A BRIEF HISTORY OF JAPANESE JIU-JITSU

​ INTRODUCTION
This is a brief over-view of the origins and development of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu.  Only the key places, dates and individuals that had made a major contribution to this art will be mentioned. No doubt there are many other important figures that also contributed to the art as we now know it. 

Traditionally, Jiu-Jitsu was the empty handed auxiliary art of the Samurai who used these techniques during combat in conjunction with, or sometimes without, their sword.  It should be noted that all styles of Jiu-Jitsu as we know them today, share common origins, being derived from “Combat Sumo” (Combat Sumo) and “Kumi- Uchi” (Armour Grappling) which began around 850 - 880 AD and was later perfected by the Samurai sometime around the 1400 -1600’s.  As such, Jiu-Jitsu was and still is today classified as a form of Bujutsu or "Classical Japanese Military Arts" in Japan.
Jiu-Jitsu is the parent art to most of the leading Japanese styles of Karate, Judo and Aikido known today.

Jiu-jitsu as literally translated from the Japanese language means "pliant/adaptable Technique” (Ju –Jutsu, contrasted with the more modern spelling Jiu-Jitsu) and can be contrasted with those disciplines ending in "Do” (Do, meaning “way” or “path” as in Judo, spelled Tao in Chinese) was meant to signify distancing from the rougher Jitsu. As such, Aiki-Do (Way of harmony), Ken-Do (Way of the sword), Karate-Do (Way of the empty hand) Ju-Do (The Gentle Way) stripped away some of the more dangerous, but essential, practices from the Jitsu by focusing on the more spiritual aspects of the art and taking on a more civilized tone in keeping with more modern times post the second world war ending in 1945.
 
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE WAYS OF COMBAT
It is a widely acknowledged and agreed upon story by martial art scholars that sometime around 525 A.D. a Buddhist Monk traveling from India to China by the name of Bodhidharma laid the foundation for Chinese martial arts systems by teaching Ch'an (Chinese for Zen) and developing physical exercise forms for monks in a Shaolin Temple. Unfortunately, accurate accounts of this ended during the boxer rebellion in 1928, (a revolt by Kung Fu men, who believed they were invincible), when many Shaolin monasteries were burned to the ground. As such, we must rely on information verbally handed down to practitioners' descendants from that time. China would eventually meet Japan through Korea during the Tang Dynasty 618-907 A.D., where there was much exchange of Martial Arts information. This interaction would form the basis for the Japanese to develop a system of grappling known as Combat Sumo which involved both wrestling and blows to one’s opponent.  

During the Heian Period 850-880 A.D., Teijun Fujiwara, sixth son of Emperor Seiwa Fujiwara developed his own method of “Kumi-Uchi” combat grappling, which he passed down to his son Tsunemoto Fujiwara, who in turn passed it down through family generations until it became improved and modified by General Shinra Saburo, a great military leader of the day in the 16th Century.

Throughout the Manju (A.D. 1024) and Shoho (A.D. 1074) eras, a Martial Art now known as Ninjutsu was perfected. Combining Jiu-Jitsu techniques and Shinto, the religion native to Japan. Ninpo adherents practiced the art of stealth in order to protect their farms and families from the Samurai (The Over lords Warriors). The penalty for being caught while spying was being boiled alive in oil or being skinned while still alive. For this reason, their spying activities were performed while under the cover of darkness so their movements would be hidden by the shadows. Samurai were constantly on alert to their presence, as political leaders sometimes used them for intelligence gathering purposes. They were thus the “Special Forces” of their day.

During the Muromachi Period (1337-1557), it was noticed that monks and their guests practiced Jiu-Jitsu in monasteries, a place where many schools of Jiu-Jitsu had their beginnings. There still exists today at the Tokukuji Monastery in Kyoto, a Dojo where monks still train in this ancient art.

During 1532, a Samurai named Takenouchi Hisamori founded the Takenouchi Ryu (Kumi-Uchi - Armed Grappling, BoJutsu and KenJitsu) style, becoming one of Jiu-Jitsu’s chief historical figures. Takenouchi Ryu is still in existence today and is known as one of the oldest existing Jiu-Jitsu Ryu in Japan.
Another well-known school, the Yagyu Shingan Ryu (armour grappling) School was founded during the year 1600 by a Samurai named Ushu Takewaki. It was during this time that Jiu-Jitsu was well known as "Japanese Combative Grappling, or Kumi-Uchi."

