The combination of Jujutsu and Arnis covers multi ranges of combat and a variety of weapons taught from the onset. Jujutsu with its historical and current full spectrum of strikes, takedowns, throws, ground fighting and associated weapons, combined with Arnis and its connectivity flow drills with sticks, knives, other weapons and empty hands makes for a dynamic pairing. This multitude of skills is reminiscent of the tradition and necessity of an original martial philosophy.

 

Methods taught:

Powerful strikes

Take down and throws

Ground fighting and controls

Weapons

Warrior conditioning

Warrior Nutrition

Dynamic and passive relaxation drills

 

 

Venue:  Addington Village Hall, Addington, Kent

 

Date:    Commencing 25th May 2010 and then every;

              Tuesday from 7.15 to 9:00pm and

              Thursday every 3 out of 4 from 7:00 to 9:00pm.

 

Cost:  The first session is free and thereafter £40 for four weeks training

            (ie 7 sessions in total). This will be payable at the beginning

            of each four weekly block.

 

You must be 18 or over unless otherwise pre arranged.  To register for these classes or for further information please contact Simon at  info@arete4life.co.uk or tel:  01732 220966 or 0785 2933756.

 

 

 

Jujutsu

Jujutsu is historically regarded as a more complete and realistic martial art encompassing strikes, throws and groundwork.  It is now often called Jujitsu, particularly the modern sport version of the art.  There are currently two schools of practice regarding Jujutsu, one is a more traditional outlook, adhering to, but not always succeeding, in a more street self defence style and the other a more sporting ring ground grapping base style as popularised by Brazilian Jujitsu Practitioners.  There will always be crossovers between the two styles in technique and applications due the hands on approach and history of the system but would should really set them apart is the order of technique within the art, such as awareness, weapons, striking, stand-up grappling and finally groundwork.  Whereas many modern sport styles will choice a leg tackle or shoot as a good opening move, this would be looked upon as potentially suicidal to a traditionalist.  It is the personal needs and interests that determine the Jujutsu training method.  We use a combination of the old and the new to ensure a well rounded exponent.

 

The Historical Roots of Jujutsu

It is important to anyone involved or about to study Jujutsu to understand where the art came from and what other disciplines it was connected to.  The Samurai Art of Daito Ryu Aikajujutsu was a complete fighting system that included throwing techniques, controlled techniques, sword skills, spear tactics, capture techniques and much more.  What is currently termed Jujutsu would have been simply a part of a complete fighting system that could be used with or without weapons.  Daito Ryu Aikajujutsu was the martial art of Samurai – The Japanese Knight.  Ancient records show that Daito Ryu Aikajujutsu was developed by Minamoto No Yoshimitsu 1056 – 1127.  The art is extremely rare now and it is difficult to tell what the original training methods and syllabus was but when researching the history its brutal intentions were clear.  What is also apparent is the essential ability to switch between empty hands and weapons as the situation demanded and to always seek the advantage when one’s life was truly at stake.  Jujutsu Arnis is based on this philosophy.

 

Sokaku Takeda 1860-1943

Sokaku Takeda was one of the most famous exponents of Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu.  He was a member of the last generation of Samurai.  An amazing talented martial arts master who has mastered the entire spectrum of the Aikijujutsu syllabus.  Sokaku Takeda travelled the length and breadth of Japan in his time and fought every prominent martial arts master that would respond to his challenge.  He was so skilled he even agreed to fight with only his opponent’s favourite weapon.  Despite this, he never lost a single match.  In 1915 when Sokaku Takeda was 55 years old he was involved in a battle with 50 construction workers.  Construction workers of this time, in Japans history, were commonly made up of unsuccessful criminals and former gang members.  Despite being vastly outnumbered Takeda threw several of his attackers at the onset of the fight.  The attackers armed themselves with a Tobiguchi, which is a metal hook on a long poll, iron bars, swords and spear points.  Takeda immediately flowed from empty hand to the drawing of his sword as the situation required.  He killed 9 of his attackers and emerged from the incident completely unscathed.  Takeda only weighted 114 pounds and was no more than 5 foot tall but this did not stop him from becoming a legend of his time.  Sokaku Takeda taught Morihei Ueshiba Aikijujutsu who later went on to develop Aikido from Takedas original style.  Moriehi Ueshibas Aikido held spiritual enlightenment foremost over combat effectiveness and as a result Aikijujutsu remained a far more complete and combat effective style.  During Takeda’s time Judo was also to develop from classical Jujutsu.  Judo was founded by Jigaro Kano who removed the dangerous moves of Jujutsu for his vision of using the gentler, safer Judo, as used for education and character building.  Most wrist locks, strikes, strangles and kicks were removed from Judo for Kanos’ vision.  Although Takeda Aikijujutsu is an extremely rare art to find, it is its philosophy and variety of skills that current martial artists should seek and strive to obtain.

 

Conditioning – The Order of Progression

Self defence experts generally understand and promote an order of technique within their system, from awareness, personal safety, to actual contact involving pre-emptive striking through to unavoidable ground fighting.  An equally important order of technique and progression also applies to the physical conditioning required for the martial artist and indeed the non martial artist training solely for health and fitness.  I think the latest popularity for old style functional training is extremely positive but it is at risk of becoming an unstructured unfunctional mess.  Bodyweight exercises, kettlebells, club swinging, free weights, medicine balls etc are all excellent but the order of progression with these tools has been forgotten.  Even the modern personal trainer, despite experience, if often at a loss as to know where, if and how, these should be integrated into a workout.  We live in a paper minded world where people collect certificates rather than a deep thorough understanding of building a solid physical foundation upon which to launch real functional strength, power and endurance.  Traditional Karate experts of Okinawa, Tai Chi Chuan of China and many other martial arts experts understood the order of conditioning, progression, far better than most modern fitness experts.  The Royal Marine Commandos  also have a greater understanding, reflecting the fact that they always win when competing against other fitness institutes for knocking people into superb shape in limited time.  The Marines need fast, effective functional fitness.  They cannot waste time on fads and gimmicks.  Neither should the martial artist and in my opinion, anybody else, who wants physical fitness that translates into real life events.  Perhaps the greatest documented history and current example of an outstanding order of progression with their physical conditioning is the Indian martial artist.  The Ancient Indian martial art of Vajramushti followed a very specific  and in depth training programme.  These Indian Warriors truly understood how the physical body would gradually adapt and develop with a precise detailed routine that resulted in creating some of the toughest, most conditioned fighters every recorded.  Luckily, they have left a clear detailed history of this regime which I will be fully examing and listing in a future article.  The formidable Indian Wrestlers have continued with a very similar progression to this day.  Jujutsu Arnis will be teaching this progression within its format, starting with the tradition and foundation of bodyweight exercises.