Martial arts in the Center of Edinburgh

Beginners always welcome

A Brief History of Jitsu

by Rory

Ju-jitsu, also spelled jujutsu and jiu-jitsu is translated from Japanese as "gentle art" and is a method of fighting that makes use of few or no weapons and employs holds, locks and throws to subdue an opponent. Central to these techniques is the concept ju - the sense of yielding to an opponent's direction of attack while attempting to control it. This is the concept of :

"Ju yoku go o sei suru" -- the soft conquers the hard

The birth of Jitsu probably coincided with the origins of the Samurai class in 792 AD. During their heyday, the Samurai were unparalleled masters of the sword and fighting arts in Japan. This lasted until 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu formed then Tokugawa military government with a commitment to bring peace and economic and political stability. This marked the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868), during which warring ceased to be a dominant feature of Japanese life. Under Ieyasu, society was divided into four classes: samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants. Only the samurai were allowed to wear the two swords - the short one (wakazashi) at all times, and the katana only outside. This mainly peaceful period of Japanese history presented problems to the samurai, with no battles to fight many were left without income. To do anything else would have been to give up the status of samurai and lower themselves to be merchants or traders. Many samurai became teachers of the martial arts - shifting from weaponed to weaponless styles. These weaponless styles were developed from the grappling techniques of the weaponed styles and were collectively known as ju-jutsu. During the height of the Edo period, there were more than 700 systems of Jitsu (725 styles were officially recognised). The styles differed in their emphasis on kicking, punching, throwing, locks and take-downs.

Emperor Meiji started the process of dismantling the Samurai class - the class lost its privileged position when feudalism was officially abolished in 1871. In 1876, Meiji declared a new law that ended the wearing of swords - the ultimate symbol of the warrior.

An Imperial edict was issued declaring it a criminal offence to practice the old style combative martial arts. Under this edict Jitsu and many other martial arts were almost lost. However, some masters continued to practice their art in secret, or moved to other countries, allowing the style to continue. It was during this oppression that the first Japanese exponents of the art arrived in Britain. Following the end of American occupation in 1951, the ban on Jitsu was lifted, allowing the free practice of the art.

During the US occupation, the various 'jutsu' styles (ju-jutsu, karate-jutsu, ken-jutsu, aiki-jutsu...) were banned for practical reasons and it was thought they might contribute to Japanese militarism. At this point the more sporting and competitve 'do' styles started to gain popularity (judo, karate-do, aikido...). Ju-Jutsu has not adapted as a sport as easily as other martial arts, so competition plays only a minor role.

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