At the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama Era (1574-1602), another figure head; Sokichi's Takeda taught KenJitsu, BoJitsu and Sumo to his younger son, Sokaku Takeda who would refine and later rename their revised style of combat method “Daito Ryu Aki-Jitsu” (meaning to harmonize ones energy or “KI” with that of your opponent’s energy).  Although the style was based on the sword, they also practiced empty handed techniques against a sword. Thus we come to understand that empty handed Jiu-Jitsu techniques were the auxiliary art of the Samurai who used empty handed fighting skills at times when a sword (preferred) was not available.  

Interestingly, in the book, Budo Shoshinsu (The code of the Samurai) written by Daido Ji Yuzan, a military strategist and advisor who lived under the rule of six Shoguns during the 16th Century, the name Sokaku Takeda and the training of Samurai in the art of Jiu-Jitsu are mentioned. Takeda used to work in a factory where one day, challenged to a fight with the other workers, he cut down a dozen of them with his sword. His uncle, witnessing this, spoke with Takeda and encouraged him to "put down his sword and concentrate on the practice of empty handed Jiu-Jitsu techniques. 
 
THE TIME OF PEACE
Although most Jiu-Jitsu schools were in full operation during the 1400's, the Edo (Tokugawan Era 1603-1867) is considered to be the "golden age" of Jiu-Jitsu. The advent of the Azuchi-Momoyama Era in 1587 had brought change to Japan when Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned all peasants on pain of death from possessing or carrying weapons.
During this time the people of Okinawa who were conquered by the Japanese, were forced to develop their own empty handed techniques in order to protect themselves from the Samurai by way of penetrating the Samurai’s armour with their bare hands and feet. Due to metal being scarce and Okinawans being prevented from possession of weapons, in these circumstances, many farm implements were utilized as weapons, such as Tonfa and Nunchaku.
 Now, there was an acceleration of interest by the samurai in the growth and development of empty handed Jiu-Jitsu techniques as although the Samurai used blows during their battlefield encounters, because the sword was such a prominent part of their method of combat (being considered the soul of the Samurai) percussive arts had not been as commonly known, or understood, as grappling methods in Japan at that time. It is probable that Japanese Atemi (striking) had its roots in a style of Jiu-Jitsu known as Shinden Tatara Ryu and no doubt many Ryu and styles were fairly developed at this time and kept secret.  
 
END OF THE BUSHI (WARRIOR CLASS)
On March 28, 1876 the decisive end of the Bushi (warrior) class came during the Meji reform (1868-1912).
The Meji government disbanded the Samurai by issuing a ban on the wearing of the Japanese sword by anyone. This was the end of the Bushi (warrior) class. During this era, after the military demand from Admiral Perry of the USA to Japan to open itself to trade with the West following a 200 year ban on Western manipulation, Japan was in danger of losing its self-confidence. The Japanese were urged to adapt to modern Western ways by both Emperor Meji at the time as well as Western Ambassadors who encouraged the Japanese to discontinue the study of their own martial arts.
Many Samurai at this time, having only known a military existence, chose to go and stay at monasteries where they could still practice and develop their fighting skills. Many also began to focus more on their un-armed combat expertise still needed during that time. Today traditional Jiu-Jitsu practitioners wear black training uniforms or “GI” which is symbolic of the monk's colour of clothing.
 
MODERN INFLUENCES
In 1860, Jigoro Kano the founder of Judo was born. Kano founded Judo in 1882 in Tokyo, Japan based on his studies in both the Tenjin Shinyo Ryu and Kito Ryu styles of Jiu-Jitsu. Kano named his art "Kodokan Jiu-Do." In his effort to preserve traditional Japanese Martial Arts Kano would synthesize his studies of various Jiu-Jitsu techniques into Kata that he taught to advanced Black Belt students. Early on, Kano’s style was generally known as “Kano Jiu-Jitsu” which included self-defence applications against weapon welding attackers. A modified style of this was taught to the Japanese Police who termed it “Taiho Jitsu.” Although   mainly practiced and taught as a sport over the last 50 years, many Judo techniques can still be highly effective in self defense situations. 

