With the jujitsu system, there is more attention paid to pinning, throwing, choking and strangling techniques.  This is different than other systems of martial arts like karate.  Even though jujitsu is originally a Japanese system, there are some jujitsu schools that use some Chinese moves.

The danger of jujitsu is that with training, some of the moves can be fatal.  Students that have jujitsu classes are usually taught in an environment that is not competitive.  Because of that, there is not a lot of risk.

With jujitsu, you will find five main sectors, otherwise known as the arts of training.  The five sectors are:

• The Art of Blocking (defend against attacks)

• The Art of the Fulcrum Throw (used in judo)

• The Art of the Non-Fulcrum (throws that have very little contact)

• The Art of Escaping (used in different jujitsu styles)

• The Art of Striking (do not have body armor)

How To Martial Arts

There are different ways that people do jujitsu.  Some of the techniques used include, holds, throwing, trapping, biting, gouging, striking and kicking.  At one time, there were self-defense schools that taught their students how to use weapons, but that is no longer the case.

Jujitsu is practiced all over the world, including being used in sport form.  It has been used in the Olympic Games competitions.

Other methods of combat with jujitsu include:

• Striking (kicking and punching)

• Throwing (body throws)

• Restraining (pinning, wrestling)

• Defense moves (evading, blocking, escaping)

Sport jujitsu has many forms.  One of the most popular is judo, which has been implemented into the Olympic Games.  Mixed-style competitions are the ones that are most seen at these Games.  With these competitions, there are throws, strikes and holds in order for the competitors to get points.

• The students learn traditional jujitsu methods by looking at the instructors and doing what they do.

• Atemi can focus on weak parts of the body.  It breaks up a balance for a lock, throw or a take-down.

• The body of the defender can take full advantage of the weakness of their opponent.  In the meantime, they can choose to use some openings or weak spots.

• An attacker’s momentum is increased to put a joint in a difficult position.  For a take-down or a throw, the balance is broken.

Jujitsu has a lot of different compartments.  It is the catalyst for different styles.  When instructors implement new methods than the original ones, they end up creating their own.  Some of the original material has been changed that it is not considered to be a jujitsu style.

Some martial arts that have been affected by jujitsu are:

• Bartitsu

• Judo

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Since their opponent would use ways that were undesirable, the attacker had to counter with techniques that could overpower the opponent.  They were considered a defense for the attacker against the opponent.

Biting

The target spots for biting are the ears, nose and fingers.  This technique can be used for            attacks such as bear hugs.  Biting can also be used where a person can attack their        opponent’s face, hand or fingers.

Gouging

Gouging is a poking technique that attacks the eyes or genital areas of the body.  This    distracts the opponent and causes them great pain.  This technique is used as an attack            method of when one is defending themselves from an opponent.  When a person gouges        an attacker’s eyes, they can control their opponent’s balance.

Poking

When you are poking, you target the pressure points of the eyes.  This is good to use to defend yourself against grabs from your opponent.  It can also be used for grappling         purposes.  If the opponent is winning over you, it can be used as a defense mechanism.            With poking, you would use your fingers and knuckles.

Grasping

With the grasping method, you can attack the groin or any sensitive area of the body.  In           order to apply this technique, you can distract your opponent by causing pain.  The areas            affected by this include the ears, hair, nipples, and skin.

Atemi is when you strike the pressure points or psychological areas of an opponent.  What this does is the opponent cannot move around to strike back.  Atemi is used to strike the body so that it will trigger a psychological reaction.  It can also be used to distract an opponent and causes the opponent to try another technique.

Takedown

A takedown is when an opponent is dragged to the floor using the attacker’s body weight.  They can also be taken to the floor if their attacker uses a strike against them.  The legs of the opponent are such where they cannot move.  The opponent gets floored using brutal force.  The balance may be broken by tricking the motion of the opponent.  With takedowns a lot of strength is used from the body and when the balance is broken, it’s just broken.  There is no skill to it.

With the different styles of jujitsu, there are various ways that the techniques are applied.  Here are some of the applications and how they are applied to this sport:

Rolling

A forward shoulder roll involves rolls using the palm-down and palm-up method.  A backward should roll requires landing on your hip on the far side, in the palm down method.

Arm Bars

When performing an arm bar technique, some use a “hand open” method.  Others simply use their fist.  With both techniques, there is supposedly increased power.  However, it has been proven that the closed fist method provides more of an advantage.  This helps to prevent fingers from having an accident or getting snagged in the process.

Wrist Locks

Wrist locks use the bottom three fingers without the index finger.  Other methods use the top three fingers without the pinky.  Both methods have the same effect to not block the wrist of the opponent with this technique.

Grappling

The difference with grappling is if the style of it is considered a sport or is it a need for training for self-defense purposes.  Both are legit, and there is some overlap with the training.  However, there will be differences.  With the self-defense portion, there are factors in regard to the position of grappling.  With the sport, the main focus is to get up and away as quickly as you can.

