| Part 1The Beginning | | | | acceptable as an Olympic sport. Leg locks were not |
| "Where did it all begin?"I don't think anyone can | | | | allowed, and when a fight went to the ground, a player |
| answer this question with certainty, but there are | | | | had only 25 seconds to escape a hold or pin before |
| plenty of good hypotheses. Every culture has some | | | | the match was lost. These are a few of the rules that |
| form of hand to hand combat in its history. Combat | | | | hindered Judo as a realistic form of self-defense. Then |
| without weapons usually appears in the form of | | | | why did Judo flourish and why was it so great? Even |
| wrestling and sometimes boxing. Looking at the history | | | | with all the rules and restrictions, the time-tested |
| timeline, one good hypothesis is that the wrestling | | | | principle of "pure grappler beats pure striker," still holds |
| techniques of Jiu-Jitsu could very well have come | | | | true. The fact remains that most fights, even those |
| from Ancient Greece. Olympic games were one of | | | | fights occurring between strikers with no grappling |
| the Greek's strongest traditions. It is most likely that | | | | experience, end up in a clinch. You see the clinch in just |
| along with Greek ideas, came one of its most popular | | | | about every boxing match, and hundreds of punches |
| sports, Pankration. Pankration was a sport that | | | | usually need to be thrown to end the fight with a strike, |
| involved both boxing and wrestling techniques and | | | | which gives the grappler plenty of opportunity to take |
| became more popular to the Greeks than either of | | | | his/her opponent to the ground, where a pure striker |
| those sports individually. Pankration would later be | | | | has no experience and is at the grappler's mercy.After |
| overshadowed by the Roman Gladiators, and then | | | | a match-up between older styles of Jiu-jitsu and Judo |
| banned from the Olympics by Christian leaders of the | | | | at the Tokyo police headquarters, Judo was named |
| Roman Empire. Even though new rulers would come | | | | the national martial art in Japan. It was the official art |
| and go, Greek customs and ideas still reached India, | | | | used by law enforcement in the late 1800's, and |
| where Jiu-Jitsu's foundation was likely to have been | | | | continues to be popular to this day. During World War II, |
| born. During Alexander the Great's conquests (356 - | | | | many U.S. soldiers were exposed to the art of Judo |
| 323 B.C.), he brought the Greek culture to the areas he | | | | and brought it back to America with them. The first |
| conquered. His conquests stretched all the way to | | | | issue of Black Belt magazine here in America (1961), |
| India, where he introduced the customs and ideals of | | | | featured a sketch of a Judo throw and was a special |
| Greek culture to the people of that area. Jiu-Jitsu | | | | Judo issue.It wasn't until the birth of martial arts in |
| wasn't being formally taught in Japan for over one | | | | Hollywood that the mystique of martial arts myths |
| thousand years after this. Many say that the Greek | | | | were catapulted to the public eye on a large scale. |
| influence in India led to the development of Kung Fu or | | | | Here in the U.S. especially, Bruce Lee was one of the |
| more appropriately, Wu Shu (martial arts) in China.The | | | | greatest catalysts for martial arts in the world today. |
| Chinese have a great deal of stories to support the | | | | Bruce Lee was actually a student of Judo and did |
| history of their martial arts. The general idea embraced | | | | many studies on grappling while he was alive. He |
| by most historians is that systemized martial arts | | | | criticized traditional martial arts as being ineffective, but |
| techniques came from India along with Buddhism | | | | ironically spread more myths about martial arts through |
| (Bodhi Dharma). The concept here is that the Shaolin | | | | his movies than almost anyone in martial arts |
| temple was built in the center of China and this is | | | | history.Jigoro Kano was the founder of Judo, however, |
| where Bodhi Dharma introduced Buddhism and Boxing | | | | Judo is simply a style of Jiu-jitsu and not a separate |
| (senzuikyo). (ref. Aikido and Chinese Martial Arts, | | | | martial art. Kano was not the first to use the name |
| Sugawara and Xing) The story that supports the idea | | | | Judo, the Jiu-jitsu schools he studied at, which would be |
| of Jiu-Jitsu coming from China takes place around the | | | | the source of much of his Judo's techniques had used |
| time of the fall of the Ming Dynasty. It states that a | | | | the phrase before he made it famous in the late |
| man named Chingempin came from Japan to live in | | | | 1800's.The first use of the name Judo was by Seijun |
| Tokyo at a Buddhist temple where he met three Ronin | | | | Inoue IV, who applied it to his Jujitsu of Jikishin-ryu. |
| (masterless Samurai) named Fukuno, Isogai, and Miura. | | | | Students of Jikishin-ryu Judo were not only expected |