 During 1868 a former Samurai turned Shinto priest named Saigo Tanomo had a son by the name of Saigo Shiro and taught him the way of Daito Ryu Aiki-Jitsu. In 1877 Saigo Shiro met Kano and later helped him to build up the Kodokan by helping him to teach Jiu-Do. Saigo Shiro continued to train and teach with Kano at the Kodokan Judo Institute, beating opponents at tournaments with his Daido Ryu Jiu-Jitsu techniques until 1888 where he finally left due to a conflict of loyalties between the two schools. When this happened, Kano, who was always trying to evolve his system, sent an advanced student named Minoru Mochizuki to learn Daito Ryu Aki-Jitsu techniques from Sokaku Takeda (The founder of the Daito Ryu Aki-Jitsu School), so those techniques could be incorporated into his Judo style.
Sokaku Takeda lived in Hokkaido and was known to be a skilled swordsman. During 1898 he would teach Daido Ryu Jiu-Jitsu techniques to the Japanese Police Force.  During the years 1911-1916, Sokaku Takeda was to meet and train the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, in the techniques of the Diato Ryu Aki Jiu-Jitsu style. Ueshiba Sensei also studied self defense movements from the Kito Ryu Jiu-Jitsu School (as had Kano) which had an emphasis on sword and spear fighting. It was 1925 when Ueshiba Sensei developed and founded a Martial Art, which is now known worldwide as Aikido.

Kano, upon visiting Ueshiba and witnessing a demonstration of Aikido attempted to persuade Ueshiba to join his Judo organization. When this failed, Kano sent some of his top students to study Aikido. Many of the techniques they learned can still be found in Judos advanced level Kata. Thus one use of Kata is as a living dictionary which preserves certain techniques and tactics for future study.

Kano would also visit Okinawa where he would witness a demonstration of Okinawa-Te by Gichin Funkoshi. The striking techniques Kano saw seemed superior to the Atemi Waza techniques he had seen before.  Kano invited Fuankoshi to come to his KodanKan and merge the techniques but Funkoshi decided instead to found a style known today as Shoto Kan Karate. (Shoto being Funakoshi’s pen name). The two founders developed a relationship and Kano would send his advanced students to study Karate with Funakoshi. It would later become common for Judo students, after mastering Judo, to later study Karate as a way of expanding their Martial Arts knowledge.
One of Funakoshi’s associates during this time was a man born in Korea named Yong-I-Choi who also studied the striking techniques of Jiu-Jitsu and who developed an art called Kyokushinkai Karate, which stresses all out fighting. During the 1950's he would change his name to Masatatsu Oyama and display his art by killing charging bulls with a punch to the head.
 
THE SPREAD OF JAPANESE JIU-JITSU TO THE WEST
During 1892 Britain was the first nation to receive Japanese Jiu-Jitsu Instructors.  Among such notables during 1899 were Yukio Tani and Gunji Koizuni. In 1905, British Jiu-Jitsu would spread out to Germany, Sweden, Austria and Holland. Instructors were also sent from Japan to the USA, where President Theodore Roosevelt was a Judo student. Bouts similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) were conducted in Europe and the USA to show the efficacy of Jiu-Jitsu. A Judo practitioner, Maeda who participated in these bouts against all styles would later go to Brazil where he would teach the famous Gracie’s who later evolved a system of competitive Jiu-Jitsu grappling with is prominent today.
 On January 28, 1890 in Fukushima Prefecture, Honshu Japan, a Jiu-Jitsu figure head Henry S. Okazaki was born. He would later move to Hawaii in 1908 where he wouId meet and train another famous Jiu-jitsuan, Wally Jay. Originally a Daido Ryu Aki-Jitsu stylist, Henry S. Okazaki later, after much training and development in other martial arts such as Judo founded a school called the Kodenkan, named in honour of the Kodokan founded by Jigaro Kano the founder of Judo. OKAZAKI included twenty self defense techniques from the Daido Ryu in his curriculum. Later, during 1930, he opened another school and called it the Danzan Ryu. During 1930 Henry S. Okazaki started to teach Jiu-jitsu to Americans, much to the dismay of the Japanese at that time. One of his first students was a physical therapist who lived in Honolulu Hawaii named Peter Baron. The years 1940-1960 were the growing years for Kodenkan Jiu-Jitsu. Many American Military Servicemen were to study this art in gymnasiums and YMCA's in Hawaii. It was also a time of change for Jiu-Jitsu in many ways as the American practitioners returning home after the War began setting up their own schools and updating and modernizing what they had learned. 

