Also seen spelled as Jiujitsu, Jujutso, Jiujutsu, and Jijitsu, Jujitsu is one Japan's oldest martial arts. Through the ages it has been known by many different names, such as yawara, taijutsu, wajutsu, torite, kogusoku, kempo, hakuda, kumiuchi, shubaku, and oshinomawari.

The word Jujitsu means "gentle art" ("ju" means flexibility or gentleness and "jitsu" means art or technique). Jujitsu is a system of combat where a smaller person may defeat a much larger person by adding the larger person's strength and momentum to the application of his or her own technique. 

Although it is considered a "gentle art," Jujitsu is not a delicate art. It was the primary unarmed combat method of the samurai and could be devastatingly brutal when used on the battlefield. Westerners tend to misinterpret "gentle" to mean weak or the use of little strength or power. This was never the case with combat Jujitsu where great strength was frequently needed to defeat an enemy. Not all Jujitsu techniques are gentle, though sometimes they are done with such swiftness and efficiency that they appear to be so. Therefore, gentleness is more correctly interpreted as flexibility, where the mind and body unite and flow with the power and motion of an opponent to defeat the opponent. Sometimes this results in great force being used. Most Jujitsu techniques cause great pain and some may break bones with little effort. This is especially noticeable when applying techniques to pressure points where minimum effort may cause maximum pain. Using pressure points allows you to make someone move where you want him or her to go, or you can use them to cause enough pain to make your opponent surrender.

The term "gentle art" really refers to the principles and techniques that are the foundation of the art. In Jujitsu, you learn not to resist. When pushed, you pull. When pulled, you push. This is the principle of "Ju no ri."

Jujitsu's origin is lost in the mists of antiquity. Some say it originated in China around the 7th century BC, while others say it originated in Japan. In either case, the Japanese perfected the art. Legend has it that Jujitsu was originally introduced to Japan by a Chinese named Chen Yuan-ping, in the mid 1600's, but a large amount of evidence disproves this. For instance, there are reliable records of the Japanese Jujitsu masters, such as Hitotsubashi-Joken or Sekigushi-Jushin, who thrived years before this date. Authentic descriptions of Jujitsu are found in documents such as Yukisenjo-Monogatari, Kuyamigusa, and in old Jujitsu "Densho," the instructions and records of secrets by the founders of various Jujitsu schools, which also predate the legend.

Many factors led to the development of Jujitsu. Carrying bladed weapons was common during ancient times and successful unarmed defense against them was a great asset. The Japanese soldier was trained from a young boy to be skilled with many weapons, like the Japanese katana, a two-handed, razor-sharp sword. They also trained with the halberd, javelin, combat-scythe, bow and arrows, and other smaller weapons. Since warriors of the time wore armor, kicks and punches had little effect, so chokes and joint locks were used to attack unprotected areas, such as the neck, arms, and legs. Other factors are:

• Before the advent of firearms in Japan, bows and arrows were used in warfare, but in close combat, warriors used spears and swords. Occasionally, they had to fight with their bare hands using what was called "Kumiuchi." The more advanced techniques of Kumiuchi contributed to the development of Jujitsu.

• For centuries, Japanese warriors wore two swords, one long and one short. However, warriors in the presence of high personages had to appear without long swords. In the Tokugawa period, long swords were taboo in the court of the Shogun, while the retinue on guard and minor officials were allowed to wear short swords. These warriors and guards, as well as prison guards, needed a way to defend themselves without resorting to the deadly sword.

• Special methods, such as punching, poking, chopping, kicking, and bending and twisting the joints, were studied and developed so that an unarmed person, or a person who was restrained from using his weapons, could subdue an adversary.

• For several hundred years before the Meiji era, and throughout the feudal age, class distinction was rigidly enforced between the warrior and the commoner, the latter being forbidden to wear any sword. So, for self-defense, commoners had to learn the art of bare-handed fighting.

• The above factors are closely interlocked and cannot be clearly separated from one another.

