A Brief History of Jiu Jitsu

Ancient History

Many fighting systems developed in Japan during its feudal era - the use of the lance, sword, staff, archery, hand-to-hand combat, and many more. Systems of unarmed combat became known as jiu jitsu (also spelled ju jitsu, ju-jitsu, jujitsu or jujutsu, ju jutsu, ju-jutsu), also referred to as taijutsu and yawara.

The birth of jiu jitsu probably coincided with the origins of the Samurai class in 792 AD. The army at that time consisted of foot soldiers armed with spears. Officers were recruited from the young sons of the high families and schooled in archery, swordsmanship, and unarmed combat. The Emperor Kammu built the Butokuden (Hall of the Virtues of War) as a formal school for these officers who became known as Samurai.

Jiu jitsu techniques involved throwing, locking, striking, choking, and pinning, and the defences to these and all manner of weapons. Because these techniques were designed for combatants wearing armour, the large leaping and kicking movements found in many other arts were not used in jiu jitsu.

During the 12th century, the Emperor was overthrown and approximately 400 years of civil war followed. During this time, jiu jitsu was continually tested and refined on the battlefield. Although jiu jitsu techniques had been used for centuries, it was during the Edo period (1603 - 1868) that jiu jitsu developed into a systematic art taught by numbers of masters, with over 700 different schools at the height of its popularity.

However, in 1873, the government brought the rigid social structure to an end and prohibited the Samurai from wearing swords in public. Many Samurai resisted this legislation and although they were eventually suppressed, their resistance seriously damaged the reputation of the martial arts. This, together with sweeping social changes in Japan, led to a vast decline in the popularity of jiu jitsu, although the recent offshoots of Judo and Aikido (not associated with the Samurai, however) began to gain in popularity.

After World War II, the occupation forces prohibited the practice of the martial arts and this ban was not revoked until 1951. Many jiu jitsu practitioners left Japan at this time and began introducing their art to the western world.

Sources:
Go Rin No Sho; Musashi
Kodokan Judo; Kano
The Judo Manual; Reay & Hobbs

Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu

The origins of our style are hard to trace. Matthew Komp Shihan began his martial arts study in the 1940's when he took up wrestling. After joining the police force in Germany, he began to study judo and jiu jitsu as part of his police self-defence training. He also studied karate, aikido and taekwon-do. He has had a number of instructors from Japan, Germany and Korea. From these influences, Matthew Komp formed his style of jiu jitsu which he took to Australia in the 1950's, where he founded a school in Footscray, near Melbourne.

One of his earliest students was Brian Graham, who was amongst the first of Komp Shihan's students to achieve the rank of black belt in jiu jitsu and judo. On his return to England, Graham Shihan renamed the style Shorinji Kempo Jiu Jitsu, then later changed the name to Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu, and this name has been kept to the present day. Graham Shihan established the first "Samurai Jiu Jitsu Club" in Keighly, West Yorkshire, England. Graham Shihan sadly passed away in June 2005.

The late Peter Farrar began studying jiu jitsu at the Keighley club. Farrar Sensei moved to Plymouth in 1979 to attend the then Plymouth Polytechnic, where he opened the Plymouth Polytechnic club. This club produced a number of instructors who have become senior instructors within the style. The style has since spread rapidly in Britain. An association was formed called the National Samurai Jiu Jitsu Association, which was renamed The Jitsu Foundation in 1990 and now has over 100 clubs in Britain.

A number of instructors have moved to other countries and opened clubs. The first was established in Cyprus in 1989, then in 1993 Andy Dobie moved to Canada. In September 1993 Dobie Sensei opened the Trent University Jiu Jitsu Club in Peterborough, Ontario and the Carleton University Jiu Jitsu Club in Ottawa, Ontario. More recently, clubs have also opened in the U.S.A., Greece, Holland, Australia, and New Zealand, placing Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu at an international level.