What Is Grappling /Jiujitsu / Judo ?

Jiu Jitsu is a Japanese martial art that can be traced back several centuries. It was the unarmed fighting art of the Samurai who often used it as a 'stand in' to their weapons. They would use the art to capture an enemy alive or to subdue a social inferior who they did not consider worthy enough to be killed by the sacred sword.

Traditional Jiu Jitsu is not a sport. It comprises kicks, punches, locks, throws and pressure point techniques. As a product of the battlefield, many of the techniques can only be described as vicious.

Jiu Jitsu  started to decline after the fall of the Japanese feudal government in the mid 19th century, as the country settled into a more peaceful and civilised time. In response, the arts of Judo and Aikido were developed by Grandmaster's Jigoro Kano and Morihei Ueshiba, utilising many of Jiu Jitsu’s concepts and methods.

What is the history of the modern resurgence of interest in Jiu Jitsu? Perhaps one reason for the increase in interest is the increasing prevalence in the media of incidences of violent crime. A heightened awareness of the need for a highly effective method of self-defence, in an increasingly violent society, has created a resurgence of interest in an art that has proven itself on the battlefield.