Japan’s
history and martial culture is that of an island people preoccupied
with their own destiny. Yet, Japan was profoundly influenced by other
Asian cultures. Chinese and even Korean cultures influenced Japan’s
early martial arts, writing, government and religion. Japan absorbed
these outside influences and assimilated them into something uniquely
Japanese. For centuries feudal Japan was locked into various power
struggles for the control of rice fields known as fiefs. Throughout
Japan’s history Emperors ruled while Shoguns and Japanese warlords lead
powerful armies against one another. Only after the country was united
under Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 did a relative peace come to the land.
Thereafter, military dictators or Shoguns ruled Japan and adopted an
isolationist policy, keeping foreigners out. In 1853 the west forced
the beginning of trade relations and the modernization of Japan. In
1868 the Meiji restoration was begun and a country with a feudal
society was transformed into an international industrialized nation in
only half a century. By 1931, Japan had adopted a military expansionist
policy, which lead the nation into World War II. After the war, Japan
once again rebuilt itself to become a major world economic power. By
the end of the nineteenth century, the ancient samurai martial
disciplines of bujutsu took on a new philosophical outlook called “do”
or the way. Japan’s martial arts then began to spread to western
cultures. The emphasis of the ancient martial arts was now changed to
self-perfection, character development and spirituality. The art of
Jujitsu, which was forged during centuries of warfare became formalized
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and the various styles were
created. Jujitsu, which almost completely died out in Japan has now
risen again in popularity on the contemporary scene.
Jujitsu
is Japan’s art of unarmed combat. It can be traced back over 2,000
years to Japan’s ancient past. The term Jujitsu (also Jujutsu) is
composed of two Japanese characters, Ju meaning gentle or yielding and
Jitsu meaning art or technique. It has been noted that Jujitsu
developed in response to the scenario in which an unarmed man defended
himself against weapons. The idea behind this theory being that weapons
such as swords and spears were developed first and that Jujitsu was
developed later. Additionally, the classical warrior of Japan was clad
entirely in armor. This made the use of atemi or striking
techniques with bare hands and feet ineffective. Therefore, it is only
natural that the samurai or bushi used his sword as his primary weapon
[at long range] and that close quarter individual combat was characterized by Kumiuchi or grappling methods. Jujitsu
then was originally a secondary system of defense used only after the
classical warrior made use of his weapons and then closed with
opponent. Only in the modern era, as the frequency of warfare on the
field of battle declined, did ryu or styles specialize solely in
empty-hand tactics and de-emphasize the use of weapons as a primary
combative resource.
Ju
Jitsu, as an art of Japanese unarmed combat, developed from many
sources within Japan. It also absorbed techniques, which found their
way to Japan from other Asian countries, mainly China. Chinese Shaolin
fighting techniques, especially atemi or striking were incorporated
into Ju Jitsu.
Jujitsu can be traced back to Japan’s distant past to the Kojiki - Records of Ancient Matters where the ancient gods Kajima and Kadori used the art to chastise the lawless inhabitants
of an eastern province. The earliest recorded mention of Jujitsu in
Japanese mythology occurs during the period 772-481 BCE when
open-handed techniques were used during the Choon Chu Era of China. In
230 BCE , a wrestling art developed in Japan known as Chikura Kurabe
and was integrated into Jujitsu training. Another well- documented
legend that chronicles Jujitsu’s history from the distant past is a
tale about two champions who were pitted against one another in mortal
combat. The bout took place in the seventh year of the reign of Emperor
Suinin (29 BCE - 70 AD) One man was an imperial guard named Taema no
Kuehaya, “A noble of great strength” and the other man was a champion
from Izumo Province named Nomi no Sukune. It seems in those days,
almost any technique was permissible in order to subdue an opponent. In
their bout only one man survived the contest. It was Sukune. He smashed
Kuehaya’s ribs with a kick, threw him to the ground and stomped him to
death by crushing his loins (fracturing his hip bone). About
the beginning of the Christian era, two thousand years ago, there is
also a mention of the development of wrestling and related techniques
that served as the origin of Jujitsu. In fact, there is a noticeable
relationship between the ancient Sumo wrestling techniques and Jujitsu.
A number of Jujitsu schools developed from 23 BCE on. There is also
evidence that empty-handed techniques, used in conjunction with the
samurai warrior’s weapon training, were in use during the Heian period
(ca. 784 AD).