For a historical study of Jujitsu there are two main sources: (1) historical and literary works in general, and (2) the various Densho. History books contain comparatively few references to Jujitsu, but there are more to be found in the miscellaneous writings of each period. As for the Debsho, each school, in its eagerness to enhance its prestige, adorned its origin and records with flowery rhetoric, so some times their contents are not reliable. Moreover, some Densho, while of ancient origin, are actually manuscript copies so their authenticity is doubtful. Nevertheless, it may be safely deduced from the records available that Jujitsu began to take a systematized form in the latter half of the 16th century and that the various schools came into being from the 17th to about the beginning of the 19^th centuries.

The Nihon Shoki, "The Chronicle of Japan," a history compiled by the Imperial command in 720 AD, refers to a tournament of "Chikara- Kurabe", a contest of strength, which was held in the 7th year of the Emperor Suinin, 230 BC. Some historians regard this as the beginning of Sumo (Japanese wrestling) which has some aspects in common with Jujitsu. Although it is questionable whether Chikara-Kurabe bore any relation either the Sumo or Jujitsu of later years, the recorded event is historical proof of their embryonic stage.

The first instance of the word "yawara" occurring in Japanese literature is found in the Konjaku-Monogatari, the Once-upon-a-time Stories, which are said to have been written during the latter half of the 11th century. Since the word is found in a story about Sumo, it cannot be directly linked to Jujitsu, but it deserves the attention of Jujitsu historians.

As for Jujitsu's tenets (doctrinal principles), the instructions of the various schools mostly dwell on the ideas which may be seen in the famous old book on strategy selected by the Chinese strategist, Hwang-Shihkon, which was the Bible of warriors in the feudal age. They also carry echoes of Chinese philosophy represented in the Book of Lao-tsze, who preached non-resistance and gentleness, or in the Yi-King (or I Ching), the Book of Changes. There is little original thinking in the school writings, although occasionally one encounters passages which indicate an aspiration to the ideal of Bushido.

Around 1100 AD, Shinra Suburo Yoshimitsu created Daitoryu-Aiki-Ju-Jutsu, which involved techniques where a small person may control a bigger, more powerful person with soft, simple movements. This was a new concept to the Japanese, since powerful techniques were the norm. Since Yoshimitsu was a General for the Minamoto family, his Jujutsu was kept a secret inside that family for centuries. Through the centuries, the public gradually gained knowledge of its techniques.

From 1333 to 1573, Jujitsu was popular in Japan and many styles, or "ryus," developed.  More than 700 styles were officially accounted for in Japan during the 17th century. The first Ryu opened in 1532 by the Japanese Takenouchi Hisamori. His system, based on combat Sumo-wrestling techniques, gave Jujitsu an identity.

Some styles involved weapons, while others were purely unarmed. When Shogun Tokugawa rose to power around 1600, commoners were forbidden to carry weapons, so unarmed self-defense was popular among them. Jujitsu was very popular with the samurai since empty hand fighting was common in battle. Also, if a lesser samurai ever had to subdue a higher ranked samurai, he could do it using Jujitsu with impunity. Whereas, if he used a sword, which could result in a death of either of the samurai, the Lord would be angered and might seek punishment for the lesser samurai.

Some claim Takenouchi Ryu was the core ryu (school) from which all Jujitsu ryus sprang. This ryu was founded in 1532 and borrowed substantially from Sumo. Takenouchi Ryu adapted combat methods from various sources that came to be known as "Kogusoku." This method and others were later classified under the common heading of Jujitsu

One problem with Jujitsu was that it was so violent that was difficult to practice. Tournaments usually ended with serious injuries. However, this was also a time when new techniques were developed since people could fight to the death.

Gradually, wars decreased in number and peace became more common. During these times, Jujitsu developed into a more of a weaponless martial art, although schools taught both armed and unarmed combat. Some schools were based either hard or soft techniques, some focused on kicking and punching, some focused on throwing, and yet others focused on joint-locks and takedowns. According to the Bujutsu-Ryusoroku, the Biographies of the Founders of Various Martial Exercise Schools, in the 1800's some twenty schools of Jujitsu (ryu) existed, such as the "Takenouchi Ryu," "Sekiguchi Ryu," "Kyushin Ryu," "Kito Ryu," "Tenshin-Shinyo Ry," " Tenjin-ryu," and "Daito-ryu." The differences between these various schools were chiefly attributable to specialization in certain techniques, but it seemed that a few Jujitsu masters merely founded new schools simply for their own purposes, for there were schools that differed in name but were practically identical in substance.

