Jujitsu is over 1000 years old. Two popular beliefs exist as to its origins. One put the inception of Jujitsu as a fighting skill even earlier, at about 600A.D. During a wrestling match, an opponent was "stomped and kicked until death occurred". Obviously this was not just wrestling. The other places the inception of the art by a man named Shinra Suburo Yoshimitsu. He taught his simple ways or "tricks" of defense and categorized them, keeping them secret, and taught his specific ways only to his followers.

Judo grew out of jujitsu, when a jujitsu master, named Jiguro Kano began developing ways to use his skills in a safe and healthy way. He removed all the deadly aspects of his jujitsu fighting style and called his way Ju-do, or gentle way. This new and effective way of sport and self defense could be taught to all ages, and sizes of people. It could be practiced safely and be used as part of a physical education program.

 

Much of the old jujitsu styles can be seen in the very popular Judo Kata, Goshinjitsu.

Jujitsu is in fact a deadly form of self-defense. The popular term used today of "sport jujitsu" is a misleading, and an erroneous statement. There is no such thing as sport in jujitsu. When practiced correctly, one maintains a strict moral and ethical code of conduct, Bushido. Within this Code, there are levels of force associated with what is right and wrong. These levels include both hard hands (striking, kicking, pressure points, chokes, and bone breaks) and lethal force (killing techniques). Sport jujitsu only uses some of the safer techniques within its ruling guidelines. Call it "sport fighting" or sport martial arts"…don’t call it Jujitsu.

 

 

Jujitsu is first and foremost a self-defense skill. It is a way of overcoming your opponent with a minimum amount of force. Jujitsu has within its arsenal both an "up top" fighting system and a "ground" fighting system unique of all other martial arts.

It has techniques for both armed and unarmed defensive tactics.