Patrick A. McCoy

Patrick A. McCoy
Life Strength Power

Saturday, March 26, 2011

History of Jiu-Jitsu

In the 1600s in Japan, there were roughly 2000 schools that taught Jujutsu. The more widely known old schools included Araki-ryu, Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu, Hon
Jiu Jitsu originated in the 17th century in Japan and was named for a wide range of martial arts. "Jū" is translated as "gentle, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding." "Jutsu" can be translated to mean "art" or "technique" so Jujutsu basically means “the art of yielding.” Jujutsu was developed as a means of Samurai combat where a soldier who was unarmed or wielding a short weapon could combat an armed and armored warrior. The Samurai found striking to be ineffective against an armored foe. Hence they developed combat consisting of holds, submissions, joint locks, and throws, using their opponent’s heavily armored weight against them.


The origin of Jujutsu is not specifically known. One legend holds Chen Yuan Ping of China taught the art to three Ronin named Fukuno Hichiroemon, Miura Yojiemon, and Isogai Jirozaemon. Another legend taught by the Yōshin-ryū (楊心流?) ("The School of the Willow Heart") states that a doctor named Akiyama Shirobei from Nagasaki, Japan based jujutsu on the chinese art of hakuda. Still another legend maintains it was created in the Age of the Gods and is purely a Japanese art.

tai Yoshin-ryu, Kashima Shin-ryū, Kukishin-ryū, Kyushin Ryu, Sekiguchi Shinshin-ryu, Sosuishitsu-ryu, Takeda ryū, Takenouchi-ryu, Tatsumi-ryu, Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, and Yoshin Ryu. Today the most widely recognized modern schools of Jiu Jitsu are Danzan Ryu, German Ju-Jutsu, Goshin Jujitsu, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Hakko Ryu, Hakko Denshin Ryu, Kumite-ryu Jujutsu, Miyama Ryu, Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu (The Jitsu Foundation), Small Circle JuJitsu, World Ju-Jitsu Federation (WJJF)and Goshinbudo.

Several martial arts have been influenced by Jujutsu and have adapted the techniques for their own systems of martial arts including Aikido, Bartitsu, Hapkido, Judo, Afrijitsu, Kajukenbo, Kudo, Kapap, and Kenpo and Wado-ryu Karate.

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1930s who adapted the techniques of jujutsu into a less destructive martial art to follow his Zen philosophy. Judo is a more modern derivation of jujutsu founded by Kanō Jigorō and eliminated several of the samurai combat aspects such as hair pulling and eye gouging, and has become more of a sport than a combat art.

Bartitsu was developed in England in 1898 by Edward William Barton-Wright who studied in several Jujutsu schools in Japan. Bartitsu is a combination of Jujutsu, boxing, and French Savate stick fighting.

Probably the most famous derivation would be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, developed from Judo when Mitsuyo Maeda introduced the martial art to Brazil in 1914. Maeda taught judo to Carlos Gracie, who then taught it to his brothers Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Hélio. Hélio probably made the most alterations to the art to accommodate his smaller size and weight. At the time judo was commonly known as Kano "Jiu-Jitsu" which is why the Gracie martial art is known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rather than Brazilian Judo.


 Most of the modern Jiu-Jitsu sport can be originated from Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Kano

Jiu-Jitsu (Judo).



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