| Chingempin told the Ronin of a grappling art he had | | | | to master its ninety-seven techniques, but to also |
| seen in China. The Ronin became particularly | | | | develop into generous and gentle-mannered |
| interested in pursuing the study of this art, so he then | | | | individuals.Kuninori Suzuki V, the Master of Kito-ryu |
| began teaching in Japan, and this art became | | | | (Kito means to Rise and Fall) Jiu-jitsu, changed the |
| Jiu-Jitsu.The next theory is that there was many forms | | | | name of Kito-kumiuchi to Kito-ryu Judo in 1714. The |
| of wrestling that had developed in China. One of the | | | | most important contribution that kito ryu would offer |
| most notable is Horn Wrestling, called Jiaodixi. This | | | | Judo was the principle of kuzushi (off-balancing), which |
| form of wrestling was practiced by the Mongolians | | | | is the key to the throwing techniques of modern Judo. |
| and later evolved into Jiaoli, which was wrestling | | | | Jigoro Kano studied the judo of Jikishin-ryu and |
| without the horns. This form of wrestling can be seen | | | | Kito-ryu, and incorporated some of their concepts into |
| in Native American cultures (evident in the typical | | | | his original system, which he named Kodokan |
| Native American Buffalo head wear) and most likely | | | | Judo.Judo is made up of many styles of Jiu-jitsu |
| arrived there by way of Mongolians migrating through | | | | whose masters Kano had studied with. The most |
| now modern Alaska. Jiaoli evolved and became | | | | notable were Jikishin-ryu, Kito-ryu, and later Fusen-ryu |
| Xiangpu and it is said that this form of wrestling | | | | would be incorporated for its groundwork (ne waza) |
| became Sumo in Japan. Another theory says that | | | | as Kano would ask the style's head master, |
| there were practitioners of Chikura Karube, a wrestling | | | | Mataemon Tanabe for his syllabus. Yokiashi |
| sport developed around 200 B.C. It is said that Chikura | | | | Yamashita (Kano's Chief assistant) would add his |
| Karube later became Jiu-Jitsu in Japan.The last story | | | | knowledge of Yoshin Ryu ju jitsu and Tenshin shinyo |
| mentioned here is that Jiu-Jitsu is Japanese and from | | | | Ryu ju jitsu, both of which, he was a master.In 1912, |
| Japan. This story follows the same basic idea but | | | | Kano met with the remaining leader masters of Jiu |
| differs in that Chingempin introduced an early form of | | | | Jitsu to finalize a Kodokan syllabus of training and kata. |
| Jiu-Jitsu (not yet called Jiu-Jitsu) called Kempo in Japan, | | | | Aoyagi of Sosusihis Ryu, Takano, Yano, Kotaro Imei |
| which consisted mostly of strikes and very little | | | | and Hikasuburo Ohshima from Takeuisi Ryu. Jushin |
| grappling. From there, the Japanese developed it into a | | | | Sekiguchi and Mogichi Tsumizu from Sekiguchi Ryu, |
| more effective grappling art. One thing is certain about | | | | Eguchi from Kyushin Ryu, Hoshino from Shiten Ryu, |
| these stories, and that is that the Japanese were | | | | Inazu from Miura Ryu and finally, Takamatsu, a |
| responsible for refining a grappling art into a very | | | | Kukkishin Ryu master, whose school specialized in |
| sophisticated grappling system called Jiu-Jitsu.Tracing | | | | weapons training.Before the formal meeting between |
| the history of grappling techniques for this book was | | | | Kano and the grandmasters of Japan's greatest |
| quite interesting. In doing so, I decided to look for some | | | | Jiu-jitsu schools, a defining event occurred, which is one |
| common threads between the stories, which are:All | | | | of the most historically important pieces of the Brazilian |
| ancient cultures had some form of grappling and | | | | Jiu-jitsu puzzle. By 1900, the Kodokan had been |
| unarmed fighting techniques. | | | | challenging other Jiu-Jitsu schools in sport competition |
| The Greek culture gave its fighters the greatest | | | | and winning with throwing (standing) techniques. Much |
| financial and social rewards. The ancient Greeks | | | | of the Kodokan's status was built on the throwing skills |
| conquered quite a bit of territory during the time of | | | | of Shiro Saigo, a practitioner of Oshikiuchi, the art of |
| Alexander the Great, including the area that Jiu-Jitsu's | | | | Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu. Jigoro Kano had actually enlisted |
| techniques were said to have come from. | | | | the help of Shiro Saigo in order to win a famous |
| Wrestling did exist in China and Mongolia before | | | | tournament at the Tokyo police headquarters in 1886. |
| Jiu-Jitsu did in Japan, and it is interesting to note that | | | | This tournament, mentioned briefly earlier in this |
| this is where Native American wrestling most likely | | | | chapter, was Judo (Kano's style of Jujitsu) vs. "old" |
| came from by way of migration over the Alaskan Ice | | | | Jujitsu. It is interesting to note that Kano's champion |
| Bridge. | | | | was not originally a Judo student at all, but a student of |
