Jitsu began as a battlefield martial art, developed by the Samurai to deal with armed opponents when they had lost their weapons. Over the generations, it has been developed by many different people into many different things. “JuJutsu,” “Jiu Jitsu,” and “Ju Jitsu” are all variations on the translation of one thing; yielding art. There are of course numerous variations beyond that that highlight individual approaches to a more general term for a grappling style of fighting. The one thing that many of the styles of Jitsu have in common is that they involve movement, locking or throwing to achieve positive result. My intention today is to tell you a little about the two popular forms of Jiu Jitsu, being Brazilian and traditional Japanese.
Japanese Jiu Jitsu
Traditional Japanese Jitsu is more in line with the original form of the art, in that it is more reminiscent of Samurai fighting . A defender will block or evade an attack and then use that momentum to perform a technique, which could be any number of things. Many Dojo around the world will use this martial art as a way to practice self-defense from realistic situations involving multiple attackers or weapons, as what was effective hundreds of years ago, can be adapted for use today. Some Japanese JuJitsu schools use lots of different approaches though, so self-defense is by no means "The Rule."
As an example of a technique that might be used, a defender will deflect an attack in whatever way they can and should they then have an opportunity to turn their body away while still holding onto a wrist, they can then twist that wrist back inwards, inflicting pain and diffusing the attack. The movement of the body is what generates the power. This technique is called “Kote Gaeshi” or quite simply, “Wrist Twist” and can be seen in many styles of Japanese Jiu Jitsu and its derivatives.
Another example would be "Ippon Seoi Nage" in which an attacker's momentum is carried over the top of the defender and plunged toward the ground. For more information on this technique, please visit the article: How to do Ippon Seoi Nage. For more examples, please look to this list of basic techniques.
It's possible that you might find your training in Japanese Jiu Jitsu to reflect what you might expect from a very old martial arts dojo. However, that is by no means the rule and your training could involve any number of methods and approaches. Etiquette may or may not be stressed and Japanese commands may be used quite often. Although there may be some shouting and a bit of growth through intimidation, the environment should be encouraging and fun. It’s a fantastic way to learn self-defense. For more information, please visit another article; The History of Japanese Jiu Jitsu.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
There is a saying that 90% of fights end up on the ground. Knowing how to defend yourself while on the ground should then become paramount in your defensive training. This is where some schools of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have developed to focus upon. Especially in the last few years, this particular style has become incredibly popular, due to fun training environments and competitions appealing to all and the rise in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts fighting, which can sometimes feature ground-grappling prominently.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (or BJJ) uses movement and body position while on the ground to subdue opponents with hold downs or locking techniques, designed to generate a win through tap-out. The art also features throwing techniques, just like Japanese Jiu Jitsu. BJJ is very deep, involving countless counters, techniques, ideas and movements. It is a constantly evolving art, as players begin to become knowledgeable of regular techniques and learn to counter them.
BJJ Dojo can vary in type. You may be required to wear a Gi to train in or you may not. The environment could be traditional and use etiquette or everything may be very laid back and relaxed. As with all martial arts though, you will get out of your training what you put it. Concentration on the ground game can be incredibly rewarding and fun.
So what’s the Difference?
The difference is really that BJJ is more likely to have more training on the ground while JJJ could be any thing involving the manipulation of joints. It is less likely that a school focusing on self-defense will have competitions, but in BJJ, they are likely to be commonplace. In terms of which will be more fun or more effective; it depends on who you are, what you're looking for and how much is put into the training. Any Martial Art can be useful or useless, depending on how you train and how you listen to the instruction you're given. Whatever it is you choose to train in – pay attention, train hard and have fun!
Stuart Cooke - After being born and raised in the South of England, Stu moved to Bermuda for his teenage years. This was to shape his future, first ...
