A Brief History

Jujitsu has its origins in many forms of armed and unarmed competitions. Evidence exists of its first appearance in Japan over 2,500 Years ago, making it one of the oldest martial arts. Reference is made to sporting competitions between samurai where the victor would demonstrate his skill in holding his opponent motionless on the floor or another would be to use wooden stakes to demonstrate how to find the weakness in the opponents armour whilst grappling. 

Jujitsu is mentioned in Japanese mythology, where it is said that the gods Kaijima and Kadori used jujitsu to discipline lawless inhabitants of the eastern provinces.

One of the first references to jujitsu itself comes from the Muromachi period (1392-1537) where it is said that whilst on a pilgrimage Takenouche Hisamori collapsed from exhaustion after training and meditating for several days. In his delirium he was visited by a phantom who taught him five techniques of immobilisation and the advantage of using short weapons over long ones. The references to Takenouche-Ryu mean that he must have gone on to teach these techniques to others.

In the early 16th Century  one Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought the art of Ch-an Fa or punching and nerve striking to Japan, this was also adopted into jujitsu and is now called Atemi-jutsu.

Unlike western combat, the development of oriental combat has been well documented, until the feudal era in Japan, the 11th to late 19th century, when the training methods where monopolised by the elite warriors (samurai) in order to train their troops. The diligence and bravery of these samurai remains unsurpassed to this day.

Until the 14th century there had been no schools dedicated solely to the art of jujitsu, later through development and careful elaboration of the methods employed by various teachers schools or Ryu started to come forward, names such as Yawara, Taijutsu, Wajutsu, Torite, Kogusoku, Kempo, Hakuda, and Kumiuchi where used to describe the schools. These Ryu all differed in some small feature but where linked by one single definition of the system being "An art of attack and defence without or occasionally with weapons against and opponent, with or without weapons".

During the reign or the Emperor Meize many of the schools where suppressed and the teachings condemned as being dangerous and barbaric. It was the aftermath of the Meize oppression that brought the first Japanese exponents of the art to Great Britain in the late 19th century. During this period in Japan the Pro-Western Liberal Government sought the dissolution of the Bujitsu Ryu which had been formed, and replaced it with the Budo systems of sport and physical culture which lack efficiency in self defence. The new system gave birth to Judo, Kenjutsu, Kendo, and Karate arts which are now recognised through out the world as excellent sports. Karate stressed striking, omitting throws and locks, Judo stressed the throws omitting the striking techniques and Aikido followed the way of Judo but placed it's bias on locking and securing techniques. All these methods where far removed from their Jujitsu roots which places the emphasis on striking to stun your opponent before throwing and locking.

Ju Jitsu or Jiu Jitsu is a word composed of two parts Ju which means supple, soft, gentle, to obey or submit to and Jitsu which means art, science or way of. Some of the previously used translations then are "Way of gentleness", "The gentle art", a jujitsu practitioner will use technique and minimal force in order to unbalance an opponent whilst using the opponents momentum and weight to defeat them.

The promotion of jujitsu throughout Great Britain and Europe has been through the work of two groups or federations. The British Jujitsu Association and the World Jujitsu Federation, the latter is probably the more wide spread having affiliated clubs throughout the world. The founder and head of the WJJF Soke Robert Clark was the first to publish a syllabus in written form, and the first to release syllabus videos for students to follow. The WJJF owes its great strength to the continuing drive of Soke Clark and his everlasting enthusiasm for jujitsu.

More information

The above is but a brief history of the development of jujitsu, please visit the links below for further research.

(c) Bushi Ki Ryu Jujitsu