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