What is Ju Jitsu
Ju jitsu (柔術, also spelled as jujutsu, jujitsu, jiu jitsu, jiu jutsu, jitsu, jutsu) literally meaning the "art of softness" or "Gentle Art", is a Japanese martial art consisting primarily of grappling techniques. Jujitsu evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for dispatching an armed and armored opponent in situations where the use of weapons was impractical or forbidden. Due to the difficulty of dispatching an armored opponent with striking techniques, the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it, and came to be known as ju jitsu.
The term "jūjutsu" was not coined until the 17th century, after which time it became a blanket term for a wide variety of grappling-related disciplines. Prior to that time, these skills had names such as "short sword grappling" (小具足腰之周, kogusoku koshi no mawari), "grappling" (組討 or 組打, kumiuchi), "body art" (体術, taijutsu), "softness" (柔 or 和, yawara), "art of harmony" (和術, wajutsu), "catching hand" (捕手, torite), and even the "way of softness" (柔道, jūdō) (as early as 1724, almost two centuries before Kano Jigoro founded the modern art of judo).
There are many variations of the art which leads to a diversity of approaches. Ju jitsu schools (ryu) may utilize all forms of grappling techniques to some degree (i.e. throwing, trapping, joint locking, holds, gouging, biting, disengagements, striking, and kicking). In addition to ju jitsu, many schools taught the use of weapons.
Today, ju jitsu is still practiced both as it was hundreds of years ago, but also in modified forms for sport practice. The Olympic sport and martial art of judo was developed from several traditional styles of ju jitsu by Kano Jigoro in the late 19th century. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed after Mitsuyo Maeda taught judo in Brazil, but at that time was still often referred to as "Kano Jiu-Jitsu" or simply "Jiu-Jitsu".
