Jujutsu techniques

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Jujutsu is known for its joint locks, restraining and self-defense techniques. This is a sub-page of the Jujutsu main page and is intended to describe techniques and important stylistic differences of execution.

Techniques

Major categories of jujutsu techniques include, but are not limited to:

* Joint locks
** Joint locks can be applied on anything that bends, such as fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders or knees. Application of locks might include gaining purchase for throwing techniques, encouraging cooperation, submission, or restraining an aggressor. (Such techniques are taught to police forces.) Locks can also be utilised for interrogation/torture or controlling a prisoner prior to securing him using rope. In modern sporting contests, bouts are often concluded upon a successful joint dislocation.

* Chokeholds
** Including gi-chokes/strangulations (with the lapel), and no-gi. Used primarily to kill or knock unconscious. In combat, a choking technique might permanently dissociate the windpipe from the ligament supporting it, causing death by asphyxiation. Strangulation techniques may also be used for non-lethal subduing of an opponent. Fully blocking the bloodflow to the brain will knock an opponent unconscious in 3 to 7 seconds. [See http://judoinfo.com/chokes.htm] To kill by strangulation would take over a minute before brain death occurs. In modern competition, chokes are normally banned (altghough they are permitted in judo competition). Strangulation is more popular in competition as they can be applied without fatal consequence, so full leverage can be applied to aid restraining of the competitor. In Jujutsu, there are many counters to choking or strangling attacks. This has led to Jujutsu's popularity in self-defence applications.

* Strike (attack)
** Strikes are generally taught, though the specific strike preferences vary by system. In Jujutsu, all known striking techniques are available as tools; nothing is excluded by doctrine. It is the application of those tools that distinguishes different systems of Jujutsu. Those students of Jujutsu who favour the study of striking went on to help develop Japanese Karate.Fact|date=April 2007 Jujutsu emphasises the control of an opponent's balance, and therefore most systems of Jujutsu do not advocate any kicks targeted above the solar plexus. Fact|date=April 2007

* Grappling
** Grappling techniques are also common. Simple grappling was incorporated into early Jujutsu systems for use in combat. More elaborate grappling techniques and strategies were likely developed for use in sporting contests in the ancient world.Fact|date=April 2007 Such techniques have been re-introduced into the Japanese martial arts in post-reformation systems such as Judo and related Brazilian Jujutsu systems. In post-reformation Japan, martial arts were altered under the auspices of Jigoro Kano and his contemporaries. The emphasis on Samurai combat skills was degraded in preference to systems that could be practiced by anyone of any age for healthy physical education, sport and self defense. Because of this new emphasis, grappling skills have been adapted to safe sporting environments, where gouging, biting, and other unsporting techniques are banned. Only a few schools maintain the old Samurai grappling techniques and training practices. The majority of schools utilise Judo training or a more combative form of grappling.

*Throwing
**Throwing If one were disarmed in the course of combat, such throwing techniques were one's last defence and could be used to floor an armed opponent prior to disarming him. Limited grappling might ensue, but often victory was secured using smaller weapons such as knives.Fact|date=April 2007

*Biting/gouging/poking/grasping
**Biting/gouging/poking/grasping techniques were developed to gain advantage over an opponent using sneaky methods. Often such techniques were used in counters or defensive situations whilst grappling.
**Biting targets include the ears, nose and the fingers/hand. Biting can be used against bear hug attacks, or in grappling situations on the ground where one can affect release from a grip by maiming the attackers fingers, hand or face.
**Gouging techniques can be applied to the eyes or genital areas to cause distraction by pain. Gouging can be used in an attacking or defensive situation. Gouging the eyes can be utilised to control the balance of the opponent.
**Poking pressure points or the eyes is mostly used as defensive measures prior to counters. Poking is useful in both stand-up defences against grabs of various kinds, or against an opponent whilst grappling. It is a vital skill for combat grappling, as often it is the only defence option left if the opponent is dominating the fight. Poking methods include the fingers and knuckles. Often, rings were worn as weapons for use in poking.
**Grasping/nipping is useful in defence or attack. Targets include the groin, or any parts of the body that contain sensitive areas. Sensitive areas include hair, ears, breasts, nipples, and skin on the inside of the thigh. Applications include distraction, as a tool for breaking balance, causing pain for control purposes, escape from pins and locks, and torture.
**Atemi is the art of striking pressure points or physiological targets in order to affect kuzushi(the art of breaking balance) or to incapacitate an opponent. As opposed to biting, gouging, poking, spiting or grasping, atemi is the art of striking the human body in order to cause specific physiological effect for various applications. The term "atemi" is sometimes applied to any technique whose primary purpose is to distract an opponent, setting the opponent up for another technique.

