Jiu-jitsu (also spelled 'ju-jitsu', 'jujitsu' or 'jiu jitsu')
1 is one of the earlier Japanese
martial arts, and is considered a parent art to
judo,
karate and
aikido -- these arts exhibit traditional
jiu-jitsu techniques.
The history of jiu-jitsu is difficult to follow. The first formal school of jiu (gentle) jitsu (art) opened in Japan in 1532 under Tenenuchi Hisamori. At the end of the feudal era, practicing jiu-jitsu (as well as the other martial arts of the Samurai) was forbidden, a ban which was lifted only in the mid-20th century.
Jiu-jitsu was popularized by the appearance of Royce Gracie in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, 1993. The idea of a (relatively) small, quiet Brazilian jiu-jitsu practicioner winning a no-rules, all-style tournament was incredible.
Jiu-jitsu emphasizes chokes, joint manipulations and throws, while maintaining a marked self-defense spin. Grappling is one of the most interesting (and strenuous) aspects of jiu-jitsu. Long-time practicioners often lose sensitivity in commonly-attacked locations (the femoral nerve, for example) or exhibit battle scars like cauliflower ear.
1 Shro0m points out that the
kanji for '
gentle' is more commonly
transliterated 'juu', and that 'if the
nihongo police were here we'd probably call this write-up juujutsu'. I bow to his superior knowledge.