However,
it is generally accepted that the first Jujitsu school documented in
Japan’s ancient records was organized by Prince Teijin Fujiwara who was
the sixth son of Emperor Seiwa Fujiwara (850-880 AD), Japan’s 56th
emperor. The techniques of Teijin’s Jujitsu were passed on to his son
Tsunemoto. Tsunemoto was later given the name Minamoto. Teijin’s
descendants are known as the Seiwa Genji and they became some of
Japan’s most powerful warriors. One of the most well known of the Seiwa
Genji was General Yoshimitsu Minamoto (d. 1120). He is also known as
Yoshitsune and is depicted in many woodblock prints. He contributed
greatly to the further advancement of Jujitsu. He perfected ways of
using atemi or striking techniques and kansetsu waza, joint locking
techniques. He realized that a warrior’s wrists and hands were
unprotected by the samurai’s armor. So, he developed techniques to be
used against these joints or vulnerable areas. He is known to have
dissected the bodies of criminals and war dead in order to better
understand human body mechanics. Later, he lived in the Daito mansion
of eastern Japan. It is believed that this is how the Minamoto style
came to be known as Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu. It is this
form of Jujitsu that gave rise to Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu, the
predecessor of modern Aikido. General Yoshimitsu’s son, Yoshikiyu, who
inherited the techniques of the Ryu lived in the province of Kai. It is
said that the family name was changed to Takeda at this time. This is
how the system came to be known as Takeda Ryu Aikijujitsu.
Most
of the credit for founding the “formal art of Japanese Jujitsu” is
attributed to Takeuchi Hisamori (also, Takenouchi) who formed the
Takeuchi Ryu school of Jujitsu in Japan in the year of Tenmon (1532).
Takeuchi is known as “the father of Jujitsu” and it is believed that
his system of Jujitsu was completely originated inside of Japan without
any outside influences [from China] and that by 1532 Takeuchi Ryu was a
complete Jujitsu system and fighting art. Takeuchi Ryu specializes in
immobilizaton techniques and short range weapons such as the Tanto,
Japanese dagger. The style was very popular and many samurai warriors studied its techniques and methods.
Another
source of technical information came to Jujitsu via China. Around 1530
it is believed that a Japanese man by the name of Shirobei Akiyama from
Nagasaki went to China to study Chinese medicine. However, he also
learned 28 methods of resuscitation, bone setting , body massage (jap.
Shiatsu) and joint manipulation (articulation) as well as Chinese
combative methods. He later founded the Yoshin Ryu school or willow
hearted school based on the Chinese concept of pliability. The legend
regarding the founding of Yoshin Ryu states that Aikiyama after
returning from China spent a long winter night in a monastery. While
looking out the monastery window he noticed a heavy snow was falling.
As he watched, the snow began to pile up on the branches of a cherry
tree. Eventually, as the load increased, the cherry tree snapped and
broke because of the tree’s resistance to the weight of the snow.
Alongside the cherry tree was a willow tree. Snow piled up on its
branches as well. However, as the snow was piling up on its branches it
bent with the load and then suddenly sprang back shedding its burden of
snow. Supposedly, this provided the inspiration for Akiyama to name his
school Yoshin Ryu, the willow hearted school.
This
was followed by Hideyoshi Toyotomi who returned from Korea to Japan. He
brought Chuan Fa and Korean Tang Su, punching and nerve striking skills
to Japan, which were incorporated into Jujitsu.
Another influence on Jujitsu came when a Buddhist monk by the name of Chin
Gempei (Chinese, Ch’en Yuan-Pin; 1587-1674), migrated from China to
Japan. He brought kenpo or Chinese empty-hand fighting techniques with
him. During his stay in Japan from 1644 to 1648 he resided at the
Kokuseiji temple in Azabu, Edo. Three ronin named Shichiroemon Fukuno,
Yojiemon Miura and Jirouemon Isogai lived with Chin and studied his
methods of kenpo. Later, each one of these samurai developed Jujitsu
systems of their own. As a result, the Chinese fighting techniques,
especially atemi or strikirrg were incorporated into Ju Jutsu.
Sometimes Chin is credited with the founding of the Kito Ryu style of
Jujitsu.
