What is Traditional Jujutsu? And what is the difference between Jujutsu, Ju-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu?

Let me answer the second question first. The term JuJutsu, is a romanization of the Japanese term meaning Science of Yielding/Gentleness. As the Japanese use two alphabets, made of two different sets of symbols (Kanji and Katakana), the romanized version of the word (using the alphabet we use in the western world) cannot completely reflect how to spell the word. There is agreement that the first syllable is "Ju", pronounced "Joo", or "Jyoo" depending on where in Japan you come from. This is why in various parts of the world – the romanized spelling is either "Ju" or "Jiu". The second set of syllables is pronounced either "joots" or "jits" in some areas of Japan – or – "joots" with a barely audible "uh" sound at the end in other areas. Thus the spelling "jutsu" or "jitsu". That last "u" reflects that gutteral "uh" at the end of the word.

Those who attempt to correct another in the spelling of the term in the western alphabet do so incorrectly. There is no correct spelling in our alphabet. We must all simply accept the fact that the Japanese sounds are best reflected in the alphabet created to reflect those sounds. So JuJutsu, Ju-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu, are all the same.

Onto a more difficult subject – what is Traditional Jujutsu? Most people in the west are referring to Koryu when they talk of Traditional Jujutsu. Koryu being the ancient schools of Japan. At one time there were over 600 ryuha in Japan. Today there are perhaps a dozen of the truly ancient schools. Ryu, by the way, literally means "stream", but figuratively means "stream of knowledge", or as we say – a "system" or "style". There are today some semi-modern Ryu (those developed in the early 20^th century) that very well represent the traditional roots from which they sprang.

The purpose of Jujutsu is to train people to be able to defend themselves or their families from harm at the hand of another person or persons. This implies that the Jujutsuka (jujutsu practitioner) is not an instigator of harm against another person or another person’s family. So, we see, a Jujutsu practitioner does not seek to fight. A Jujutsuka does not fight, and trains in order to stop others from doing so.

In a traditional dojo, the training is very difficult. Relentless repetition of attack and defense from standing, grappling, kneeling, on the ground, with and without weapons is necessary to simulate the attacks a person may experience in their daily life. Training is very difficult, and often brutal so that the instructor can bring his students as close as possible to the violence of a real attack, while attempting not to injure the students in the process. It has been said – "Bleed in the dojo – so that you do not bleed on the battlefield". This means that in order to prepare for the very short attack/defense scenario that will happen in the street – and emerge the victor, one must train that and other scenarios over and over. The body will be broken down – but built up stronger. The mind will find an different understanding of pain. The spirit will be tested on a daily basis – how much can you take before you give up? All in order to ensure your victory in a real attack. There is no other way.

Choosing a dojo that practices Traditional Japanese Martial Etiquette can be a difficult choice in the west. As a culture, we have developed with an inherent dislike for hierarchical authority (except in the military). We also are repeatedly told since youth that we can do and be anything we want to be in this country (which is entirely false). Thus we grow with delusions of our importance in the scheme of things. And our society constantly strives to make everyone equal. The Japanese culture does not recognize equality in the manner we do. In the traditional martial culture, nobody is equal. You are either above someone or below – but almost never equal. Thus the culture fosters the hierarchical mentality. The Japanese martial culture also has concepts which are somewhat foreign in the west – those of duty and indebtedness.

Here in the west we expect to visit a dojo, meet the teacher, shake his hand, watch a class, sign up, pay a monthly fee and get a product (lessons), and to be promoted up through the ranks – eventually receiving blackbelt. At that point, the person goes out and moves onto another hobby, or perhaps goes out and opens their own school.

In a traditional Jujutsu dojo, however, this is not the way. First and foremost, a potential student must realize they are not, nor ever will be on the same level as their potential sensei. They must realize that before they even meet their potential sensei. In this way, they will act correctly when they first approach the instructor and ask if they may be considered as a student. In a traditional dojo, your willingness to pay for lessons is meaningless to whether or not you will be accepted as a student. An instructor is about to make a long term commitment to you, passing on decades of knowledge to you. And he/she doesn’t even know you. Yet you expect to write out a check and just start learning all his secrets.

Speaking of long term commitments – you are about to make one too. Expect to devote a minimum of 4 or 5 years training with this single sensei in a single system. Wandering from dojo to dojo is not allowed. Once accepted, you now have a duty to come to each class, and to compensate your sensei as arranged without delay. You have a duty to follow all instruction. As you progress you have a duty to help train students of lesser rank. You have a duty to help those lesser students fulfill their duties. You have a duty to keep the dojo clean. These are just some of the duties you accept by becoming a student in a traditional Jujutsu dojo.

You are more and more indebted as time passes to your instructor – as he or she passes a lifetime of knowledge to you. But don’t feel bad – the duty a traditional sensei has to you, his students is larger than any burden you will ever carry (until you become a sensei). His duty to you is to correctly pass on knowledge, develop you physically, mentally, spiritually, help you overcome fears, teach you humility, teach you power, and the overwhelming responsibility for the physical safety of you and your family based on his teachings. No paultry monthly fee can cover what your sensei is passing onto you. Your indebtedness is far larger than that.

The acts of etiquette in a traditional dojo are many. And I will cover them in later letters. However, it is important to understand the martial mentality that generally exists in a Traditional Jujutsu system.