| Although the term was not coined until the 17th | | | | momentum against them. |
| century, jujitsu is famed for being the unarmed | | | | Law and order |
| combat method of the samurai. The art forms | | | | Modern jujitsu traditions were founded toward the |
| the basis of judo and Brazilian jujitsu and | | | | end of the Edo period (1603-1868) when more |
| incorporates pins, joint locks, and throws. It is | | | | than 2,000 schools existed in Japan. It was, and |
| particularly effective in one-on-one confrontations. | | | | remains, an extremely popular art. Forms of the |
| Techniques | | | | system are employed by many law-enforcement |
| An important aspect of jujitsu training is learning | | | | institutions, the most famous being taiho jutsu, |
| how to break a fall effectively. Practitioners | | | | which is used by the Tokyo police. Jujitsu is also |
| employ a unique method of absorbing force when | | | | used by police forces worldwide. |
| being thrown; slapping the ground with their free | | | | Nakamura Ryu |
| arm so that the shock and disorientation of | | | | The basis of this modern martial art is best |
| sudden impact is greatly reduced when the rest | | | | described through the words of its founder, |
| of the body makes contact. | | | | Nakamura Taizaburo: "While teaching kenjutsu in |
| Although jujitsu means "the art of softness," it is | | | | Northern China, I was inspired with the thought |
| a deadly, combat-orientated art, intended to | | | | that "eiji happo," the eight rules of calligraphy, |
| disable opponents as quickly as possible- often | | | | could also be applied to the rules of |
| using their own energy, weight, and momentum | | | | swordsmanship. As I practiced the "ei" character |
| against them. | | | | [this is to calligraphy what "doh ray me" is to |
| The samurai connection | | | | music], I saw in my mind that these eight strokes |
| In jujutsu's original form, common samurai | | | | of the brush traced the trajectories of the sword |
| battlefield weapons would have been used. The | | | | when cutting. The first brushstroke, "souk," is the |
| combat style also comes from its samurai | | | | thrust of the sword tip; the second, "roku," is the |
| past-the grappling techniques enabled a lightly | | | | left and right horizontal cuts; the third stroke, "do," |
| armed warrior to fight an armor-clad enemy. | | | | is the vertical cut, and so on." |
| Although Jujutsu was the secondary fighting | | | | Nakamura was held in high esteem in Japan. In |
| system used by Samurai warriors behind the | | | | 1992, 11 years before his death, he was given the |
| sword they were excellent grapplers. It would | | | | highest cultural award in Japan-the status of |
| even allow the Saumurai to us this martial arts | | | | National Living Treasure. |
| while wielding the sword while using the opponents | | | | |