The Evolution from Martial Arts to Self Defence

There is no doubt that Jujitsu has changed along with human evolution. Currently, this art has shifted to more functional practices to suit present needs. With this change in Jujitsu practices, it has taken it away from being a martial art and transformed to a self-defence style, combat sport or combat art. The etymology of martial art is of importance in determining whether Jujitsu can still be classified as such. In this context, martial means ‘of war, warlike’ and art a ‘nonscientific branch of knowledge’. Taking this description into account, can it be stated still that Jujitsu is a warlike art?

Jujitsu was originally a martial art from Japan created to defeat an opponent without using weapons or only a short weapon. Jujitsu was developed among the samurai of feudal Japan and also, limited to this upper class group. The Samurais knew that striking against an armored opponent was ineffective, hence they learned to neutralize the enemies by using forms of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed based on the principle mentioned above that seeks to use the attacker's energy against them. There are many variations of the art, which leads to a diversity of approaches. Jujutsu schools (ryū) may utilize all forms of grappling techniques to some degree, for example, throwing, trapping, joint locks, holds, gouging, biting, disengagements, striking, and kicking. In addition to jujitsu, many schools teach the use of weapons. Then, to describe Jujitsu as a martial art would no longer be correct as it is no longer used to defeat opponents that wear armour or carry small weapons in battle fields.

In fact, warfare has evolved over the years. Hand to hand combat was of specific importance in wars at the time that Jujitsu was formulated. As time has passed, technology has advanced and the need for close combat has diminished. There is less emphasis on the need for a martial art in war and the practicality of the style of martial art having to change with it. Martial arts have changed and moulded themselves to be more functional to civilians as a self-defence, combat art or combat sport. Most of these arts were created with the need to combat opponents with armour and swords or similar weapon. This modern combat has left human ability behind to make a practical art form to use against an armed opponent and defend one’s self.

Self-defence: it is not a style of fighting or a sport, it is a syllabus of techniques designed for individuals willing to learn to protect themself from the harm caused by an aggressor. It is divided in three different levels of defense soft, controlling and hard. The soft level consists in a light and non-aggressive attack, which allows individuals to effectively react against an attacker without hurting them. Controlling is used when individuals do not feel too threatened and they consider themselves capable of controlling the situation. Hard is when individuals feel that their or other’s safety is at risk. A true form of defence has no need of kata’s or any style of rules against an opponent. It is a skill to remove the threat quickly and effectively with minimal damage to the practitioner.

Self defence still includes elements of traditional martial art. Techniques, such as shio nage, can be traced back to sword techniques. In some ways, the martial art that once was has now been adapted to serve a new purpose. It is not that the Jujitsu seen today is a different art to that of the past; it is the same art, changed to serve a new purpose. In this way, Jujitsu is impervious to destruction in its flexibility. By changing, it will always find some way to remain practical.

The second subfield of modern day Jujitsu is that of combat sport uses a set of rules in a fighting style environment to compare the ability of one person to another. These rules are in place to stop or reduce severer injury to the combatants, help with understanding the sport for the athletes, spectators and judges and make it so that the competitor that won used the best techniques and possessed the most skill. These events are usually won three different ways. By the person whom accumulates the most point during the time, by effective strikes, throws or positions. Submissions making the other competitor give up by joint locking techniques, strangulations or chokes. Or when one of the fights goes unconscious or unable to continue fighting due to choke, strangulation or strike, this is referred to as a knock out. Other combat sports that have branched off from Jujitsu are Judo, Karate, Brazilian JuiJitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Combat sport encompasses part of the traditional art using techniques like throws, strikes, pins and joint locks. With these techniques there is no emphasis on killing or maiming the opponent like they are designed originally for. Instead they are now used points, submissions and knock outs.

Combat art is a practice and expression of ability and knowledge. People use it as a library of knowledge to gain ability and technique to express in a physical arts form. This is done through the types of techniques and also through Kata. Kata is a prearranged set of offensive or defensive movement against an imaginary attacker. Combat art is a style of jujitsu that has not adapted with the changes needed to be a highly effective self defence style. It still has some practicality, but overall has not current standards for social self defence needs. This art is still taught and practiced with the understanding that the opponent is wear armor and/or is using some sort of weapon. This not being an occurrence of this day and age it cannot be referred to as a pure form a self defence as the curriculum contains some information not relevant to modern society and also does not contain enough simple and practical techniques needed for one to defence themselves from all levels of attack.

Some styles of Jujitsu mix the three categories of Jujitsu either being Self Defence, Combat Sport or Combat art. These arts are not only taught as a warlike art but more for the general public. Unless Jujitsu practitioners are competing with gloves and referees against an enemy or putting armor on and throwing their enemies or getting bear hugged or strangled in a war and are the army, navy or air force. It would then be incorrect to refer to Jujitsu as the style of Jujitsu that is practiced by the general public martial art. It should then be referred to as it’s subclasses of combat art, combat sport or self defence. This would also be more accurate for schools to explain to their possible cliental what class of art they do. Being Jujitsu based self defence, Combat art taekwondo or combat sport Karate. It would also give other martial artist an idea of what type of art others are learning.

Regardless of if there are still elements of traditional martial art present in these three systems of modern day Jujitsu, the discipline has irrevocably changed. The art no longer serves the purpose it once did, as a ‘warlike’ system. Although the combat art system is the art that has the most original techniques and is always great to know were moves and techniques came from. The self defence is more relevant and what Jujitsu is all about. Jujitsu is a flexible art and should adapt to what social is needed. It is the style further from being a martial art than the other two styles, but is the most likely to come back as a martial art as it will be flexible to change and adapt to what is needed. It can transform due to the fact it is a syllabus already changed and ready to change again if ever the situation calls for it.