Guest Author - Caroline Baker

Jujitsu is a broad term used to represent a style of Martial Arts that originated from the samurai and was one of the key forms they practiced for hand-to-hand combat. From this art derives many of the modern styles, such as Judo and Aikido. It is sometimes lumped into the even wider term of “karate,” though that does it a great injustice as the art is quite different in origin and intent.

The word Jujitsu, sometimes also spelled Jiu-Jitsu, Jujutsu, is literally translated to “the gentle art.” Its origins are clouded by several legends, some saying it came from a Chinese emigrant, some that it is indigenous to Japan. The idea behind Jujitsu is to maintain efficient use of energy, minimal movements, and utilizing your opponent’s momentum to your advantage.

Traditional Jujitsu does incorporate some weapons, such as the katana, spears and other weapons that would have been common to the samurai. However, it is rare for a lower rank student to work weapons and few schools actually teach this aspect of the art.

Jujitsu focuses on immobilization and taking the opponent down to the floor. So it is common to see the opponent either locked in a painful position or thrown at the end of a movement. Other Japanese styles, such as kenpo, tend to focus more on strikes, which normally with a final deadly blow (such a punch or kick) and then stepping away.

Because of this concept of immobilizing the opponent, Jujitsu is often practiced by law enforcement groups and has been compared at times to wrestling and several more Western means of hand-to-hand combat.