The History of Jiu-Jitsu: From Its Roots in Japan to Modern Practice Around the World - Part 1: Japan

How Ju-Jitsu traveled the world from Japan to Brazil to become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

From Ju-Jitsu to Judo - Japan

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a fascinating history that traces its roots from the modern era back to ancient Japan. As a martial art from the samurai era, traditional Ju-Jitsu made its way from Japan to Brazil where it transformed into the modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu known today.

Ju-Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu

In Japanese, Jiu-Jitsu means “the gentle art”. This reflects its principle of using leverage and technique to overcome an opponent. The Jiu-Jitsu of this time, which is now referred to as Ju-Jitsu to differentiate traditional Japanese Ju-Jitsu from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, encompassed a broad spectrum of techniques that included joint locks, throws, strikes and pins. It was designed to be a versatile skill set for warriors to use in a variety of combat situations.

Early Origins

There is no prime record as to when and where Ju-Jitsu first emerged.  However, the earliest martial culture emerged in Japan around pre-650 in the form of the sumai. This is the predecessor to sumo, a type of all-in wrestling. In the Heian period (A.D 764-1191) grappling techniques known kumiuchi were further developed. During this time the Imperial government ordered the construction of the Butokuden, “the hall of martial virtue”,  in Kyoto, the capital of Japan at that time. This was the first center for technical development. While Ju-Jitsu was not a comprehensive martial art during the Kamakura period (A.D. 1192-1336), the warriors of this time employed kumiuchi techniques on the battlefield for hand to hand fighting due to the loss of a weapon or weapon malfunction. It is from these battlefield environments that the beginnings of Ju-Jitsu began.

Sengoku Period

Ju-Jitsu emerged as part of combat training at schools known as ryu during Japan’s Sengoku (Warring States) period from the late 15^th century to the early 17^th century. This time in Japan’s history was a tumultuous one marked by constant warfare and conflicts. Because of this, the samurai warriors needed a martial art that focused on close quarter combat for survival on the battlefield. The first documented ryu for ju-jitsu was established in 1532. Each of these ryu maintained their own techniques and principles. The ryu often kept their methods closely guarded and the transmission of knowledge was highly selective. Ju-Jitsu had thousands of techniques and the goal was to accumulate as many as possible. Training methods often involved kata, a form of ritualistic practice that did not involve a resisting opponent. Many of the techniques were deadly, such as eye gouging and could not be performed with a training opponent.

Azuchi Period

The Azuchi period (A.D. 1564-1602) saw the entrenchment of class differences between samurai and non-samurai. In 1588, commoners were outlawed from owning swords during a sword harvest known as katana gari. This created the need for a separate Ju-Jitsu for non-samurai that did not involve weapons called shomin yawara. This laid the groundwork for a civilian stye of empty-handed combat available to anyone.

Edo Period

Over the centuries, the practice of Ju-Jitsu in Japan experienced periods of decline and revival. The Edo period (1603-1867) was the most influential time for Ju-jitsu. In 1635, the Tokugawa Shogunate prevented ships from departing Japan. Japan isolated itself from the world for the next 200 years, except for the Dutch, who were isolated in Nagasaki. From this isolation a new era of peace arose within Japan. One of the results of this was a shift in emphasis for the samurai. No longer needed as part of the military, the samurai now found themselves as part of the bureaucratic infrastructure.

Throughout the Edo period, the ryu shifted their focus from teaching bujutsu, Ju-Jitsu for military combat, to teaching koryu Ju-Jitsu, a type of civilian defense. Many Ju-Jitsu schools emerged during this time and often held challenge matches between one another. These challenge matches were often due to inter-school rivalry. This resulted in brutal matches taking placing to prove the superiority of one style over another, often for money. Because of this Jiu-Jitsu came to be associated with thugs and its reputation suffered. The study of Ju-Jitsu persisted though as samurai culture diminished and Japan underwent westernization. Many traditional ideas and activities, such as Ju-Jitsu, were now seen as outdated and associated wth an old Japan as the society rushed to embrace Western ideas.

