Jiu jitsu
Created | Updated Sep 15, 2003
Jiu jitsu is a martial art with its origins in techniques developed by bushi warriors (samurai) in medieval Japan. Known to purists as jujutsu, there are a number of different spellings and even names, including yawara and sometimes simply “jitsu”.
Over the centuries, the art has developed to include techniques to grapple opponents to the ground and restrain them using a variety of locking, strangling or choking techniques. Atemi (strikes to vital areas) are also used, and some styles also focus on pressure points.
A jiujitsuka(1) learns techniques to defend against armed and unarmed opponents. The focus is on techniques in which the practitioner does not use weapons; there are also a number of techniques in which minor weapons such as coshes are used defensively. Centuries ago, the main weapons to worry about would be the swords and knives. In modern times, these same techniques can be used to defend against baseball bats and even, at close quarters, handguns. In the modern jiu jitsu dojo, students may learn to defend against punches, kicks, knives, bottles, broken bottles and coshes right from the word go.
(1) practitioner of jiu jitsu
Note 15/9/03 ...yep, this is a work in progress, still at the beginning. Hopefully I'll finish it by October. If you're crying out for info on jiu jitsu in the meantime, check out www.planetjitsu.com
--MardiGra :)
Over the centuries, the art has developed to include techniques to grapple opponents to the ground and restrain them using a variety of locking, strangling or choking techniques. Atemi (strikes to vital areas) are also used, and some styles also focus on pressure points.
A jiujitsuka(1) learns techniques to defend against armed and unarmed opponents. The focus is on techniques in which the practitioner does not use weapons; there are also a number of techniques in which minor weapons such as coshes are used defensively. Centuries ago, the main weapons to worry about would be the swords and knives. In modern times, these same techniques can be used to defend against baseball bats and even, at close quarters, handguns. In the modern jiu jitsu dojo, students may learn to defend against punches, kicks, knives, bottles, broken bottles and coshes right from the word go.
(1) practitioner of jiu jitsu
Note 15/9/03 ...yep, this is a work in progress, still at the beginning. Hopefully I'll finish it by October. If you're crying out for info on jiu jitsu in the meantime, check out www.planetjitsu.com
--MardiGra :)
