Ju-Jitsu

Ju-Jitsu/Judo is an ancient Japanese Martial Art which utilizes throws, hold downs, joint locks, chokes, strikes, kicks and pressure point manipulations. Ju-Jitsu is the core or father art which forms the technical basis of Judo, Aikido and some forms of Karate. Ju-Jitsu is known for the practicality of it's self-defense techniques and emphasis placed on grappling and ground work."Jū" can be translated to mean "gentle, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding." "Jutsu" can be translated to mean "art" or "technique" and represents manipulating the opponent's force against himself rather than confronting it with one's own force.J

As a "soft" art, Ju-Jitsu systems generally employ the principles of balance, leverage, and momentum to overcome opponents. This is in contrast to "hard" systems (for example, some styles of Kenpo and TaeKwonDo) that tend to train on developing power, speed, and strength.

    • Ju-Jitsu emphasizes joint-locking techniques, that is, threatening a joint's integrity by placing pressure on it in a direction opposite its normal function. Joints are aligned so that muscular strength cannot be brought to bear, thus allowing take-downs, throws or a combination of take-downs and joint-locks.

    • Sometimes, Ju-Jitsu strikes targeted areas on some vulnerable parts of the body; this is an aspect of moving the opponent off balance to set-up for a lock, take-down or throw.

    • Movements tend to capitalize on an attacker's momentum and openings in order to place a joint in a compromised position or to break the balance.

    • The defender's own body is positioned so as to take optimal advantage of the attacker's weaknesses while simultaneously presenting few openings or weaknesses of its own.