I used to train with a Jitsu Foundation club, they are generally a fairly pleasant bunch who are OK to go drinking with. They can't fight a lick, though. They're generally to be found around Universities, Universities also mostly have Judo clubs, train Judo instead.
If I wanted to train to 'fight a lick' judo wouldn't even vaguely register on my radar. In this city Ross Pointin teaches San shou, BJJ and MMA, Simon McGovern teaches BJJ, jeet kun do, Silat, kali and Thai, John Steele teaches Thai, Gee OAks has a club up the road teaching MMA BJJ etc. There's Krav, there's wing chun, there's lau gar, there's more kick boxing clubs than you could shake a pointy stick at. Ones even got its own bar. Actually 'fighting' is something I have absolutely no interest in. I was after a nice traditional art mainly for fitness and interest, because I like that sort of thing.
I train in an offshoot of the jitsu foundation, and I can add that the quality of instructors can be quite variable. There are some great guys out there who really know their stuff, and at the other end of the spectrum you have those instructors who started teaching as soon as they got their brown belt and then never really improved from there. You probably won't do a lot of sparring, and you'll need to watch out that people aren't over-reacting to techniques that you do, i.e. a measure of resistance and making you work for technique is necessary to get good, but not always present. On the traditional-ness of the art - it's not really traditional at all in the sense of being an old art. Judo is actually quite a bit older, for example. Jitsu Foundation seems to have come largely from Judo, with a few aikido and miscellaneous striking techniques added into the mix. If you're looking fdor a traditional art, then you may need to find a school teaching koryu. Of course, if you find it fun and get something out of it, then go for it! If nothing else, your ability to fall safely will be top notch!
The Jitsu Foundation was cobbled together out of gendai styles in the 1970's and mostly discards randori, one of the cornerstones of the Judo from which the bulk of its material is derived. To my mind that makes it not very traditional. To some 'traditional' might mean mainly kata-training and a hierarchical atmosphere; which are things it certainly does have. I wouldn't rate their classes as a fitness practise, they tend to do a lot of high rep body-weight exercises with poor form and also they crank their locks on each other, so a lot of high-grades have bad wrists, for example.
Strangely or coincidentally the only other style of Japanese ju jitsu around here i could find is home grown 'Bushi kempo' actually the style is 'chi ryoku' excuse the spelling that externally looks like a traditional martial art but was actually founded by a couple of judo Dan grades, who mixed a load of stuff in and that club used to have 'brown belt instructors' as well.
Judo is Japanese Jiu Jitsu and the oldest style you'll find in the West with like four exceptions. It's also cheap, pretty consistent, widely available and tends to turn people into scary badasses.
Due to the huge technical overlap, you may not like a lot of modern jujutsu as well. There's a lot of commonality between the two arts in terms of techniques.
I did judo. I don't do it anymore. I have also done ju JItsu, karate, systema, wing chun and some other bits and bobs. I don't do those anymore either, at the risk of sounding prissy I'm looking for a decent ju JItsu club and I was after opinions not people to push what they do, because to be fair I'm not bothered what other people do. If I wanted to be a 'bad ass' I would join one of the many meat and muscle head places I mentioned above. In fact if I had a massive desire to be a 'bad ass' I would probably be a little bit inadequate in some regard.
Yep, obviously that was my meaning when I said "badass". I completely support criminal assault and I love bar fights especially. I can't actually train Judo anymore because it makes a mess of my hands, sadly, but I gave you my advice based on my experience when you asked for, sorry if it's not to your taste. (actually not sorry)
Since it's apparently not fighting, and it's not fitness given your disdain for "meat and muscle" above, what are you looking for in a "Jitsu" club? If it's a cultural experience with deep roots in Japan, but you don't like Judo, then Kendo, Kenjutsu or Ikebana aren't vanishingly rare in the UK. Koryu Jujutsu is, though, I'm afraid.
I'd go and check out the Jitsu Foundation club. As Aegis says they are very variable, so it'll just depend on the instructor. Better to get a "feel" for it in person. Which city are you in Slasha? Someone might have another recommendation. Mitch
'Meat and muscle heads' not wishing to pump iron is not a disdain of physical fitness. I suggest you read what's written before ramming judo, that you dontdo at me. As you also looked at my profile, you didn't look that hard because it says judo on it. :lowblow:
Is this opinion based on expereince? I don't think anyone who has met simon would call him a meathead.
There are several choices here. Go and try it .... Don't go and try it Listen to unbiased views listen to biased views Fresh from the 2017 MAP meet the ethos of this site and its members is simple...give it a go if its not your cuppa tea we will try to point you in a different direction Peace love and Smurf locks to all
As others have mentioned, trying to find authentic 'traditional / classical' jujutsu can be very hard. Perhaps enquire on the Koryu board - whether there are groups that train near you. Be prepared however to travel (a lot if you are very serious) and bear in mind that acceptance into many of these groups is by no means automatic.