Practiced by samurai and ninja, the central philosophy of jujitsu focuses on defeating an opponent by any and all means necessary and with the use of minimal force.

History and Philosophy

It is commonly believed that jujitsu was first brought to Japan by a Chinese monk called Chen Yuanein during the 17th century. It became widely practiced in Japan by the samurai, and later the enigmatic ninja. Unfortunately, it fell into disrepute as a martial art as it was also adopted by many bandits during that time. Japanese teacher Jiguro Kano later adapted jujitsu techniques to form the popular martial art of Judo.

The core philosophy of modern jujitsu is to conquer an opponent by any and all means while using minimal force in doing so. Historically, ancient jujitsu focused literally on annihilating the opponent, which led to the development of many dangerous and fatal techniques.

Jujitsu Training

Ju means “gentle” or “soft” and jitsu means “art”. Its name is misleading, as many jujitsu techniques are extremely powerful in their delivery.

Physical fitness is a necessary prerequisite for jujitsu practitioners. A strict practitioner of the art would follow strict moral and dietary regimes. Historically, many jujitsu masters seek isolation in Buddhist or Shinto shrines to perfect their techniques.

Special features of jujitsu include defence against knife attacks and immobilisation techniques. A unique skill taught to experts is kuatsu, or the art of resuscitation. This technique was developed to revive an enemy on the battlefield for questioning after the delivery of a non-fatal jujitsu technique.

Many military and police forces around the world train in jujitsu.