The Jitsu Foundation

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The Jitsu Foundation (TJF) is a national-level association of jujutsu clubs headquartered in the United Kingdom, but also has clubs in other countries around the world. This hybrid style combines Kito Ryu jujutsu and Kodokan judo focusing on standing throws and locks using weakening strikes to assist. The style taught within the association is known as Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu.

The style is taught as self-defence against armed and unarmed opponents including contemporary weapons such as broken bottles as well as more traditional martial arts weapons such as knives and swords. In addition to joint locks and throws the style does include some treatment of newaza and punch and kick striking, but to a lesser degree than more sports-based styles of jujutsu. The TJF does not train full-contact or semi-contact sparring.

Like many western styles of jujutsu it is a hybrid art not closely related to the traditional Japanese styles developed by the samurai and is heavily influenced by the competition practices of arts like judo. This is evidenced by its western reinterpretation of the Japanese language, namely the use of the term 'Jitsu' as opposed to Ju-Jitsu.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-cursor styles and associations

The style currently practiced by The Jitsu Foundation [1] was founded by Riukiu Myura, a policeman and later Chief Unarmed Combat instructor at the Tokyo Police Academy, Japan. Myura studied various styles of jujutsu extensively, and also studied Kodokan judo and Shorinji Kempo. He later combined his knowledge with his street-fighting experience from the police, and formed his own hybrid style.

One of his students, Matthew Komp, who was held grades in judo, aikido and karate, took the style to Australia in the early 1950s, where he founded a school in Footscray, near Melbourne. In Australia, jujutsu was not a legal form of self-defence, so it was necessary for Komp's students to grade in judo. They wore their judo grades as belts and their jujitsu grades as a colour flash on their sleeves.

Komp taught Brian Graham, who emigrated to Australia and later returned to the UK as a second dan in judo as well as a fifth dan (Godan) in jujutsu. Graham renamed the style Shorinji Kempo Jiu Jitsu, then later changed the name to Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu, and this name has been kept to the present day. Graham established the first Jiu Jitsu club in Keighley, Yorkshire. One of Graham's first students, Peter Farrah, who started learning jujutsu at the age of 9 in 1969, expanded the style and the association. He started his first collegiate club at Plymouth Polytechnic (now the University of Plymouth). Peter Farrah's students moved and spread the style.

To cope with the administrative and organisational demands of the growing number of clubs, an association was formed called the National Samurai Ju Jitsu Association (NSJJA). The NSJJA organised and ran national competitions, courses and gradings.

Note: Although this version of the history of the Jitsu Foundation is in common use, it is not accurate. Peter's surname was Farrar (not Farrah), and Matthew Komp professes no link to Shorinji Kempo. Brian Graham used to tell the story of Matt Komp visiting Japan and on being asked to demonstrate his style it was identified as Shorinji Kempo. However, Matt Komp was adamant that they had likened his style to Shorinji Kempo, but that he had never practiced Shorinji Kempo, nor had any of his instructors (Komp's instruction took place in Germany prior to the establishment of Shorinji Kempo by Doshin So in Japan). The reason this myth is perpetuated is perhaps that it suited Brian Graham. His particular style did closely match that of Shorinji Kempo, and it gave him a reason to introduce the black robes of Shorinji Kempo as a mark of teaching status in the NSJJA (National Samurai Jiu Jitsu Association). Komp was not a student of Myura, but in fact was taught judo and jiu jitsu by his instructors in Cologne, Hassermayer, and Wolfe who had trained in Japan prior to the Second World War. Komp emigrated to Australia in the 1950s and established a club in Melbourne. Myura was a visitor to the club on occasions. (JSJ)

[edit] The Jitsu Foundation

In 1990 the growing demands from within the organisation for further expansion of Jitsu clubs internationally, and for courses to be made available to the commercial sector, required the reorganisation of the NSJJA. The strengths and resources were consolidated into separate divisions to service the competing interests of the organisation. The Jitsu Foundation was formed to coordinate the activities of:

  • The Jitsu Association, promoting the art, coordinating the activities, and servicing the requirements of Jitsu Clubs
  • Studio III, providing training courses, and promoting the ideals, philosophies and benefits of non-aversive behaviour management
  • Research and Development, exploring the boundaries of Jitsu, and providing a fusion of skills drawn from Jitsu training and academic research.

The Jitsu Foundation was driven by its Directing Tertiary Peter Farrah, and much of its success can be attributed to his charismatic leadership and the hard work of the Tertiary Board. Peter Farrah died in 1997, but the Foundation continued to grow under the direction of Directing Tertiary Dave Walker. As of 2006 there were 100 TJF clubs in the UK.

