What is Ju jitsu?

Simply, take the meaning from the two Japanese characters that make up the word Ju-jitsu;

• "Ju" is represented by the Japanese symbol for flexible, soft, compliant, yielding;
• "Jitsu" is the symbol for fighting art.

Ju-jitsu is therefore a complying or yielding fighting art.

We are not talking about submission when we consider yielding we are looking at, absorbing, redirecting or flowing with our assailants attack, subsequently controlling them by using their own energy against themselves.

Traditionally Jujitsu was the system of fighting the Samurai developed to defend themselves when they were disarmed. Check out our page on the History of Jujitsu.

The Style of Jujitsu we practice today includes; blocks, strikes, throws, locks, dislocations, breaks, strangles, chokes and kata. We also practice the use of various weapons from Japan within the Jujitsu syllabus. For those students who want to embark on a study of weapons more advanced than the techniques taught in the Jujitsu syllabus a number of our instructors are now teaching a separate Kobudo syllabus that is independent from the Jujitsu gradings. For more details on weapons check out our Kobudo page.

Break falls

• are techniques to enable us to land safely and without injury when we are thrown.

Blocks

• are techniques that stop an assailant's attack from being delivered. We can use our feet, legs, arms, hands or any other part of our body, which can safely and effectively prevent an attacker form delivering an assault upon us. Blocks are taught against both armed and unarmed assailants.

Strikes

• are techniques that can be delivered by various parts of the body; fist, forearm, elbow, knee, various parts of the foot or even a strike with our own head. There are certain nerves and pressure points on the human body that are vulnerable to anything form, a strike to pressure being applied by just one finger, not for beginners. A strike can be delivered for a variety of purposes; for example, to weaken an opponent sufficiently to be able to throw them, to render them unconscious, to distract them to allow you to follow up with another technique which may be to break a bone or ultimately to kill your assailant.

Throws

• are techniques that take your assailant to the ground and are usually used as an intermediate move. There is no point in putting an assailant down if you are going to allow them to get up and attack you again. Once you have thrown the assailant you need to immobilise them by some other of your techniques, i.e. lock, strike, dislocation, strangulation etc.

Locks and Dislocations

• Locks are techniques that are used to restrain an assailant once you have overpowered them. You can apply locks to anything, from a single finger to the whole arm and shoulder, similarly to the legs, neck and head; you can apply them to more than one limb simultaneously.
• Dislocations are techniques that attack the various joints and are usually applied by progressing a lock further than the flexible limits of the joint. Dislocations are used when you need to immobilise an assailant and keep them immobilised when a lock is released.

Strangulations and Chokes

Strangulations prevents the blood flow to the brain by applying pressure to the arteries located in the neck; strangulations can render an assailant unconscious in a mater of seconds.

Chokes are techniques which put pressure on the wind pipe to prevent air entering the lungs thus weakening the body due to the loss of the oxygen supply, again if a choke is applied properly it will render an assailant unconscious.

Kata

• Kata are preset moves which are designed to teach the student technique. In Jujitsu some Katas are practiced with a partner, and sometimes with more than one partner.

You will now understand why Jujitsu is taught as an unarmed combat as opposed to being taught as a sport. It is easy to look at a technique and think how easy it would be to escape from it, but you must remember that after performing both a block and weakening technique your assailant will be part immobilised before any further technique is applied. When you are practicing Jujitsu you must bear this in mind and allow your partner to practice their techniques, resistance can lead to injury.