The Japanese martial art of Jiu Jitsu mainly employs unarmed techniques to disable an opponent, though weapons are sometimes used.  Its primary aim is to teach practitioners unarmed strategies for stopping an armed foe.  Just like other martial art forms, jiu-jitsu has evolved throughout the centuries to include a variety of forms and techniques.

What Sets Jiu Jitsu Apart from Other Martial Arts?

Jiu Jitsu was developed by samurai in feudal Japan as a way for the unarmed warrior to fight against armed samurai.  Punches, kicks, and other direct attacks were simply not as effective in fighting an armed opponent, so jiu-jitsu emphasized quickly immobilizing the enemy through pins, holds, and throws.  These techniques turned the enemy samurai's momentum back on him as a way to stop him quickly, rather than wasting time with futile, direct attacks.

Jiu Jitsu is considered a "soft" martial art.  In fact, the literal translation of the term is "the art of softness" or "way of yielding."  Like other soft martial art forms, Jiu Jitsu's core philosophy is stopping an enemy through balance and leverage techniques that turn an enemy's energy back against him.  In contrast, "hard" martial arts like Karate and Kung Fu employ direct attacks that require force, speed, and strength.

Different martial arts emphasize various forms of combat.  As an example, Tae Kwon Do focuses on kicking, whereas Judo emphasizes wrestling.  In contrast to these martial art forms, jiu-jitsu focuses on grappling.

While "grappling" seems a lot like wrestling, it does have some important and subtle distinctions.  Grappling techniques include both evasive and disabling techniques like joint locks (see below), trapping, pinning, holding, and throwing.  Other techniques include gouging, biting, strangling, and choking.  Defensive techniques used in Jiu Jitsu include breaking one's falls and learning to disengage from an opponent's grasp.

Joint-locks, as the name implies, are a technique that pressures a joint in the opposite direction of the way it is meant to bend.  Not only does this immobilize the opponent's limb to keep it from being used against you, but it also causes more pain the more the enemy struggles.  This encourages your opponent to give up.  American police officers are taught to use this technique to subdue dangerously aggressive criminals.

Why Should I Consider Learning Jiu Jitsu?

Jiu Jitsu is great as a tool for self-defense.  It teaches you how to get away from an attacker, and you learn how to immobilize an assailant without necessarily causing permanent harm.  It also teaches the important principle of escalation of force.

Say, for example, you are attacked by a rapist or mugger.  First, realize that the longer you stay to fight your attacker, the more likely it is that your assailant will overwhelm you.  When you consider that criminals often travel in packs or pairs, getting away quickly is even more crucial.  Your best chance of escaping serious harm is to quickly break free and head for a well-lit, public area.  Your attacker, on the other hand, will try to immobilize you and get you out of the public eye.  Jiu Jitsu provides you with techniques to get away from your attacker.

Second, if you are only trained in a technique that involves seriously injuring someone, you could face legal trouble.  Whether you are fighting in a barroom brawl, or dealing with a mugger on the street, you could face a civil suit or even criminal charges if you injure or kill the person.  By using techniques to break away from your attacker, or simply immobilizing or subduing the person without inflicting serious harm, you can avoid these potential problems.

Escalation of force teaches you to only use the amount of force necessary to deal with an opponent.  A mugger carrying a knife on the mean streets of New York City is entirely different from Cousin Eddie who's had a few too many drinks and is stirring up trouble at a family gathering.

It should be obvious that both of these issues need to be addressed, but you will use far less force to restrain Cousin Eddie than you would in dealing with a mugger.  By teaching techniques like joint-locks, holds, and pins, Jiu Jitsu lets you deal effectively with both of these instances.  You can pin Cousin Eddie until he gets his act together without seriously injuring him.  But, if you need to, you can throw your mugger down to disarm and daze him, allowing you to escape injury.

The information on this site is taken from secondary sources and is given in good faith. It should not be regarded as scientific or expert advice in its own right. We recommend you conduct your own research with expert sources prior to engaging or applying any technique mentioned here.