One of Mr. Okazaki's most famous students, Wally Jay entered the world on June 15, 1917. Born to Chinese parents in Honolulu Hawaii. Wally Jay would begin his Martial Arts training at age 11 when he began his study of boxing. During 1940 one of Henry S. Okazaki's top students, Juan Gomez, met Wally Jay and trained him in the ways of the Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jitsu School.    

During 1943, Henry Okazaki decided to form the American Jiu-Jitsu Institute. Among his members were former Kodenkan member Sam Luke (President 1988), Richard Kim from the Diato Ryu School and Wally Jay from the Danzan Ryu.
Jay also studied Judo between 1942- 1944 under Hawaiian born Judo Champion Ken Kawashi. While studying Judo, Jay continued his Jiu-Jitsu training with Juan Gomez. Jay would maintain close ties to his Kodenkan Jiu-Jitsu Instructor until Okazaki's death in 1951.  Jay, later based in California, became a very prominent Jiu-Jitsu Instructor world- wide and exchanged teachings with other martial arts pioneers such as Bruce Lee.
 
CANADIAN INFLUENCES
In 1958 a National Judo Champion from Holland named Henk Jansen who had also received Kawashi Judo training (Kawashi as mentioned was an influential Judo teacher of Wally Jay) met and began training with a Canadian, by the name of Ron Forrester, at the Hatashita Judo Club in Toronto, founded in 1947 by four time Canadian Judo Champion Frank Hatashita. Mr. Hatashita had moved to Toronto, Canada in 1947 from the west coast and is considered by many to be the pioneer of Judo in Canada.  During March 1962, Henk Jansen returned to Holland leaving newly promoted first-degree black belt Ron Forrester in charge of the Jiu-Jitsu program there. During 1963 Ron Forrester invited Danzan Ryu (Kodenkan) member Wally Jay, who was also Vice President then of the American Jiu-Jitsu Institute, Richard Kim (Kodenkan), and member of the Dai-Nippon-Butoku-Kai (Diato Ryu); and Sam Luke (Kodenkan), to Canada to help develop the Kodenkan Jiu-Jitsu Association, which he named out of respect for Henry S. Okazaki.
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Later during 1963, Ron Forrester would rename the Kodenkan Jiu-Jitsu Association the “Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Association”, headquartered at the Hatashita Judo Club. This action shows a clear association between Mr. Forrester, the founder of the Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Association and Wally Jay, to Jay’s teacher Henry S. Okazaki from Japan.
During 1973 Wally Jay accepted the position of technical director of the Canadian Jiu-jitsu Association. Richard Kim a friend of Jays, who held a teaching license (Menkyo Kaiden Scrolls) in Aiki Jitsu and an eighth degree black belt in Karate, also accepted Ron Forrester as a student into his Dai-Nippon-Butoku-Kai to support the newly formed Canadian organization. We now see that both the Diato Ryu (1574), a mainstay of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, and the Kodenkan style, a system developed partially from the Diato Ryu had a direct and powerful influence on the Canadian Jiu-Jitsu style.
During 1964 Ron Forrester welcomed Gerry Watson to train under him and also Steve Reynolds who began to train under Ron Forrester in 1968. Both would obtain black belt rank under Mr. Forrester. They would later go on in the 1970's to develop their own respective styles of Jiu-Jitsu.

Gerry Watson would operate several martial arts schools such as the Mississauga Jiu-jitsu Kai in 1980 and the Red Sun Dojo in Mississauga, Canada in 1988. Although maintaining his ties with the Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Association, in 1992 his years of training and experience would lead him to found his own style called Shin-Zo Ryu at a school known as “Personal Best.”

