Tag Archives: Jujutsu

THE REAL SECRETS OF JUJUTSU Jigoro Kano was a young man, already seriously involved in education, and he saw the trend of his nation. Things were changing. The emperor was leading a charge into the next century, trying to modernize Japan as quickly as possible. This was causing Japan to disregard it’s indigenous arts in favor of Western culture. While ...

No system has had a greater influence on the development of the modern martial arts than the one known as Daito Ryu. Known primarily as an Aikijujutsu system, according to the students of Sokaku Takeda, the system was actually much more comprehensive in nature than just being an Aikijujutsu, empty hand, system of combat. Like most ancient Ryu, the system was designed to teach total combat to the practitioners from every weapon of the time, to combat skills applicable to Ashigaru (foot soldiers), as well as, Bushi, the upper echelon of the Samurai clans. Thus Daito Ryu as a Bujutsu or Bugei, martial arts system, taught Jujutsu, Aikijujutsu, and weaponry.

Many people are interested in teaching grappling skills, but too many of them have only a peripheral knowledge of grappling skill and that from the perspective of sport Judo, which taught techniques developed only for sport, not intended for combat. Now I am sure this supposition needs to be explained from a historical point of view, and the answer is actually quit simple.

In the history of Japan there are many traditions. Prior to the development of Jujutsu as a separate art there were originally many variations of the empty hand arts in the country. It is said that the oldest primary fighting art was called Kumi Uchi, meaning grappling and striking. Once the Samurai took to wearing armor for protection against arms, the art developed into Yoroi Kumi Uchi, meaning armored grappling and striking.

In the winter of 1914, a fourteen year old boy ran away from his Pennsylvania home intent on seeing the world and to accomplish this he would lie about his age and join the Army. He was a large boy, larger than most men in his community. You had to b 16 years old or have your parent’s permission in those days to enlist.