Jujutsu Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Jujutsu
Jujutsu training at an agricultural school in Japan around 1920
Also known as	Jiu-Jitsu, Jiujitsu, Ju-Jitsu, Jujitsu, Ju-Jutsu
Focus	Hybrid
Country of origin	Japan
Parenthood	Various Japanese martial arts
Descendant arts	Judo, Sambo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (via Judo), Aikido, Hapkido, Catch Wrestling, Bartitsu, German ju-jutsu, Atemi Ju-Jitsu
Olympic sport	Judo

Jujutsu, also known as Jujitsu or Jiu-Jitsu, is a Japanese martial art. It's a way of fighting up close, often without weapons or with only a short one. It was developed to help people defend themselves against an armed and armored opponent.

What is Jujutsu?
Famous Jujutsu Experts
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What is Jujutsu?

Lee Hasdell is a British martial artist. Many see him as a pioneer of UK mixed martial arts.

The word "Jujutsu" has two parts. "Jū" means "gentle," "soft," or "yielding." It's about letting an attacker's force work against them. You don't fight their strength directly. Instead, you move with it.

"Jutsu" means "art" or "technique." So, Jujutsu is the "gentle art" or "yielding technique." It teaches you to use an opponent's own energy and movements against them.

How Jujutsu Developed

Jujutsu began in feudal Japan. It was created to help people fight against samurai warriors who wore heavy armor. Punching or kicking an armored opponent often didn't work well.

Because of this, Jujutsu masters found other ways to win. They focused on techniques like:

Pins: Holding an opponent down.
Joint locks: Bending an opponent's joints in a way that causes pain or makes them give up.
Throws: Tossing an opponent to the ground.

These methods were very effective. They used the attacker's own power to control them, rather than trying to overpower them with brute force.

Different Styles of Jujutsu

There are many different styles of Jujutsu. Each style might focus on different techniques. Some common techniques found in Jujutsu schools include:

Throwing: Sending an opponent off balance and to the ground.
Trapping: Controlling an opponent's limbs.
Holds: Keeping an opponent in a certain position.
Striking: Using punches or kicks.
Weapons: Many schools also teach how to use short weapons for defense.

Jujutsu Today

Today, Jujutsu is practiced in two main ways:

Traditional forms: These styles often focus on self-defense and ancient techniques.
Modern sports forms: These are competitive sports that came from Jujutsu.

Two famous sports that came from Jujutsu are Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Kanō Jigorō created Judo in the late 1800s. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu later developed from early versions of Judo. Judo is even an Olympic sport!