Traditional Jujutsu is an ancient Japanese martial art. Training
in the art of Jujutsu takes place in an atmosphere of courtesy and respect,
a context intended to help cultivate the appropriate character. A
plain white or black uniform with black hakama is worn in an attempt to
achieve a sense of rustic simplicity common to most traditional Japanese
arts.
Records trace the art of Jujutsu back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333)
in Japan. It was intended for use by disarmed warriors to enable
them to defend themselves against armed opponents. The art developed
from the ancient techniques of kumi-tachi as described in the Konjaku-Monogatari,
a Buddhist work dating from the 13th century. Jujutsu began to take
systematized form in Japan in the latter half of the 16th century. Over
the centuries, various schools developed and spread throughout Japan, known
by such terms as Wa-Jutsu, Yawara, Kogusoku, Kempo, Hakuda and Shobaku;
each being a part of the "Way of Archery and Horsemanship" of the samurai
warrior. These were codified with the dawn of the Meiji period (1868-1912),
the time when the samurai were no longer permitted to carry swords and
the fighting feuds between noble families had ended.
Jujutsu is a comprehensive self-defense system composed of techniques such
as joint locking, throwing, sweeping, reaping, choking, striking with all
parts of the body, and weapons, typically knife, sword and staff.
The essential principle of Jujutsu is to defeat the enemy with any and
all means, using minimal force. Force rarely ever meets force directly
and techniques should not need to be strong-armed to be effective.
Movements emphasize circularity and take advantage of the attacker's momentum
to break the opponents balance in preparation for joint locking or throwing
techniques. There is great emphasis placed on technical mastery.
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