Meiji Restoration

During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912) the samurai class was disarmed and removed. The samurai sword known as the katana was deemed illegal in public in 187l. Many of the ryu closed their doors and their teachers forced to find other means of work.

Jigoro Kano and Judo

In the late 19^th century with wars in decline, Jigoro Kano, a prominent educator and martial artist, sought to modernize Ju-Jitsu due to the changing needs of Japanese society. Kano modified and formalized the techniques of traditional Japanese Ju-Jitsu into what would become Judo. Kano developed his kokodan judo due to his dissatisfaction with various crucial aspects of traditional Ju-Jitsu. Kano strived to develop Judo into a martial art that focused on character development in addition to fighting. He opened his ryu in 1882. Kano’s ryu fought many challenge matches against other traditional Ju-Jitsu ryu and won.

Judo translates as, “the gentle way” and it expresses an idea of self mastery and perfection. It stood as a contrast to the previous mere accumulation of skills that Ju-Jitsu relied had so far relied upon. Judo evolved from Ju-Jitsu into a martial art focused on throws and competition. Traditional Ju-jitsu often focused on physical strength and Kano sought to create a system that was practical for people of varying sizes and strength. Kano selected specific techniques to retain from Ju-Jitsu that were effective and efficient for this purpose. Competitions were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this system. Through this process, Kano developed Judo’s unique principles and rules that emphasized the use of leverage to throw opponents and to win matches by control and submissions. He also established a system so practitioners could train safely through the use of controlled sparring called randori. This meant that when practicing against an resisting opponent, students were being supervised and agreed to stop when their partner submitted. Without the safety constraints, these techniques could be used to inflict serious harm including maiming an opponent, rendering an opponent unconscious or evening killing an opponent. Additionally, a strict code of ethics was instituted that forbade fighting for money to repair the image of martial arts in the public’s eye.

In 1882, Kano founded the Kodokan. This was a school and an institute dedicated to the practice and teaching of Judo. Kano believed that an effective martial art for self defense should also develop personal and moral character. The Kodokan served as the foundation for the spread of Judo as a martial art, a sport and a way of life. During this period, Judo distinguished itself from its foundations in Ju-Jitsu by formalizing and codifying its techniques and principles. Today, the Kodokan still serves as the headquarters of Judo in Tokyo where it hosts international events, tournaments and serves as a symbol of Judo’s legacy and relevance in the modern world. In the 1964 Olympics in Japan, Judo debuted as an Olympic sport due to Kano’s vision and contributions.

Judo

As the Kodokan became the central hub for Judo, many practitioners from various marital arts backgrounds came to study there. Through this, Judo gained popularity within Japan as a modern martial art that focused not only on fighting, but the development of moral and ethical principles. At this time, Kano also created the dan ranking system to recognize and distinguish the skill levels of its most dedicated practitioners. Dan means degree or step in Japanese. This system using black belts to serve as a visual symbol of mastery has been adopted by many martial arts and is a part of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu today.

Over time, Judo’s techniques continued to evolve. Judo incorporated elements of traditional Japanese Ju-Jitsu along with influences from other martial arts. Judo maintained an emphasis on throwing, grappling and ground control. One school of Ju-Jitsu that had a profound impact on the evolution of Judo was the Fusen-ryu. The Fusen-ryu were especially adept at ground-fighting techniques. Kano recognized the value of this and integrated elements of their Ju-Jitsu style into the Kodokan Judo system.

In Part 2 of The History of Jiu-Jitsu: Grounded Heritage we will look at the influence of the Fusen-ryu on Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.

Want to learn more about the history of Jiu-Jitsu? For a more detailed history of Jiu-Jitsu check out Mastering Jiu-Jitsu by Renzo Gracie and John Danaher.

Interested in learning more about Jiu-Jitsu? If you want to learn more about the principles behind the techniques, strategies and tactics of Jiu-Jitsu check out Part 1 and 2 of Embracing the 32 Principles of Jiu-Jitsu. To find out more about the fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu check out Unlocking the Art: Delving into the Fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu.