Jujutsu: The Evolving Art
Part 4 - Other Jujutsu Derivatives:
Judo & Gracie Jujutsu
By Tom Ross & Christopher Caile
The
work of an enamored and well educated student of jujutsu
also evolved the jujutsu into a new art now practiced
the world over - Judo. Jigoro Kano began studying
the jujutsu system of the Tenshin Shin'yo ryu (a system
known for its techniques of percussion in addition
to grappling skills) where he quickly became fascinated
and fell in love with the art.
Seeking as much knowledge as possible he went on
to study the Kito Ryu. This jujutsu system emphasized
self-perfection and specialized in throwing techniques,
practiced in kata and by a method known as Ran O toru,
meaning to take free action. Kano adopted this training
method (known today as randori) into his new system
which stressed the practice of safe techniques.
Kano did not stop there, however. He continued to
research various systems and methods throughout his
life (such as the Seikiguchiryu, a system influenced
by Sumo) as well as the seigo ryu. Kano truly loved
jujutsu and saw it as a national treasure. But, he
also feared that its disorganized and dangerous methods
of training and practice would lead to its extinction.
Kano
thus set about to create a new method which would
in essence preserve the important principles while
adapting them for safe use in order to serve multiple
objectives. He brilliantly preserved the percussive
(striking) techniques of the Tenshin Shin'yo jujutsu
but kept them separate from regular practice. They
were reserved for advanced practice due to their danger.
He also modified and adapted the throwing techniques
of the Kitoryu with the strangulation, joint locking
and immobilization techniques of the Tenshin Shin'yo,
sekiguchi, and seigoryu (amongst others). He did so
in a manner which enabled them to be applied in free
practice. He also kept the practice of Kata which
were the mainstay of most classical systems.
Kano thus developed a method which he envisioned
as an entire way of life. In his "Judo,"
he developed an art whereby the trainee kept physically
fit, perfected himself spiritually and mentally, and
also learned effective self-defense skills (albeit
modified to be more humane).
Kano's new system was not without obstacles, however,
and many of the old line classical systems held back
no criticism. This criticism was largely silenced
by a match in 1886 between his Kodokan Judo School
and that of the Yoshin ryu (jujutsu) organized by
the Tokyo police department. Kano's school won thirteen
victories, one draw and only two losses out of fifteen
individual matches. This event paved the way for acceptance
of the Kodokan Judo, and it was eventually adapted
into Japanese public school instruction as well as
various law enforcement academies and military academies.
One of Kano's greatest legacies was his adoption
of uniforms for practice, standardization of ranking
(kyu/dan systm), adoption of a belt system (white
and black belts) and development of systematized teaching
methods. So successful were his innovations, that
they were adopted throughout most all modern Japanese
martial arts (jujutsu, daito ryu, kendo, kyudo, karate,
etc.) as well as many other systems around the world.
The other great innovation of judo was the standardization
on techniques that could be safety practiced against
others, and in competition. As a result, the techniques
themselves became highly refined. Practitioners benefited
too. Continued hard practice allowed them to develop
a level of personal skill and reflexes difficult to
achieve with former jujutsu arts which could be dangerous
if practiced at full speed and power.
Kano's efforts to reform jujutsu may have been inspired
by an earlier and similar transition that happened
to sumo. In Edo (present day Tokyo) Sumo had by the
mid-1600s degenerated from ceremonial contests to
rough and tumble brawls in tournaments and street
corner pickup bouts. To check the problems the government
briefly outlawed the contests in the mid-1600's, and
they were only allowed again when an elaborate set
of rules and regulations to reduce the violence were
developed.
A Second Generation Jujutsu Derivative: Gracie
Jujutsu
It is largely the result of the development and promotion
of judo that jujutsu became known in western culture,
and it is fair to say that many jujutsu systems in
existence in the west today derive from Kodokan Judo.
In fact a great resurgence of interest in judo/jujutsu
has recently occurred in the west due to the brilliant
efforts and innovation of the Gracie family of Brazil.
Gracie Jujutsu stems from Kodokan Judo and was inspired
by the effort of a young traveling fighting instructor
by the name of Mitsuyo Maeda. Maeda, using a Nom de
Guerre, traveled throughout the world taking on all
comers, earning a living and testing the effective
application of the techniques and principles he learned
at the Kodokan. Maeda eventually settled in Brazil
and became the teacher of Carlos Gracie. Gracie's
family made further innovations and brilliant adaptations
to that which they were taught by Maeda, particularly
in the area of ground fighting.
This new branch was courageously championed and promoted
by Helio Gracie and family in the United States and
throughout the world. It can thus be said that jujutsu
is a practice that will long endure in its varying
forms and that perhaps a new meaning to the character
of "JU" may be applied in its ability to
yield to the ever-changing needs of its practitioners.
About the Authors:
Tom Ross is a retired NYC Correction Officer
who specialized in the Handling of Security Risk
group prisoners. A Yudansha in Shorinjiryu Kenzenkai
Karatedo (an Offshoot of the Shorinjiryu Kenkokan
founded by Masayoshi Hisataka), he also spent six
years studying Jujutsu (classical, modern and Brazilian).
Possessing an avid interest in the history of martial
arts and traditions he currently serves as the Research
Coordinator for FightingArts.com as well as moderating
its Martial Arts Talk forum. He additionally serves
as the moderator of the Sabaki List (which is dedicated
to various martial artists and full contact stylists)
and is a member of the International Hoplology Society.
Christopher Caile is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief
of FightingArts.com. He has been a student of the
martial arts for over 40 years and holds a 6th degree
black belt in Seido Karate and has experience in
judo, aikido, diato-ryu, boxing and several Chinese
fighting arts. He is also a long-term student of
one branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qigong.
He is a personal disciple of the qi gong master
and teacher of acupuncture Dr. Zaiwan Shen (M.D.,
Ph.D.) and is Vice-President of the DS International
Chi Medicine Association. In Buffalo, NY, he founded
the Qi gong Healing Institute and The Qi Medicine
Association at the State University of New York
at Buffalo. He has also written on Qi gong and other
health topics in a national magazine, the Holistic
Health Journal and had been filmed for a prospective
PBS presentation on Alternative Medicine. Recently
he contributed a chapter on the subject to an award
winning book on alternative medicine, "Resources
Guide To Alternative Health" produced by Health
Inform.
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