Jujitsu

Jujitsu is very similar to Judo in that it is a ground/grappling art, meaning it will feel more like wrestling than Karate or Tae Kwon Do. Jujitsu will teach you how to leverage your opponents' size and energy agains them, making it an excellent self-defense art for smaller body sizes. Also, since a majority of street fights end up on the ground, ground/grappling styles will help you pin your opponent and end the fight with the least amount of physical harm as possible.

Meaning
Translation: “Gentle Art”
Origin: Japan
Major Influences: Some believe a Chinese priest, Chin Genpin, brought the art of Kempo to Japan, which the Japanese then incorporated their skills. Others deem the art naturally developed in feudal Japan. Historians agree, though, Jujitsu is a pure Japanese martial art.

History
Practiced by the Samurai class to complement their weapon skills as an unarmed form of combat against armed warriors. Jujitsu incorporates various grappling techniques that either disarm an attacker or puts them in a submissive position by using their opponent’s energy to defeat them. Also known as the father of Japanese martial arts, Jujitsu is considered the foundation of modern day Karate-Do.

Two Main Styles of Jujitsu

Japanese Jujitsu - Japan is where Jujitsu originated from and thus this is more traditional in its style and how it is taught. It will focus more on training and perfecting forms and less on sport or competition. Since Jujitsu was originally a form used in war, there are some "dirtier" techniques still included that warriors used to save their lives. Now-adays, these have bene toned down a bit and are primarily taught for purposes of self-defense.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is very similar to Japanese Jujitsu in form and technique, however Brazillian Jiu-jitsu is much more competitive. Most people learning Brazillian Jiu-jitsu do so for the sport. But don't let that stop you if your best local dojo teaches Brazilian...then can't make you compete. ;)

Links
If you want to research more about Jujitsu, here are some hand-picked sites:
GrappleArts | Wikipedia - Jujutsu

Example Video




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