to defend or bypass a technique, then they become open and susceptible.

While the name Jiu Jitsu can be written in several ways: Jiu Jitsu, Jiu Jutsu or Ju Jutsu the translation is generally the same.

Ju conveys the idea of relaxing and yielding. Taking the classic analogy of the Willow tree with its supple branches...If you apply a force to a Willow branch, it bends yet it does not break. It yields to the force and survives undamaged. In practical terms, do not meet force with force but rather avoid or deflect the attack.

Jitsu conveys the image of a style and art form, and again taking the Willow analogy... As the wind blows, the Willow bends and sways with each gust, its branches whirling in the breezes. In practical terms one must flow with an attack, accepting what is presented by the opponent and then employing technique to overcome the opponent.

This leads to an interpretation of Jiu Jitsu as "the gentle art", or "the yielding art". Strength is not a major requirement for the art of Jiu Jitsu, however that is not to say that it does not have its place. Overcoming an opponent may be accomplished through a soft yielding technique, followed by the use of a short burst of strength to execute a finishing or subduing technique.

Regardless of the technique used, the goal should always be to utilize the opponents' strength against them. Hence Ju Jitsu can be characterized as: See the attack, Accept and yield to the attack, Take control of the attack, Redirect the attack, Increase the attack.