During the Tokugawa era (1603-1868), known as the golden age of Jujitsu, the art
continued
to flourish as part of the samurai warrior’s training. During this time
Jujitsu grew in popularity and developed even further. Over the course
of about fifty years during the Kanei, Manji and Kanbun eras
(1624-1673) numerous Jujitsu experts established schools and the art
was taught widely. These schools were known as Yawara, Taijutsu,
Kumiuchi, Kenpo, Torite, Kogusoku and Taido, etc. Yawara is another
name for Jujitsu and made use of a short stick for atemi and applying
pressure to nerve points. Taijutsu literally means body arts;
Kumiuchi
implies grappling; Kenpo is a term used to infer a striking method and
Torite impilies joint locking and controlling an opponent. These
systems all included throwing techniques, strangling, joint locking and
striking techniques. Each Ryu specialized in some method of attack or
defense and used the concept of Ju, i.e. pliancy or flexibility.
Because the Tokugawa Bakafu (tent government) prohibited the carrying
of swords by commoners it increased interest in unarmed methods of
combat. Actually, at this point Jujitsu split into two directions or
mainstreams of development. One was the original secondary system of
the classical warrior and the other was a new kind of law enforcement defensive tactic used to preserve law and order within an otherwise peaceful society.
During
the Edo period (1603-1868), the golden age of Jujitsu, there was a
shift in emphasis from weapons training as a primary subject of study
within each ryu to training in empty hand techniques. The is
characterized by the fact that Takenouchi Ryu added some purely empty
hand techniques called torite or restraining methods to its
syllabus at this time. Another style called Yagyu Shigan Ryu developed
about this time and developed many empty hand tactics and grappling
methods as part of its training repertoire. Indeed, even Miyamoto
Musashi, Japan’s greatest swordsman studied Yawara ge an earlier name for Jujitsu) which was a method
of grappling using no weapons. It is also obvious that during this
period of further development, Jujitsu used many techniques derived from sumo, an
ancient form of Japanese wrestling. Although, sumo which dates back to
Chikara Kurabe, which was a form of wrestling practiced as early as 230
BCE, was an integral part of festivals and other public events.
However, even though there is a relationship between sumo and the
martial arts of the samurai i.e., Jujitsu, sumo was always a sport and
never a martial art or battlefield method of the Bushi or samurai warrior class.
The
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were an era in which the formal
schools of Jujitsu developed. The various ryu, in a time of relative
peace, were systematized from countless methods of unarmed combat from
the warrior culture of previous centuries. Additionally, it is also
quite clear that many Jujitsu techniques such as kiri otoshi
(literally: cutting drop) were derived from the manipulation of
weapons. The tactics of weapons such as swords and spears inspired many
unarmed techniques.
There
were certain original or “mother schools” from which many of the
variant and numerous styles of Jujitsu developed. Almost every school
claimed a lineage (keizu) or genealogy to link the
style to past masters of some “mother school” or original teaching.
(Perhaps, a manifestation of ancestor worship from the Shinto and
Buddhist religions). Thus insuring a purity of origin so necessary and
so unique to Japanese martial culture. A case in point is Tenjin
Shin’yo Ryu, which has a lineage to and is a combination of Yoshin Ryu
and Shin no Shindo Ryu. Another style, which is an example of a
hereditary ryu (blood line) as opposed to a ryu ha that
claims at least twelve generations of masters within its genealogy or
bloodline is Takenouchi Ryu. This cultural trait is inherent in
Japanese martial arts thinking and exists in order to bridge a
credibility gap (which exists only in the minds of those who subscribe
to this way of thinking - Purity of Origin). Therefore, the assumption
is that if a ryu has a pedigree and its lineage is pure its
physical techniques must be good too! The only problem with this is
that some schools with a pure lineage are oftentimes stagnated and do
not exhibit as high a quality of martial skill as some systems that are
more recent in origin. (Although, the reverse can be true as well.) The
point is that the “mother schools” tended to become insular by
practicing so long within their own body of knowledge and curricula.
