The History Of The Ju-Jitsu:

The Ju-Jitsu is a martial art that exists over 2000 years, and can be considered as the source of many Japanese martial arts in general, and the direct mother of the Judo and the Aikido in particular.

The Ju-Jitsu is based on taking advantage of the opponent's self-movement to using it against him. This martial art combines many defense and attack techniques that are designed to cause the opponent to lose balance and fall, so as to control him and finally surrender with his joints locked and throat choked.

The name "Ju-Jitsu" is composed of two words: "Ju" meaning "gentle" and "Jitsu" - "art", so it can be ranslated as "gentle art". Although it doesn't appear to be a gentle art to the outside viewer… the joint locks and the chokes are so efficient, that there is no need to "finish the job", getting to the edge makes even the toughest guy surrender.

The Ju-Jitsu was first taught in the Japanese's Caesar's mansion by the amurais, who were his bodyguards, and the aristocracy class during the feudal era in Japan. The Ju-Jitsu used the Samurai as a short-range weapon, such as his sword used him as a long-range weapon. Every Samurai had to learn the techniques of locking joints, braking bones and strangling, and carried with him diagrams of essential pressure points of the human body for attack.

Throughout history Ju-Jitsu has expanded to many directions, and developed to different styles of martial arts. A good example is Judo, "the gentle way", which is very similar to Ju-Jitsu and is based on Ju-Jitsu techniques: Gigoro Kano, who founded Judo in 1882, was a Ju-Jitsu master. Judo became an Olympic sport in 1961.

Morihei Uyeshiba, who was a Ju-Jitsu master too, established the Aikido, "the harmonic way". This is a friendly martial art, with no elements of war or harm, and its purpose is peace and harmony between people.

So are different Karate-Do, "the empty hand way", styles, especially Kempo styles. Ju-Jitsu is the mother of today's popular martial arts. In fact, these martial arts are series of combinations and techniques that have been separated from one another, and became independent martial arts.