Regardless of where they live, people spend a great deal of time developing and perfecting methods of using weapons for hunting and fighting. If successful, personal experiences and insights (often gained on the battlefield) help individuals to establish particular "styles," "schools," or "traditions" — in Japanese, the bujutsu ryu-ha.
Compared with the empty-handed fighting arts of neighboring China and Korea, Japanese jujutsu systems place more emphasis on throwing, immobilizing and pinning, jointlocking, and strangling techniques. Atemiwaza (striking techniques) are of secondary importance in most Japanese systems, whereas the Chinese ch'uan-fa (kempo) emphasize punching, striking, and kicking.
It is generally felt that the Japanese systems of hakuda, kempo, and shubaku display some degree of Chinese influence in their particular emphasis on atemiwaza, while systems that are derived from a more purely Japanese source do not show any special preference for such techniques, but will use them as and when appropriate.
The way an opponent is dealt with is also dependent on the philosophy of the teacher with regard to combat. This translates also in different styles or schools of jujutsu. Because in jujutsu every conceivable technique, including biting, hairpulling, eyegouging etc. is allowed (unlike for instance judo, which does not place emphasis on punching or kicking tactics, or karate, which does not emphasize grappling and throwing) practitioners have an unlimited choice of techniques.
Some teachers will favor taking an opponent out as fast and hard as possible, while others will favor taking an opponent down in a controlled way and then keeping them under control with jointlocks. Others, like the Gracie jujutsu system, stress the importance on ground work since most fights end up on the ground anyway, while other teachers find it important to avoid a groundfight at all cost, since it can be very dangerous when faced with multiple opponents.
Although there were and are many ryuha or systems of Japanese jujutsu, there are features that are characteristic of most (if not all) of them. Since there are a number of relatively new martial systems identifying themselves as jujutsu, it is appropriate to look at those characteristics which distinguish a style as traditional Japanese jujutsu.
Heritage: All Nihon jujutsu have cultural indicators which help give a sense of the traditional character of a school, and include:
An
atmosphere of courtesy and respect, a
context intended to help cultivate the
appropriate kokoro, or
"heart".
The type of gi or training suit worn,
which is usually plain white, often with
a dark hakama (the most colorful
uniform might be plain black or the
traditional blue of quilted keikogi;
you are not likely to see stars and
stripes or camouflage uniforms).
Lack of ostentatious display, with an
attempt to achieve or express the sense
of rustic simplicity (expressed in such
concepts as sabi and wabi in Japanese)
common in many of Japan's traditional
arts.
The use of the traditional (e.g., Shoden,
Chuden, Okuden, and Menkyo Kaiden
levels) ranking system, perhaps as a
parallel track to the more contemporary
and increasingly common dani
(kyu/dan) ranking.
There is the lack of tournament
trophies, long-term contracts, tags and
emblems, rows of badges or any other
superficial distractions.
Technical characteristics: Although there is some diversity in the actual look and techniques of the various traditional jujutsu systems, there are significant technical similarities:
Students learn traditional jujutsu
primarily by observation and imitation
as patterned by the ryu's kata
(prearranged forms).
Most kata emphasize joint-locking
techniques, that is threatening a
joint's integrity by placing pressure on
it in a direction contrary to its normal
function, or take-down or throwing
techniques, or a combination of
take-downs and joint-locks.
Very occasionally an atemi (strike)
targeted to some particularly vulnerable
area will be used to help create kuzushi
(break in balance) or otherwise set-up
the opponent for a lock, take-down or
throw.
Force essentially never meets force
directly, nor should techniques need to
be strong-armed to be effective: rather,
there is great emphasis placed on flow
(which follows from the art's name, in
which ju connotes pliability and
suppleness) and technical mastery.
Movements tend to emphasize
circularity, and capitalize on an
attacker's momentum and openings in
order to place a joint in a compromised
position or to break balance as
preparatory for a take-down or throw.
The defender's own body is positioned
so as to take optimal advantage of the
attacker's weaknesses while
simultaneously presenting as few
openings or weaknesses of its own.
The common inclusion in the ryu of
cognate weapons training (also using
kata as a primary instructional method),
stemming from the historical development
of jujutsu and other koryu when active
battles were waged. Weapons might
include, for example, the roku shaku bo
(long staff), han bo (short staff),
katana (long sword), Wakizashi or
kodachi (short sword), and tanto
(knife), some of the main repertoire of
traditional weaponry.
