Tuesday 23 October 2012

A History of Ju-Jitsu Part 1

A HISTORY OF JU-JITSU
 

I was going through a couple of papers at home and I discovered my old 3rd Dan Essay (yes Essay), for those of you wondering why an essay would form part of the Dan Grade, it's part of the WJJF system and is designed to test a students understading as well as promote reflection (why do we do what we do?, where did it come from? and....more importantly.....where are we taking it)

Many have a view on this part of the dan grade structure, my own personal view is that I never reflected on "me", as a student, a coach and a martial artist, until I had to sit down and write this essay so personally, I think it's important and right, you might disagree, fine, each to their own.

So I decided to put the first part of my essay on the blog to give those of you who read it an overview of the histrory of Ju-Jitsu. I'll put it up in two seperate posts, one for ease (it's not exactly short) but also because the essay is split between "ancient histroy" and "modern histroy".
I've read lots of essays about the history of Ju-Jitsu and it's roots in ancient Japan, so, whilst recognising this is important and therefore including it in my essay, the second part is the area I dedicated most of my effort and also where I had the sheer luck and priveledge to have known the late Sensei Robert Clark who first told me about how Ju-Jitsu came to the UK, how it ended up in Liverpool of all places, and ultimately the birth of the WJJF.

Before we go into the essay, one last point. I am not a historian, there are probably some innaccuracies (there are more than likely some spelling mistakes) and also a bit of personal opinion thrown in,so please take it for what it is and enjoy the read, part 1 below, part 2 to follow in the next post.


PART I - ANCIENT HISTORY
 
 
There are many wide and varied accounts of the history of Ju-Jitsu, many are un-reliable folk stories complete with a variety of myths and legends, and many accounts are contradictory. There are however, some common themes which provide a good indication into the origins of the art.
 
No matter what the exact source of the art is, it is important to understand:
     
  1. The principles of the art
  2. The history of the art
  3. The environment in which the art developed (the history of Japan)
 
These three points will now be outlined further
 
 
The Principles of the Art
 
 
The word “Ju-Jitsu” is formed from two Japanese Kaji symbols. The first, "Ju" can be translated to mean "flexible, pliable, or yielding" note, the lack of a reference to attributes such as; power and strength, words often associated with the martial arts. Instead, the implication here is more aligned to manipulation and the use of force and balance.
 
The second symbol "Jitsu" can be translated as "art", technique, method, or school" which when proceeded with “Ju” character provides an insight into the very essence of Ju-Jitsu, the method of manipulation of an opponent’s force against them. The defender yields to an attackers force and redirects it for maximum advantage.
 
 
The History of the Art
 
 
The precise origins of Ju-Jitsu are difficult to pinpoint, with an acute lack of solid historical evidence. There are some accounts of a man named Chingempin, who left China after the fall of the Min dynasty, and settled in a Buddhist temple in Yedo, now better known as Tokyo. This particular story continues that within the same temple lived three master-less samurai, known as Ronin. (A samurai became master-less following the death of his master, or after the loss of his master's privilege or position within society).
 
One day Chingempin told them that in China there was an art of seizing a man, which he had seen himself, practiced but had not learned its principles. On hearing this, these three men made investigations and afterwards became very skillful.
 
In particular around 1671, one of these Ronin became so proficient that he repeatedly defeated opponents much stronger than himself. This is where the spread of Ju-Jitsu begins as two of his students became especially skilled, and foundered of separate schools, named Miura and Terada.
 
The origin of ju, which is equivalent to jujutsu, is traced to these three men, from whom it spread throughout the country. This is the most common account of the origin of the art, referenced in many sources but again, with little supporting evidence.
 
The Environment in Which Ju-Jitsu Developed
 
 
Perhaps it is more historically accurate to trace the origins of Ju-Jitsu by reviewing the environment in which it developed.
 
The earliest traces of civilization in Japan can be found in the Kofun burial mounds, some of which trace back to prehistoric times. Here, pottery “haniwa” Warriors and their horses can be found, some with details so great that they appear to be wearing armour and carrying swords and bows.
 
The “Kofun” mounds are where the early tribal leaders of Japan can be found. The most important tribal leader claimed to be a direct descendant of the sun goddess and as such established Japan’s first capital, Kyoto, with his family line becoming the first Japanese Imperial Family.
 
Japan, like most other early tribal civilizations was constantly in a state of unrest, tension and tribal war and by the 8th century decades of battlefield warfare lead to the emergence of skilled warriors who had chosen to lead a life of warfare and dedicate themselves to the perfection the required skills, they fought because fighting was part of their philosophy, their reason for living.
 
As most of the land in Japan is mountainous with only a relatively small amount being suitable for essential agriculture two problems became apparent; firstly, the terrain made it difficult for any centralized government to establish itself and civilized communities far from the capital, leading to communities establishing themselves and “self-governing”. This in turn leads to the second problem, power struggles and skirmishes between clans or tribes over fertile land and it is this situation which allowed the skilled fighters to not only develop and practice their “art” but also to have a purpose, the defense of their tribes land, or the capture of another’s.
 
