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Japanese
Jiu Jitsu
Jiu Jitsu (Jujutsu) can be translated as 'science
of softness' or 'art of softness'. Softness refers to a focus on
movement and flexibility to overcome that which is stronger or faster. Although it contains some striking
techniques and ground fighting, Japanese Jiu Jitsu is primarily a
standing grappling style. History The earliest traceable culture in Japan dates from the year 5000 BC. From this period, clay figures of warriors were uncovered from tombs. Jiu Jitsu as an organized martial art form was probably established in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), deriving its techniques from even older sources within Japan and also China. However, it gained prominence in Japan approximately 300 years later. Jiu Jitsu had many other names, such as: Tai-Jutsu, Kumiuchi, Hakute, Torite, Kenpo, and Yawara. Jiu Jitsu is also spelled: Jujutsu, Jiu-Jitsu, or Ju-Jitsu. During the 1800's, the Japanese eventually became open to western influence and western methods. The day of the Samurai warrior was over, The use of the sword and its teachings were prohibited. Many martial systems were lost or died out and some opened schools of martial arts.Jigoro Kano Jigoro Kano was born in 1871. He studied Jiu Jitsu and eventually created Kodokan Judo. In 1882, at age 22, Jigoro Kano began the creation of Judo by taking the effective but less dangerous (non-fatal) techniques of Jiu Jitsu to create a martial art that could be practiced by everyone, including school children. This style was based mainly on the throwing techniques of the Kito Ryu and the locking techniques of the Tenjin Shin'yo Ryu. He added techniques from other schools and had teachers like Saigo Shiro of Daito Ryu teach there also. He did not wish, as is understood, to replace jujitsu with a sport, but rather envisioned the Kodokan as an institute which would preserve the best teachings and techniques of the various Jiu Jitsu systems. Another development during this time was the Daito Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu School. This Ryu was actually developed in the mid 800's AD by Teijun Fujiwara. The name "Daito Ryu" (the great eastern style) stems from the Minamoto family being the most powerful family in eastern Japan. Minamoto Yoshimitsu is regarded as the actual founder of Daito Ryu. He was a master of many arts. He was a poet, warrior, physician and historian.At the beginning of the Meiji era, (late 1800's) Saigo Tanomo Chikamasa, a Shinto priest, was all that was left of the Daito Ryu. He was a Daimyo and member of Aizu clan and lord of a fortress. Saigo taught Shida Shiro the techniques of Daito Ryu. Shiro went on after his training, to join Kano at the Kodokan and was a driving force with Kano in the early days, aimed at saving Jiu Jitsu. Saigo, in 1898, contacted Sokaku Takeda, and persuaded him to study Daito Ryu. Takeda was a skilled swordsman, born and raised as a Samurai. By the time he was 20 years old, he had mastered the Ono-ha Itto Ryu sword school and the Kyoshin Meichi Ryu and Jikkishin Kage Ryu sword styles as well the spear techniques of Hosoin Ryu. Takeda later moved to Hokkaido where he was visited by Judo master Mifune, who had been sent by Kano to learn Daito Ryu techniques to incorporate into Kano's Judo. Morihei Ueshiba also studied under Takeda. Ueshiba had studied other arts and later, obtained permission from Takeda to teach Daito Ryu. In 1932, Ueshiba Morihei began the creation of Aikido by modifying and combining elements of the different arts he had studied. Takeda continued teaching with the help of his son, Tokimune. Tokimune is considered the person in modern times who was instrumental in the spread of Jiu Jitsu throughout the world. Mitsuyo Maeda One of Jigoro Kano's top Judo students was 5'5'', 154-pound Mitsuyo Maeda. Maeda was born in Aomori Prefecture in 1878. When he was a boy, he learned Tenshin (Tenshin Shin'yo) Jiu-Jitsu. He moved to Tokyo when he was about 18 and went to Tokyo Senmon School. He began practicing Judo and a record of him entering the Kodokan is dated 1897. He was naturaly talented in judo and rose through the ranks quickly to establish himself as the most promising young judoka in the Kodokan. In 1904 Maeda travelled to the U.S. with one of his instructors, Tsunejiro Tomita. The first and only place they demonstrated judo together was at the U.S. Army academy in West Point. Contrary to what has been published, they never went to the White House to meet the President, Teddy Roosevelt. It was the Kodokan great, Yoshitsugu Yamashita who taught Roosevelt judo at the White House and later engaged in a match with a wrestler nearly twice his size at Roosevelt's request, which took place at the U.S. Naval academy in Annapolis. Yamashita won with an arm bar and was given a