Traditionally in Japan, mixing styles is considered to be taboo and
creates “muddy water”. Although, paradoxically from an evolutionary
standpoint this is how the various styles were created. Even though
many times styles and techniques were shrouded in secrecy, they
ultimately blended together i.e., absorbed each others techniques, and
created yet another new style. Therefore, notwithstanding the air of
secrecy surrounding the teachings of a ryu, a universal pool of
knowledge did exist with respect to unarmed (and armed) methods of
combat in Japan since ancient times. It is the intermingling or
exchanging of ideas, concepts and techniques, which breeds the
creativity necessary for the further development of martial arts. This
is relevant even today in contemporary times. This is the paradox of
the Japanese ryu or clan concept. An interesting story with
regard to this concept is the time when Miyamoto Musashi ventured into
a dojo to train with members of a school in Tokyo (Edo). The students
and seniors said to Musashi “What style are you”. He said, “I have no
formal style. The moon and stars have been my teachers”. They laughed
at him because he didn’t come from a recognized ryu. However, later that day the training turned more serious and Musashi killed many of them before leaving that dojo.
Yet another concept in Japanese martial culture, which guided the development of Jujitsu styles is called Shuhari. This doctrine has existed for a long time in the Japanese martial arts as well as other arts such as the tea ceremony. Shu literally means learning from tradition. It means to follow the teachings of past masters with strict adherence. Ha means to reject or doubt anything that disrupts the following of Shu. Ri
means to break the chains of tradition i.e., to transcend or separate
from the first two and improve upon the teachings of previous masters. In
other words, the student becomes the master. These are stages of
evolution in the development of a master and that of the evolution of
martial styles. It is the author’s interpretation that Shuhari means that “We should follow tradition but not become slaves to it.”
In
any case, the founding of the various ryu was an expression of the
different masters and their reaction to the social climate of the
times. Additionally, it is also quite clear that many Jujitsu
techniques such as kiri otoshi (literally: cutting drop) were
derived from the manipulation of weapons. The tactics of weapons such
as swords and spears inspired many unarmed techniques. The various ryu
also differed not only in techniques or tactics but in their approach
to overall fighting strategy. To prove their fighting strategies and
individual techniques worked or that one school was superior to another
the various schools often partiscipated in bloody competition by
engaging in publicly held tournaments or private duels in order to see
which school would prevail and which school was best.
Tactically,
Yoshin Ryu was known for its striking and immobilization techniques.
The Takenouchi ryu is known for its techniques of immobilization and
Kito Ryu is famed for its throwing techniques or nage waza. Tenjin
Shin‘yo Ryu is recognized for its expertise in striking or atemi waza.
On a strategic level the various ryu
differed in their philosophies with regard to the value of attack or
defense. The Aiki Jujitsu schools geared their strategies towards
reacting to an opponent’s attack and therefore are more defensive i.e.,
letting the opponent’s attack actually be his own undoing. While
others, such as Hakko Ryu favor pure neutralization of an attack with
no emphasis on counterattack. The concept of taking the initiative or
attacking first (sen no sen) inspired other schools. Iaijutsu or
the art of quick drawing and cutting in one motion evolved in response
to changing times. In the Edo Period (1603-1868) the warrior class was
no longer concerned with fighting in military campaigns on the
battlefield with swords drawn (kenjutsu) but rather they were
concerned with a sneak attack in sword play which could come
unexpectedly and at any moment. Hence, Iaijutsu. This principle of
attack from swordsmanship also influenced the strategies of various
Jujitsu schools. These strategies are reflected in a modern style of
Karate Do called Wado Ryu founded by Hironori Ohtsuka (1892-1982). This
style is actually a combination of Shotokan Karate and Shin no Shindo Ryu Jujitsu. In Ohtsuka sensei’s book Wado Ryu Karate he writes:
In
a contest there is both machite and kakete. Machite is the method with
which one responds when the opponent strikes first; kakete is the
opposite.
There are two kinds of machite. Kakete has only one. Win or loss is decided by these three.
The
first of the machite, “gosen-no-te,” defends and simultaneously attacks
- hence, it is defend / attack. The second of the machite,
“sensen-no-sente,” strikes the enemy as he is about to make his first
strike while defending that strike. Hence, one strikes before the
opponent strikes. Hence, it is defend / attack as well. When defense
and attack are separate, one is often pushed into defense only. It must
be remembered that offense is also the best defense.
“Sente,”
the kakete, attacks first by catching the opponent off-guard, or
forcing the opponent into such a state. Also, the opponent is not dumb
- he will respond with one of the above three; thus, one must be
careful to not fall victim to it himself. Therefore, these actions go
back and forth; in addition, remember to maintain a good mind-set and a
good pocket of space between you and the opponent.
