Jujutsu
Jujutsu is a generic label for lightly armed and unarmed martial arts that emerged in Japan during the Edo period (1600/1603–1868). It is estimated that some seven hundred schools of jujutsu developed, with many based on earlier Japanese and samurai fighting techniques. Perhaps the greatest similarity shared by the schools was nevertheless a departure from the fighting techniques of the samurai—the emphasis placed on the use of motion and minimal force. Also important was the incorporation of ancient Japanese and Buddhist philosophy and the goals of mental and spiritual growth into the training and techniques of the different schools. To a significant extent, the emergence of jujutsu represented a decline and redefinition of the role of the samurai in Japanese society, with the government now controlling warfare and the merchant class increasing its influence.
In the twentieth century, the jujutsu schools declined in number and influence as the practice was suppressed by the Meiji government (1868–1912) and then resurrected as a source of nationalistic pride during World War II, which cost it favor after the war. Today, jujutsu remains a minor martial art, with many different schools. A basic conflict between schools that favor competition and those that favor personal growth remains, with no central organization to unify the art or promote it outside Japan.
Further Reading
Nelson, Randy F. (1989) Martial Arts Reader. New York: Overlook.
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