Jujitsu History

Japanese Jujitsu also spelled Jujutsu means literally Ju means soft,yielding,flexable,supple. Jitsu or Jutsu means art,skill. Jujitsu was developed upon the Battlefields of Ancient Nippon(Japan). This Hand to Hand method of combat was used in war. Both the Bushi(Warriors), and the Samurai(One who serves) used Jujitsu in addition to the other Bujutsu arts.The Bujutsu art of Kenjutsu is very closely related to Jujutsu. Old Jujutsu Ryu Ha's were part of a Bujutsu system of combat that included usually six different Bujutsu arts. Examples of these arts would be Kenjutsu-Swordsmanship, Tantojutsu-Knife Fighting, Yarijutsu-Spearmanship, Bojutsu-Staff Fighting, Kyujutsu-Archery and Jujutsu Hand to Hand Fighting.These Bujutsu arts were developed over Hundreds of years through out the history of Ancient Nippon ending in the Edo period around 1868 when the Shogun was forced to abdicate rule of military affairs to the Emperors new modern army. The edict of 1876 was the death of the Samurai, the Emperor declared that the Samurai could no longer wear their swords and were forbiden to wear the traditioal Top Knot of hair identifying the Samurai class,essentially the Emperor abolished the Samurai class as they were no longer needed. Some of these Samurai established Dojo's teaching martial arts, with the Edict of 1876 as law Jujutsu the Hand to Hand combat art was one of the Old Bujutsu arts taught as self defense to the general public.These old schools of Jujutsu were the Main ryu's from which Modern Jujitsu schools evolved from.