In an effort to bring order to a warring set of tribes (which by 200 AD had grown to a size more akin to “states” or “cities”) the then Emperor Suijin granted a commission for a military commander in chief, known as the “Shogun”. The Shogun very quickly became the most powerful man in the country as, in the time of warfare, power drifted away from the Emperor to the various war lords, of which, the Shogun was the most prominent.
 
The earlier mentioned skilled warriors, now well versed and skilled in battle (and thus highly valued) lead to the development of so called “warrior families” who continued the fighting traditions by contesting neighboring warrior families for land, wealth or simply status and recognition of superiority.
 
The members of the warrior families served their master or the head of the family, usually the provincial lord or “daimyo” (they we’re not always direct relations and “adopted” members we’re common) and became known as the “bushi” or warriors, these “bushi” we’re further assisted by their students, known as “Samurai” which literally translates as “one who serves” and it is here where the term so synonymous with Ju-Jitsu occurs. By the 14th century, these “students” became regarded as warriors in their own right, warriors who served their master or lord and chose to pursue a life of warfare under a code known as “Bushido”, the Way of The Warrior”
 
Bushidō is word in common usage since the late 19th century, used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct adhered to by the samurai, and loosely relating to the more familiar old English concept of Chivalry. This code is said to have emphasised virtues such as loyalty, honour, obedience, duty, filial piety (a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors), and self-sacrifice.
 
The actual term bushidō is surprisingly extremely rare in ancient texts. It does not even appear in famous texts supposedly describing this code, such as the Hagakure of Yamamoto Tsunetomo. We do know that at various points in Japanese history certain feudal lords devised prescriptive "House Codes" to guide the actions of their students (retainers), but finding evidence of a single, unified "samurai code" which all Japanese warriors adhered to is difficult.
 
As time past, Samurai combat changed, as did their armour and their weaponry. The old formalities of basic combat were left and armour grappling flourished, driven by need on the battlefield. Many martial arts schools adopted and improved grappling techniques to cater for this, many allowing the use of small knives to be utilised in close combat situations. The 15th and 16th centuries brought major changes to the Samurai and Japan's social system. At this point in time anyone could bear arms and climb the social ladder if they had the drive, talent or were ruthless enough.
 
Japan entered “the Age of the Country at War", a civil war that lasted around 150 years. This war returned the country to the early Samurai feudalism and by 1590, following many years of fighting the country was united under one ruler, Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi put into motion the rules of social reform that created a strict social structure that effected Japan until the 20th Century. 
 
Firstly Hideyoshi held a great sword hunt, all except samurai had to surrender their weapons, highlighting the social importance and status that the Samurai had now climbed to. He then classed people according to their profession, with Samurai being at the top of the ladder and peasants at the bottom. Movement between the classes was not possible, if you were born a farmer then you stayed a farmer until the end of your days no matter how much money you had .The Samurai were now distinctive separate class even though they only ever numbered around 8% of the total population.
 
Japan entered an age of peace with an established government and with peace the need for skilled, experienced battlefield warriors, the Samurai, declined dramatically. In 1650 a law had to be passed to stop Samurai dueling and feuding with each other (which occurred frequently simply because there was no war to fight, the samurai lived to fight and without a war, they fought each other) and in 1694 another law had to be passed to force Samurai to train in the martial arts, which began the movement away from the treasured sword.
 
At this time the hand to hand elements of the battlefield techniques flourished. The "Golden age" of Jiu Jitsu was the Tokugawa period when Japan was at peace. There were reportedly 725 distinctive styles being practiced at its peak.
The most important principle of these schools teaches was throwing, practiced to disturb the center of gravity of the opponent, and then manipulate the opponent so that they cannot stand (note again the reference to manipulation and skill, not brute force or strength) lose his balance and fall heavily to the ground, with some encouragement to ensure victory.
 
A series of techniques or methods of yielding or manipulation were taught in relation to the different motions of feet, legs, arms, hands, the thigh and back, in order to accomplish this objective. Choking via the hands, forearms, or by twisting the collar of the opponent's clothing around the throat, holding down and pushing, using any part of the body and twisting and bending using the arms, hands and fingers, and sometimes the legs.
 
Most students of these schools wanted a teaching license, as this, in the absence of war, became a way of earning a living. This system of operating was strengthened in 1717 when the police forced all schools and styles to be registered. The similarities between this and the club structure of martial arts schools today are obvious.
 
The final blow for the Samurai came in 1867 when a law was passed forbidding the wearing of swords, the very symbol of the Samurai. The Samurai warrior class had now become obsolete, redundant, no longer required in a time of peace.
 
The end of the Samurai class in 1867 very nearly meant the end of Ju Jitsu also. Many schools closed down due to lack of interest and Ju-Jtsu went into decline as it was considered to be an inappropriate image for the new Japan that the government wanted the rest of the world to see.

COMING IN PART 2 - JU-JITSU ARRIVES IN THE UK
  

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