In martial arts, a throw is a techniques used in grappling.  A throw can pick up an opponent and toss them on the ground.  This techniques uses rotation in order for it to be effective.  The person that does the throw is not in sync with their opponent and comes up on their feet.

They can also use what is called a “top position”.  This is when the person that initiates the throw connects with the opponent.  There are certain techniques in throwing that are referred to as “sacrifice throws”.  These throws consist of the person allowing themselves to be at a disadvantage.  They will be on the ground in order to perform a throw.

There are different types of throws in martial arts.  One of the better known ones is judo.  It has plenty of techniques for throwing and they consider them one of their special ones.  The names of the different throws are connected with Jujitsu throws.

The Japanese have been known to do it this way.  In western martial arts, they give them names in English, primarily so their students will know them.

Here are the types of throws associated with Jujitsu:

• Leg throws – Leg throws consist of reaps and trips.  A leg reap is when a person uses a leg to gather up one of both legs of their opponent from the ground.  The weight of the opponent is on the leg that is taken up.

The attacked is able to control the body of the opponent using their hands.  This causes the opponent to lose their balance and fall.  A leg trip uses the attacker lifting the leg instead of gathering it up.  When the opponent’s leg is lifted, it is being pulled up and swung away.

• Shoulder throws – This type of throw is used when throwing the opponent from the ground over the attacker’s shoulder.  A shoulder drop is when an opponent is dropped to the ground and pulled over the shoulder.

• Hip throws – The thrower’s hip is used by putting the hip in a lower position.  It would be lower than the opponent’s midpoint of gravity.  Beginners usually learn O Goshi.  With judo, hip throws are referred to as Koshi Waza.

• Pick-ups – When a pick-up is performed, the opponent is lifted from the ground and then brought down again.  Pick-ups are used in techniques such as hand throws and the double leg takedown.

• Sacrifice throws – The thrower is disadvantaged and may fall to the ground.  When the body falls, there is additional strength with the throws.  During the effect, there is not much strength.

Strike – A strike is performed using a weapon or your body.  It’s performed to affect their opponent or to cause harm to them.  There are different kinds of strikes.  One is an attack using their fist which is referred to as a punch; using the leg or foot is called a kick; using the head is called a head butt.

Principles of Striking

In martial arts, strikes are performed with your body.  Martial artists learn them through constant repetitions being trained by an instructor.  The instructor must be qualified to do this.

Here are some of the principles of striking that martial artists employ for themselves:

• Breathing – A shout works to tighten the muscles at the beginning of impact.  This works to scare the opponent.  Strikers will exhale once they get close to their opponent.  Controlling your breathing is used to get your body relaxed during a period of not attacking.

• Footwork – In order to balance your body, you need the right footwork.  This helps to support a mixture of strikes and start strikes from the right area.  This is not the easiest part of striking.  You have energy coming from your legs and taking the advantage to throw combinations.  When you’re doing this, your footwork must be in exact form.

• Muscular Tension – As a striker, your muscles get tense while you are trying to relax during the strike.  Your muscles are tense during impact, and then they relax again to withdraw the striking.  When you relax, the strike is allowed to get as much speed while it’s traveling.  There is the highest transfer of force during impact.

• Combinations – In order for strikers to get strikes to impact their opponent, they can use different techniques to do this.  The attacks are aimed at different parts of your body.  The strongest force uses a certain technique.

• Penetration – Strikers should shoot for getting at least 4 – 6 inches behind the surface of the target.  This helps to bring the maximum energy to it.  When a striker is in combat, they should try to strike through the target and not just the surface.

• Focus – Strikers can force through an attacker’s body.  However, make it a small area of the body.  When you as a striker, focus on that, you can get penetration and enlarge the impact damage.

• Gravity – Gravity helps strikes that start upward and come downward and elbows that come downward and stomp kicks.

• Summation of Force – Muscles use a certain sequence to get as much force as possible.  Strikes can be done by moving body weight that will hold up the blow.  This is different than an arm or a leg that strikes.

• Timing and Rhythm – The memory of muscle, along with repetitious moves are use to begin strikes.  The momentum has a flow and there is a knowing that there will be some type of action.  The striker can have an edge if the flow is interrupted.

• Telegraphing – This is when the striking body is moved before the blow occurs.  This lets the opponent know that the strike possibly won’t be effective.  The weapon that is striking should be the first to move.  Then the body should move after it.  For this to be effective there has to be precise footwork and distancing.

• Deception – Distractions are used to throw off how strikers are going to attack.  They will use things such as noise, hand movements, switching guard positions, etc.  These gestures help to trick their opponent and they end up letting their guard down.

• Attack Level – The level of attack can differ.  If can be a kick to the ribs or the opponent’s head getting jabbed.  When strikers use various levels of attack on their opponent, the opponent’s guard is let down.