During 1973, Second Degree Black Belt under Forrester, Steve Reynolds, founded the Richmond Hill Jiu­ Jitsu Academy. In 1974 he would rename it the Richmond Hill Jiu-Jitsu Kai. Although informally teaching his own style of Jiu-Jitsu since 1973, he would officially introduce himself as the founder of the Kitsune Ryu style on January 3rd, 1989 at a school in Richmond Hill, Canada called Asian Self Defence, operated by his top student Doug Knispel SR.
Besides Aiki-Jitsu, it can be seen that Judo, Karate, Aikido and Boxing also had some effect on the Canadian Style of Jiu- Jitsu. Kano (Judo), Ueshiba (Aikido), and Funakoshi (Karate) had gotten together and shared ideas. This can be seen for example in Shotokan Karate where there are Judo and Aikido style throws. We also see the use of Karate style blows in Aikido and Judo. Each master struggled to develop a system that suited their ideology at the time, however each master seemed to draw a line when it came to the scope of their system. It thus appears as if no one succeeded in creating a complete, integrated system of Combat/Self Defense that was teachable.
 
 DEVELOPMENT OF KYOSHIN RYU JIU-JITSU
Kyoshin Ryu Founder, Sensei Shawn Rodie was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and began his training  in Martial Arts  during 1974 where he first started training in kick boxing at a school called "Black Eagle School of Jiu-Jitsu and Kick Boxing" under the supervision of Professor George Sylvain. Professor Sylvain, who was an ex-Military MP, and also taught the law and security administration program at Algonquin College located in Ottawa.

Sensei Rodie later developed an interest in Jiu-Jitsu. Wanting to understand the art of Jiu-Jitsu to its full extent he studied under several Jiu-Jitsu masters, all the while cataloging their techniques while trying to find synergies between the various styles. He passed examinations with Professor George Sylvain in Can Ryu Jiu-Jitsu, as well as gained expertise and Black Belt ranking under Masters Steve Reynolds (Kitsune Ryu); Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Association Founder, Ron Forrester; and Gerry Watson (Shinzo Ryu). He also gained recognition as a Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu with the World Kobudo Federation, under the direction of John Therien.  

Wanting to reintegrate, develop and refine the upright fighting aspects of Jiu-Jitsu, he began to study Shotokan Karate in 1984 under the tutelage of Suenori Tominaga and obtained Black Belt rank. He would go on to reintegrate Shotokan style techniques as the basis for the percussive portion of his system, albeit with slightly higher stances as used in Jiu-Jitsu, and marry it to many of the concepts promulgated by Mas Oyama (Kyokushinkai) with the introduction of boxing and Thai Boxing techniques being taught to higher belts.

As most techniques in Jiu-Jitsu originally derive from the use of the Japanese sword, Sensei Rodie engaged himself in the study of Japanese Swordsmanship under Shigeo Kimura in Kendo (Canadian Team Coach) and obtained Black Belt rank in Iaido under Stephen Cruise one of the Senior Iaido Instructors in Canada with the Canadian Kendo Association. As such, the Japanese sword is maintained as one of the styles technical features.

Along the way he also studied Judo with the Kano Bothers, developed extensive experience with knife work (with knife work being a regular part of the curriculum) as well as gained practical field experience for significant periods of time though private security work where he lead teams at private functions, various night clubs and corporate sponsored events.

During his continued training, what Sensei Rodie began to notice was that each style he studied seemed to emphasize different techniques and approaches. Some schools specialized in striking and kicking, while others spent more  time on defenses against weapon attacks. Some schools focused more with sparring or Kata practice and most schools did not practice Japanese Sword techniques (Kenjutsu) as a regular part of their training. Thus, there often seemed to be little standardization between the schools' curriculums. Each school had highly skilled masters and most schools shared a similar catalogue of techniques, how-ever each school focused on their own particular method of teaching and syllabus of techniques.

With a desire to create a marriage between both traditional and modern techniques and incorporate modern teaching methods, as well as constructing a more complete style of Jiu-Jitsu, Sensei Rodie founded Kyoshin Ryu (open minded/flexible way or the school of open mindedness) Jiu-Jitsu on September 27th 1992 in downtown Toronto, Canada at his newly opened school:  the Goshin Kai – School of Self Defense.  

In order to ensure the high standards of the style would be maintained, on November 1st, 1995, with the support and assistance of his own Teachers and Black Belt students, he established The New International Ju-jutsu Federation - Kyoshin Kan.