So, what is the orgin of JuJutSu? It first started in Japan right, and then it moved to Brazil? And how many type of JuJitSu is there? and what is Ninjitsu? And just exactly how do you spell these words? Thanks!
Hmm... I think jiu jitsu was derived from judo, except it's more refined since it deals with locks instead of throws? Just a stab, wait for someone who knows the answer.
Wrong way around, Judo was derived from Ju Jitsu to make it more safe for people to practice. Helio gracie is normally regarded as the father of BJJ, his brother learned ju Jitsu from the Japanese ambassedor to Brazil and Helio derived his own style. Thats the readers digest version, I'm sure Yoda or Levo will elaborate As for the roots of Ju jitsu, they stem back to around the 1400's where if memory is correct, was the first mention of Ju Jitsu as a school of Yawara Jutsu. And I'm sure Kurohana can fill you in on that. Come on, I'm waiting on the big boys to come and correct my mistakes Col
The only modification I have for that brief history by Freeform is that the the style of Jujistu that Maeda taught to the Gracies was pretty much Judo. Brazillian Judo would be a more accurate term IMHO.
I'm beginning to wonder if this Phi guy is a troll.... anyway he's succeeded with regards to me. Ok, You seem to be referring to Brazilian Jiujitsu there. Like the others above have said, a judo guy called Maeda went to Brazil and taught the GRACIE family judo, they modified it until it is what is known as BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU today. Another name for Brazilian Jiujitsu is Gracie Jiujitsu, they are the same thing but only Rorion Gracie(and a few others that he approves of) are legally allowed to use that name. Brazilian Jiujitsu became famous after the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was a limited rules tournament, and Royce Gracie(one of the Gracie family) beat everyone. I think this also answers your other question in another post, as to what is the best martial art. The best one on one martial art is arguably Brazilian Jiujitsu as proven time and time again by the Gracie family. But other situations may call for other arts, so as you can see, there is no such thing as a 'best' martial art. Japanese JUJITSU(also known as traditional jujitsu) is different altogether. Note the difference in the way it is spelled JU jitsu. This is the 'correct' way to do it. JIU jitsu on the other hand usually refers to Brazilian jiujitsu. I am not an expert on Japanese Jujitsu. So I wont comment on it, except that it is something like Aikido in appearance, in contrast to Brazilian Jiujitsu which looks more like Judo. There are also many many numerous styles of Japanese Jujitsu. As for Ninjutsu, it is more of a 'nickname'. The art known as ninjutsu today is actually called, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. This is a martial art which is made up of many different styles, all fusing into one martial art. Only 3 of the styles inside Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu are 'ninjutsu', and they deal with things like espionage and survival tactics, rather than combat. There are other styles of ninjutsu but few of them can actually prove they have a real lineage, i.e. they have been made up by excellent conmen. etcetcetc
Many of us here in Europe (Denmark) use the the name Ju Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu in fling, some say the former is the Chinese spelling and the latter is Japanese. Although, in Denmark the word Ju jitsu refers to a combination style consisting of Karate, Judo and Aikido often used by the police. The Jiu-Jitsu I train/teach has very little to do with Aikido as mild7 believes it resembles in appearance. It is a descendent of Aikijujitsu which evolved (if you will) into Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu, the latter of which evolved into Judo, a sport-friendly form for Jiu-Jitsu. I have trained several times with Renzo Gracie and would have to agree with mild7 that it resembles, to an extent, Judo. It does, however, not in the least resemble the Jiu-Jitsu we train. If you are familliar with Hoku Shin Ko Ryu Jiu Jitsu, this could be compaired with what we train, just not bound by the strict traditional techniques. The styles taught by Jan De Jong, Siegfried Bödeker, Jan Erik Karlsson, Richard Morris and Norbert Domrös all resemble each other in the way in which the techniques are preformed, it is only the way in which the techniques are taught that differs. The small "Master Keys" that each instructor uses are the keys to understanding the differences. None of these Master instructor's techniques remotely resembles Judo, BJJ nor Aikido. It is Jiu-Jitsu.
