Jujitsu is a Japanese martial art which includes Strikes/Punches, Kicks, Throws, Take-Downs, Locking, Choking, Holding, Escaping and Submission techniques. Jujitsu is the philosophy of self-defence, relying on technique and skill rather than speed and power to force a submission from your opponent or to immobilize him / her. Translated into English, Jujitsu means "gentle art." The "gentleness" of
the art is expressed in the ex*****on of the technique, and is not reflected in the effect upon the attacker, except at the discretion of the person executing the technique. Using the techniques, a person may either control an opponent with a minimum amount of pain (neutralisation), or use a technique designed to produce a great deal of pain (immobilisation). Many times the only difference between neutralisation and immobilisation is the amount of pressure applied to the technique. Other factors that determine the difference would be the opponent's resistance, the direction of the line of force and of course, and the circumstances of the situation where force was deemed necessary. Jujitsu is the most potentially destructive of all of the martial arts. A student proficient in Jujitsu has studied the techniques that were the forerunner of judo (throws, chokes and leverage), aikido (joint locks and circular control of an opponent) and karate (kicking punching and striking). However, Jujitsu is not defined as either an offensive art or a defensive art. The ex*****ons of the techniques depend upon the motion and attitude of the opponent, and the seriousness of the encounter. A Jujitsuka learns to exploit the weaknesses of an opponent's motion and capitalise on those weaknesses, and although the Jujitsuka is obligated to use good judgement and responsibility in the selection and ex*****on of his techniques, the techniques are many and varied and can be violently effective. Jujitsu revolves around three basic states of mind - Zanshin, Mushin and Fudoshin. The proper combination of these elements gave the power, preparation and potential to the practitioner to excel in the Jujitsu art. Zanshin (remaining spirit) - connotes the readiness for anything at any given time. Mushin (no mind) - Its spontaneity permits instantaneous action without conscious thought. Fudoshin (immovable mind) - during times of confrontation. Power is not everything in a martial art. Focus and timing is what matters the most. Focus: Executing your techniques, be it strikes, kicks, throws or submissions, with the utmost of focus you will see that you will over power your opponent easily. Over power, not by using physical power but the power generated by your body by focussing on a specific point on the target of your technique. Timing: Timing and focus walk hand-in-hand. You could have the exact time of impact but the lack of focus could cause you to loose your effectiveness of the attack. To strike at the correct time is what makes a strike so much more effective. When your opponent is exhaling then your attack will be less effective as when your moment of impact is on your opponent's moment of inhaling, making your attack more efficient with less power you could do more damage with your correct impact timing. To stay calm during a fight is the best advantage. As soon as you loose your composure then you are most definitely going to make mistakes during the encounter. With no calmness your focus will be lost and mistakes happen when you are not thinking. If you come up against a fighter using only strikes and kicks, it will be to your advantage to take your opponent / attacker to the ground because of your Jujitsu groundwork techniques. If you come up against a fighter that only uses groundwork techniques, it will be to your advantage to stay on your feet and concentrate on your Jujitsu striking and kicking techniques. You must fight your fight. My belief is that the effective way of any martial art is having an open mind and adapting to your environment and situation.