Two main styles of Jujitsu developed, Ju-jutsu and Aiki-Jutsu. Unlike Ju-Jutsu, Aiki-Jutsu was kept secret. Only a few people were taught this art and it became superior to Ju-Jutsu. Since its creation, Jujitsu has spawned a number of martial arts, including Judo, Aikido and possibly Korean Hapkido and Kuk-sool. In 1882, Jigoro Kano, who had studied Kito Ryu and Tenshin-Shinyo Ryu, founded Kodokan Judo (gentle way). Morihei Uyeshiba was one of the few Aiki-Jutsu students and he used what he learned to develop Aikido (way of universal power) in 1936. 

In 1871, the Decree Abolishing the Wearing of Swords, which forbid samurai from wearing swords in public, was devastating for all martial arts. People no longer needed to know how to defend themselves from armed enemies since swords were now prohibited in public, so martial art school attendance dropped rapidly. It was a difficult time for all martial art schools.

In 1886, the Japanese police department was looking for a martial art to teach all their employees. They arranged a competition between the Jujitsu school and the Judo school. The ferocity of jujitsu became its downfall. Kano had removed most of the extremely violent moves from Jujitsu when he developed Judo so it could be practiced without the risk of seriously hurting people. The Judo students were better athletes and defeated all but two of the Jujitsu students. Those two matches ended in a tie. Therefore, the Japanese police choose Judo. However, they later reinstated most of the Jujitsu strikes because they were needed. This new art became known as "Taiho Jitsu," which was only taught to the police and military. After this competition, Judo was recognized as the better art and Jujitsu was left to fend for itself.

Beginning in the early 1900's, Japanese Jujitsu masters began visiting the United States and Europe exhibiting their skills and techniques. In the 1930's, Jujitsu began to grow and be recognized  in the United States. Jujitsu has evolved into an art that is much safer to practice today than it was in the time of the samurai. 

Modern Jujitsu is not a contest of muscular strength, nor does it attempt to maim or kill. It uses throws, locks, kicks, and punches to gain release from an attacker and to temporarily incapacitate him or her. It is applicable to women and men of all ages and sizes. It places priority on practicing self-defense, while adhering to local laws relating to self-defense. A strength of Jujitsu is that you can learn and choose techniques to use without concern about competition rules and their limitations. It covers the entire spectrum of different realistic types of attacks, including kicks, punches, knees, elbows, throws, take-downs, joint-locks, ground-fighting and more. Jujitsu is an excellent form of exercise, especially when considering the importance of maintaining or increasing one's flexibility, endurance, and strength, and is also good practice for children. It builds up self-confidence, co-ordination, and it teaches them respect, discipline and other social benefits. Although Jujitsu is categorized mostly as a system of self-defense, competitions, especially in Brazilian Jujutsu (as popularized by the Gracie family), have become more common.

Mr. Deese teaches Weeping Style Jujitsu. The name is derived from the way techniques are applied. Each technique is applied to cause pain compliance (thus the term weeping) before moving into another technique. This means the defender must use proper form in the technique for it to be painful to the attacker. Attacking students develop pain tolerance through having the techniques applied to them.

Some of types of techniques found in modern Jujitsu are:

• Atemi-Waza (striking techniques)

• Nage-Waza (throwing techniques)

• Kensetsu-Waza (joint manipulation)

• Shime-Waza (strangulation or choking techniques)

• Katami-Waza (ground techniques), 

• Vital and nerve point striking and manipulation

In Mr. Deese's Jujitsu classes, he will teach these types of techniques in a safe and enjoyable manner, just as he does in Taekwondo classes. As a student of Taekwondo, you will learn techniques to use when it is not reasonable or practical to kick or punch, which, in reality, occurs in most self-defense situations.