Chapter - 05

Jiu Jitsu

A Brief History And Description

The origin of Jiu .Jitsu, though lost in the veil of antiquity, can be traced as far back as the age of mythology. Before the invention of firearms, when swords and spears were used for close-in fighting, it sometimes became necessary to fight unarmed, with bare hands. The development of Jiu Jitsu evolved from the advanced unarmed techniques used during these early periods. At one time it was customary among the Japanese military to wear two swords, one long and one short, to be ready for all occasions. With the decree abolishing the sword, a special art for unarmed self defense was developed which also contributed to the origin of Jiu Jitsu. With the restrainment in the use of personal weapons, special techniques were developed such as hitting, chopping, poking with the hand, or twisting and breaking joints so that an unarmed person might subdue an attacker, Until about the 14th or 15th century no special schools had been formed to teach the art of Jiu Jitsu. However, the various methods employed by both unarmed and physically small persons to defeat armed and sometimes stronger antagonists were carefully elaborated upon later on, until many distinct school came into existence. However, Jiu Jitsu today is almost a lost art, for it is no longer passed from generation to generation, from father to son, as it once was. Whereas Judo is an art having many highly devastating throws applicable for self defense, and may be used as both a recreation or a defense, Jiu Jitsu, being an art of self defense designed to punish, damage or kill an attacker, is for keeps. When practicing Jiu Jitsu with a partner, or for that matter any of the self defense arts elaborated in this book, it is wise to perform the movements slowly and to stop at the very first sign of pain. It is not necessary to inflict pain on your partner to prove that your technique is correct. You will know that you are executing the movements correctly when your partner feels a very slight sensation of pain. That is the time to stop! Get into the habit of tapping your partner quickly at the very first sign of pain so that he will know immediately to release the hold. The practice of tapping is used universally for this purpose, and should be observed by all.

Defense Against Strangling

One of the most important Jiu Jitsu techniques is the defense against a stranglehold coming from the front or rear.

Figures 123 through 126 illustrate a quick method of breaking a stranglehold from the front. With your hands together as shown in figure 124, bring your arms up and between your opponent's arms. Then smash your arms outward against his to break the hold. From this position you are free to use the knife hand striking point, described in the chapter on Karate, as a counter-attack against the face and neck region. Also, do not forget that the ball of the knee can be brought up into the groin of the antagonist as a finish to the counter.

If an attacker tries to strangle you from the rear, move your arm forward. Then quickly swing your body around, and your elbow back, so that you strike your adversary in the solar plexus as shown in figures 127 through 129. If your attacker is so close that you cannot get your elbow around to get a little (continued on pag· 44) playing room, quickly hit the back of your head against the attacker's nose. Then follow through with your elbow.

Another method of breaking a stranglehold from the rear is to kick back with the heel of the foot, hitting the attacker's kneecap as shown in figures 130 through 132. When practicing this movement do not wear shoes, and touch the knee cap very lightly, as this is a very vulnerable joint and can easily be broken. A variation of this is to stamp down with the heel along the antagonist's shin, contacting his foot with a sharp blow.

Defense Against Punching

Figures 133 through 137 illustrate the Jiu Jitsu defense against a blow to the face. Bring your right forearm up to thwart the blow and at the same time duck your head and move your body away from the direction of the blow. Hook your arm over and around your attacker's arm, as shown in the illustration. Then, stepping in front of your attacker, place your wrist against the back of his upper arm. Press down on his upper arm with your wrist and continue pressing until you can grasp your own forearm for greater pressure. A variation of this may be used in a defense against a low blow, as illustrated in figures 138 through 140. In this defense, if the attacker attempts to strike you with a low blow, block his attack with the forearm on the same side. Then, stepping in as illustrated, hook your arm around your antagonist's arm and lift it until it rests on your shoulder. Finish the defense by pressing down with your wrist, applying pressure as required.

Defense Against Knife Attack

The Jiu Jitsu defense against a knife attack is shown in figures 141 through 145. If the attack is a low knife attack, block the knife advance using the "X" block described in Karate to stop the advance of your adversary's arm. At the instant of the block, grasp the attacker's wrist quickly with your left hand and bring his wrist up and around as shown in the illustration—forcing his wrist back to disarm him. In defending against a knife attack from the high position, again block the advance with the "X" block and seize the attacker's wrist with your left hand if he attacks with his right. Then, bring your right arm in back of your attacker's elbow, and pushing up with your right arm and down with your left hand, hold him in the lock. He may then be finished-off with a Karate blow using the left hand while the right hand maintains the lock position. This defense is illustrated in figures 146 through 150.

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