*Takedown
**Takedown is distinguished from throws in that a takedown is effectuated using physical strength or body weight to drag an opponent to the floor, or to strike an opponent, thus taking them to the floor. In modern sporting contest, a takedown may result after a successful clinch in which the opponent’s legs and/or arms are trapped preventing him from retreat. To floor the opponent without the use of kuzushi means brute force over skill or technique. One may break balance, but not by skilful manipulation of the opponent's motion, rather the forced constriction of movement followed by physically overcoming the opponent. Takedowns often result from an accident during a sporting contest, or because of an over-aggressive attack.

The important distinction is that a throw is affected by minimum physical strength and maximum use of kuzushi. A takedown often uses a lot of physical strength, and there is no art to the method of breaking balance.

Differences in Technique Application

There are differences in application of the same technique between styles of Jujutsu that range from the minor to the major.

Rolling

* When performing a forward shoulder roll, some styles roll on the back of the lead-hand (i.e., palm up), and some roll palm-down. While performing a backward shoulder roll, land on your far side hip, palm down.

Wrist Locks

* Some styles perform wrist locks (or, "peels") with the bottom 3 fingers and don't use the index finger, and some use the top 3 fingers keep the pinky off. The intent of both approaches is the same: do not block the opponent's wrist during a peel.

Arm Bars

* Some styles advocate using "live hand" (hand open) for an armbar takedown, whereas some advocate making a fist. Adherents of each approach claim "more power", though the closed-fist approach arguably offers the additional benefit of reducing the possibility of a finger getting accidentally snagged.

Throws

* On a hip throw off the right hip (for example), the most common way this throw is taught is to grab the uke's right arm with the left hand. Some styles, however, teach "wrapping" the uke's right arm with the left instead of the grab. Biomechanically, the most effective method is to grab the right upper arm using a monkey style grip.Fact|date=April 2007 Using this method, one grips the opponent's left arm using the 4 fingers and the thumb against the palm, (instead of gripping with the thumb against the 4 fingers). The reason for using this grip rather than a normal human gripping action is that the thumb gripping against the 4 fingers is weaker in strength than the grip applied by the 4 fingers and thumb against the palm (as monkeys do when gripping the branch of a tree to swing). Grabbing the upper arm rather than the wrist allows the body greater pulling torque.

* Likewise, on hip throws, some systems grab around the waist (or in ignorance, the belt), and some systems prefer to wrap tori’s right arm under the uke's left. One should never grip the opponent’s belt; modern attire may not include a belt. In fact, grabbing the belt is not necessary. Simply grabbing around the waist (so long as the grip is all the way around the waist) works better anyway. One should note that it feels easier to grab your opponent’s waist with your right arm than it does wrapping your right arm around their left arm. Biomechanically, grabbing the opponent higher up the back (such as at the shoulder) can allow the opponent to bend at the waist making the hip throw more difficult. The sequence of actions required for the hip throw is: block, parry or deflect the opponent's punch if necessary, effect kuzushi, bend the knees and turn whilst pulling the opponent over your hip.

Grappling

* The biggest conceptual difference is when grappling is taught, whether a style views grappling as a sport, or grappling as a necessity of balanced self-defense training (or both). Both applications have merit, and the training will have a considerable amount of overlap, but will also have important differences. The latter approach will need to understand the fundamentals of the grappling positional hierarchy like the former, but the priority will be to get off the ground (and get away) as fast as possible. It is also a very good technique to use when near an opponent.

References

External links

* [http://www.judoinfo.com/techjudo.htm Techniques (videos, drawings, lessons, etc.]

Technique Video Examples

* [http://www.submissions101.com/ Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling Videos]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9pu5uv1Z6o Hontai Yoshin Ryu techniques]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOhdLtcXyN0 Demonstration of Katori Shinto-ryu Iaijutsu]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PmhwHst4po Demonstration of Daito-ryu Aikijutsu by Kondo Sensei]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VajqlMYC988 Demonstration of Takenouchi-ryu, Kogusoku (knife)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yl5M0Ox4gU Re-enactments of warriors in combat]
* [http://www.hillcrestjujitsu.com/jujitsu_techniques.html Video clips of Goshin Jujitsu techniques and self-defense techniques (Hillcrest Academy of Goshin Jujitsu, Cleveland, Ohio)]
* [http://www.takeda.ro/takeda_video.htm Video clips of Takeda Ryu Aiki Jujutsu techniques and self-defense techniques (Sobukai Takeda Ryu - Romania)]