Jujitsu

Jujitsu is one of the most ancient of the martial arts in the world, over 2500 years old. No one knows exactly where Jujitsu started. Although it has its origins in ancient Japan, it is also thought to be of an antiquated Chinese origin.

Jujitsu was influenced by many fighting styles, incorporating parts of all of them. The weapon-less styles of Jujitsu were integrated into the training of the Samurai, from the eighth to the sixteenth centuries.

In 1603, Tokugawa Leysu united Japan under the control of the Tokugawa government, and so began the era that bears their name. During this time, as Japan was united, there was less and less armed warfare, and so the weapon-less style of Jujitsu became more and more prominent.

The Tokugawa era came to, which returned the emperor to power. Many of the samurai had supported the Shogun in the wars that began the restoration, and as a result, Emperor Melse published an edict that made it illegal to practice the old combat arts.

In the mid-19th century, the Samurai class was formally disbanded, and many schools died out. It was at this time that Jigoro Kano, a master of the Tenshin Shin'Yo ryu Ju-Jitsu developed the Judo, would be more accepted by the populace. By the mid twenty century, with the Meji restoration, the ban on Jujitsu in Japan had lifted, allowing the free practicing of the art.