| The pinning and throwing techniques of Jiu-Jitsu are | | | | an older Jujitsu style, which in reality, defeated the |
| very similar to, and in some cases, the same as those | | | | purpose of having a Judo vs. Jujitsu tournament in the |
| of Greco Roman Wrestling.Development of Jiu-Jitsu | | | | first place.As I stated earlier, Judo was a collection of |
| Jiu-Jitsu itself was developed in Japan during the | | | | Jiu-jitsu styles, once such style was the Fusen Ryu. |
| Feudal period. It was originally an art designed for | | | | Fusen was a school of Jiu-jitsu which specialized in |
| warfare, but after the abolition of the Feudal system in | | | | Ground Work (Ne Waza). In 1900, the Kodokan |
| Japan, certain modifications needed to be made to the | | | | challenged the Fusen Ryu school to a contest. At that |
| art in order to make it suitable for practice. During | | | | time Judo did not have Ne Waza (ground fighting |
| Feudal times, Jiu-Jitsu was also known as Yawara, | | | | techniques), so instead they fought standing up, as |
| Hakuda, Kogusoko, and an assortment of other | | | | Kano had been taught in both the Tenshin Shinyo Ryu |
| names. The earliest recorded use of the word "jiu-jitsu" | | | | and Kito Ryu systems he studied. Both Kito Ryu and |
| happens in 1532 and is coined by the Takenouchi Ryu | | | | Tenshin Shinyo Ryu had excellent striking skills and |
| (school). The history of the art during this time is | | | | effective throws.When Kodokan Judo practitioners |
| uncertain because teachers kept everything secret to | | | | fought the practitioners of Fusen Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, the |
| give their art a feeling of importance and then would | | | | Kodokan practitioners realized that there was no way |
| change the stories of their art to suit their own | | | | they could defeat the Kodokan Judoka standing, thus |
| needs.After the Feudal period in Japan ended (Jiu-jitsu | | | | they decided to use their superior ground fighting skills. |
| was no longer needed on the battlefield), a way to | | | | When the Kodokan fighters and the Fusen Ryu men |
| practice the art realistically was needed, which is why | | | | began to fight, the Jiu-Jitsu practitioners immediately |
| Jigoro Kano (1860--1938), a practitioner of Jiu-Jitsu, | | | | went to the guard position ( lying on their backs in front |
| developed his own system of Jiu-Jitsu in the late | | | | of their opponents in order to control them with the |
| 1800's, called Judo. Judo was helpful because it allowed | | | | use of their legs). The Kodokan Judoka didn't know |
| practitioners the ability to try the art safely and | | | | what to do, and then the Fusen Ryu practitioners took |
| realistically at the same time. The most important | | | | them to the ground, using submission holds to win the |
| contribution Judo made to the practice of "Jiu-jitsu" | | | | matches. This was the first real loss that the Kodokan |
| was the concept of Rondori. Rondori was a form of | | | | had experienced in eight years.Kano knew that if they |
| sparing and contained a set of sportive rules that | | | | were going to continue challenging other Jiu-Jitsu |
| made practice safe, yet realistic. Because of the | | | | schools, they needed a full range of ground fighting |
| sportive outlet (rules that made practice safe), | | | | techniques. Thus with friends of other Jiu-Jitsu |
| students of Jiu-jitsu from Kano's school were able to | | | | systems, among them being Fusen Ryu practitioners, |
| practice more frequently due to the fact that they | | | | Kano formulated the Ne Waza (ground techniques) of |
| were not always recovering from injuries. This | | | | Kodokan Judo which included three divisions: Katame |
| multiplies the amount of training time for student's of | | | | Waza (joint locking techniques), Shime Waza (choking |
| Kano's school and drastically increased their abilities. | | | | techniques), and Osae Waza (holding techniques). This |
| Judo (Kano's version of Jiu-jitsu) was watered down | | | | all occurs shortly before Judo arrives in Brazil, and |
| from the complete form (of Jiu-jitsu), but still contained | | | | serves as an excellent suggestion as to why Brazilian |
| enough techniques to preserve its realistic | | | | Jiu-jitsu contains a higher percentage of techniques on |
| effectiveness. The one problem that occurred was, in | | | | the ground than most styles of Jiu-jitsu or Judo. Thus, |
| Kano's opinion, ground work was not as important as | | | | we find ourselves faced with the impending |
| achieving the throw or take down, therefore ground | | | | development of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil.Gene Simco is a |
| fighting was not emphasized in Judo and became | | | | Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt and author of several tuitles |
| weak in that system. Judo also began placing too | | | | on the subject. |
| many rules and regulations on the art to make it more | | | | |