Everybody seems to have shed some light on the differences between jujutsu, juijutsu, jujitsu, and ninjutsu. But if you don't mind I'll add my 2 cents. As for the spellings, minor point but should be clarified. They all mean the same thing. That is what we (westerners) did to the words. The Japanese and Chinese would not make that distinction since their written laguage is based on a different concept than ours. It can be phonetic or it can be symbolic. So, the way we would pronounce ju (or jui) and jutsu (or jitsu) is the same, phonetically it would be written the same. Intersting note here; ju is the japanese word for ten, jutsu is "the way or method", together it could mean the ten ways. Or, and this is only my opinion based on Soke Hatsumi's theme this year, the kanji for ten can also mean everything or all, therefore changing the meaning of jujutsu slightly to mean the way of everything. Maybe it was the intent of the founders to make jujutsu a "complete" art. Which by the way is another meaning of ju ( ten directions= N, S, E , W, NE, NW, SE, SW and heaven and earth, or simply put, everywhere) Just my guess. As for ninjutsu, I would not call it a nickname as much as I would call it a generic term for the arts of the ninja. As mild7 pointed out, "Only 3 of the styles inside Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu are 'ninjutsu', and they deal with things like espionage and survival tactics, rather than combat". They also deal with the more spiritual side of the ninja. Nin=stealth, perserverance, endurance; jutsu= way or art of: The art of enduring. Only thing with that is Soke tends to redefine it each year. The combat art of the ninja is, as mild7 also said, made up of the nine schools of the Bujinkan. Soke has gathered them all together to call the unarmed combat skills "Budo Taijutsu" meaning (my interpretation) "the warriors body skills". These body skills translate into the armed skills we practice quite beautifully and seamlessly. (At least for some of the people I have been fortunate to train with) So, to summarize, Jujutsu is more of a joint locking, throwing, grappling combat suitable martial art (as opposed to judo which was developed for sport), maybe intended as a complete martial art. Ninjutsu is a generic term to describe the collection of arts practiced by those that are referred to as Ninja. Taijutsu is a combat suitable art in which you are taught that anything is permissible, and to not lock yourself into any set ideals but to allow yourself to flow with the moment and utilizt the "ten" directions. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. **Disclaimer** I don't and never have claimed to be the authority on ninjutsu or ninja. Thoughts expressed herein are entirely my own, based on many years of research and and training.
In a sense yes and no. Kano wanted a form with which to practice which would improve stamina, flexibility, general health and provide self-defence skills. The randori was only really there to provide a training arena to promote good technique, the above benefits (cause its pretty gruelling) and sharpen reflexes. He was working on incorparating Atemi-waza (striking) into the form when he died. Also if you can, get hold of Syd Hore's the A to Z of Judo to see all of the Kodokan recognised techniques, then note how many of them have 'Banned in Randori' written next to them, about half. Also Jigaro Kano's book 'Kodokan Judo' does show some of the Atemi-waza practice, although if your serious about hitting people I'd look somewhere else. Sorry for the ramble. Col
Adding more info: Jujutsu (also known fro other names such as taijutsu and dates back to as early as the 8th century) wasn't a primary martial art in Japan until the downfall of the last Tokugawa shogun. Back then, the warrior class mainly practiced sword techniques. Although bushi also practiced jujutsu, it was treated more as a supplementary art to support kenjutsu (in case someone loses/is without his weapon). But even then, jujutsu wasn't taken lightly. There were cases when armed samurai would be careful and try to avoid a confrontation with renowned jujutsu practitioners, even when they are unarmed. During the early years of the Meiji government, when the abolition of the warrior class took effect and the right to carry swords in public was outlawed, jujutsu gained popularity and started to flourish. Sokaku Takeda (a practitioner of Daito-ryu Aikijutsu) was one of the most famous proponents of jujutsu during the late 19th until the early 20th century and instrumental to the foundation of aikido and hapkido. Judo also has it's roots on Jujutsu, but there are differences between the two. Jujutsu is practiced mainly for combat, while judo seeks to enhance the mental as well as the physical well-being of the practitioner. As for the number of schools (I would be assuming you meant "styles") specifically practicing jujutsu, I am only aware of the classical ones. There's Miura-ryu (or Yoshin-ryu), Sekiguchi-ryu, Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, and Daito-ryu. I'm sure there are more, but these are all I can remember and some of the most famous/important.
Yes, something like what they all said. Brazilian JJ is not identical to Gracie JJ. Rather, Gracie is just a brand of BJJ. The Machado family, cousins to the Gracie sons, also teach BJJ. It's the same as Gracie JJ, except that the Machados market mostly to the sport crowd. Jujitsu was the samurai's unarmed fighting style. It was developed to complement their sword skill. It's entirely combative, bred for an ancient battle field where swords were wielded by just about everyone. Aiki-jujitsu is a smoother, and consequently gentler, later generation of jujitsu. "Gentler" is a relative term, as aiki-jujitsu was still meant for the battlefield. Judo is a modern incarnation of jujitsu. It can be just as effective as jujitsu, but because of the changes made by the founder of judo, the likelihood of a permanent injury is greatly reduced, especially during practice. Judo was meant for self-defense but not for war. Most judo schools, however, teach a watered-down sport (not self-defense) version of the original judo. Aikido is a modern incarnation of aiki-jujitsu. It is even gentler than judo. Injuries from aikido are never intentional, but the art can be just as effective as jujitsu in a self-defense situation. Like judo, aikido was not designed for war. There are hundreds of schools of jujitsu and aiki-jujitsu.