teaching position at the academy.Maeda began teaching at Princeton University part-time after he had won some challenge matches. He also commuted to teach in New York City, but his American students did not take to the Japanese style of teaching and he often found his students did not stay long. Maeda was approached to engage in a match for prize money by the local Japanese. Maeda wasn't having much success teaching judo so he accepted. This was a violation of Kodokan rules which prohibited members from engaging in matches. He accepted the wrestling/judo match with a Brooklyn, New York wrestler nicknamed "Butcherboy" that took place in the Catskills, New York. Maeda defeated the wrestler. His victory raised the pride of local Japanese in the area. This match was the beginning of his career as a professional fighter. Eventually Maeda traveled to Spain. It was here that Maeda took on the ring name "Conde Koma" in 1908. A Spanish acquaintance suggested "Conde" which means "Count." Maeda then referred to himself as "Conde Koma" which also later became part of his legal name. When Maeda was in London, England, (February 1907 - June 1908) he saw a newspaper article where a Russian wrestling champion was quoted as saying that wrestling was superior to judo. He tracked the large wrestler down and issued a challenge on the spot. The wrestler refused on the grounds that he was misquoted and could not risk losing to a non-wrestler. Maeda was brazen and confident enough to challenge Jack Johnson, the American heavyweight boxing champion. Maeda would travel also throughout Latin America to fight. In 1915, he ended up in Brazil in a city called Belem. He considered this place to be ideal and settled in Belem which would become his home. He engaged in challenge matches and became famous throughout the region. He also returned to Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S. when necessarily. Maeda was to continue his role as a judo instructor. He taught San Paulo policemen, army college cadets, as well as ordinary citizens. Of course, one of them was a teenage boy by the name of Carlos Gracie, who would perhaps become his most notable student. In 1915, Maeda taught Carlos Gracie the essential secrets of the ancient martial art's technique, and Carlos taught Maeda's techniques to his four brothers. In 1925 they opened the first Jiu Jitsu academy in Brazil. One of the brothers, Helio Gracie, was only 135 pounds. He began experimenting, modifying and enhancing the basic techniques. He introduced new applications of leverage to the art, making it easier for a smaller opponent to defeat a larger one. Thus began the development of a new art - Gracie Jiu Jitsu (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). Helio Gracie would also duplicate Maeda's boxer challenge by formally issuing a challenge to the heavyweight American champion of his own era, Joe Louis aka "The Brown Bomber." Two of Helio's sons, Rickson and Royce, also repeated this tradition by challenging Mike Tyson, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Maeda was said to have fought hundreds of fights in his career, with only two losses. Maeda thought of Jiu Jitsu and Judo as the ultimate form of self-defense. To him, western arts such as boxing and wrestling were only sports with a set of rules. Maeda's strategy in an anything goes fight was to set his opponent up with an elbow or low kick. He would then go for a throw and then finish his opponent off on the ground with a choke or joint lock. Maeda stated in his autobiography that he took Kodokan judo techniques and pared them down to the simplest, most effective methods. He took elements from taryu shiai judo (judo techniques specifically used for matches against other schools). For example, he found that boxers were relatively unaware of defenses against judo groundwork, so he concentrated on take-downs and groundwork. Maeda traveled the world and learned from his experiences and slowly developed his own unique expression of judo. When the Japanese World Champion, Kimura, encountered Helio Gracie, what he saw reminded him of the earlier judo methods that were rough and tumble. Prewar (prior to WWII) Judo had body locks, leg locks, and unusual choking techniques that were discarded because they were not legal in contest judo, which had evolved slowly over the years. In 1940, the Japanese
government offered to pay Maeda's way for a trip back to Japan in
appreciation of the unselfish assistance to Japanese immigrants. He
refused the offer, reportedly telling a friend that he wanted to finish
building a house for his family. Although, he showed no strong urge to
return to Japan, his supposed final words when he died a year later of
kidney disease were "I want to drink Japanese water, I want to go
back to Japan."
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