Success in the UK has also been matched by the growth of TJF clubs throughout the world. The first was Cyprus in 1989, started by Andy Wallace. Although the club continues to thrive, Andy Wallace lost his life in a fire in 1996. In 1993, Andy Dobie moved to Canada and opened clubs at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario and in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1995, Mike Mallen opened his club in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. Clubs have also opened in Holland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. As of 2006 there were 18 non-UK clubs registered with TJF.

In 1997 Matthew Komp visited the UK and conferred the grade of sixth Dan and the title Shihan to Brian Graham. Brian Graham died on 15th June 2005. In an attempt to modernise its image TJF changed its logo in 2004 from the depiction of one figure throwing another in black and white against a red and yellow sunshine background reminiscent of the old flag of Japan to a plain red square with the word "Jitsu". TJF has had success in establishing its clubs in British universities, with the help of the NUS student unions - about half of all TJF clubs are based at a university. In 2005 the Randori and Atemi National competitions gained recognition from BUSA.

The TJF motto, borrowed from Judo, is: "Maximum Effect, Minimum Effort".

[edit] Spin-off Styles

In 1994 some members of The Jitsu Foundation formed a separate group and began practising a style known as Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu, headed by Julian Straker-Jones, a TJF 3rd Dan at the time. A few TJF clubs joined the new Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association and as of 2006 Aiuchi Jitsu has 11 clubs of its own.[2]

In 1995 Chris Spencer, who had been training with TJF for 12 years emigrated from London to Finland. There he created a new style named Liikan Jitsu, which was based mainly on Shorinji Kan Ju Jitsu but also on a variety of other martial arts he had studied, such as Escrima and Kung Fu.[3]

In 2000 Paul Golz, a TJF 1st Dan, affiliated the Edinburgh Jitsu Club with the Scottish Ju Jitsu Association and in 2003 renamed his style Shin tai wa ryu ju jitsu.[4]

[edit] Fundamental Principles

Similar to all Jujutsu systems, techniques utilise the use of the attackers' energy, momentum, size and weight to assert an advantage to the defender. This, with training, allows a small and weak jitsuka (student of jujutsu) to defeat a much bigger and stronger attacker by the application of strikes, locks, throws and immobilizations. Apart from teaching the methods (and the inevitable variations in technique that happen over time), TJF principles are in line with most modern practitioners of Jujutsu.

[edit] Grade Structure

TJF has adopted the common practice of a kyu (coloured belt) grade system as opposed to the traditional white (novice) and black (competent) system. As a result, any instructor visiting a club at which they do not train or teach regularly, can gauge the level of competence of those he/she is about to instruct, and will choose techniques at a level appropriate to the grades present.

TJF have 8 coloured belts. The first two grades 7th & 6th kyu contain sub grades which TJF refer to as "mons". The mon system was introduced to differentiate the varying levels of competence at lower grades. When graded, the examining panel will decide if the candidate has passed and whether it was a pass, a good pass, an excellent pass or an exceptional pass. A pass is signified by a plain belt. However, 1, 2 or 3 mons (tags added to the belt) represent good, excellent or exceptional performance in the grading respectively. Subsequent grades are either passed or failed; the mon system is not used. Mons are given to the lower grades because there is a much greater variation in skill and ability between jitsuka of 7th kyu and of 6th kyu, than there is between jitsuka of the higher grades.

TJF encourages more senior students to assist in instruction and to attain 4th Kyu or above there are teaching requirements in addition to the technical jujitsu requirements. From 1st Kyu and above, jitsuka who have qualified as full club instructors ('Primary or Acting Primary Instructor') wear Hakama to denote their instructor rank.

[edit] Kyu Grades

Low grades learn the very basic principles of the TJF system. Movement and posture are important early on, as the basic foundation with which to build more advanced techniques later. The jitsuka is taught to defend and disarm against weapon attacks, where appropriate. Intermediate grades develop the lessons learned earlier and add variations to those techniques

  • 7th Kyu: Yellow belt (with 0-3 orange mons)
  • 6th Kyu: Orange belt (with 0-3 green mons)
  • 5th Kyu: Green belt
  • 4th Kyu: Purple belt
  • 3rd Kyu: Light blue belt
  • 2nd Kyu: Dark blue belt
  • 1st Kyu: Brown belt
    • Brown belt only
    • Acting Primary Trainer: Brown belt and hakama

Note that this differs from the grading system used by many other martial arts in the UK: the TJF uses two blue grades (2nd and 3rd Kyu) which are more senior than purple (4th Kyu) whereas other styles have a single blue grade (3rd Kyu) junior to purple (2nd Kyu).

[edit] Dan Grades

There are 3 dan grades, usually signified by a black belt. These are further subdivided and have increasing complexity and standards of technique. This subdivision exists to facilitate administrative roles, rather than to signify a difference in skill or ability.

  • 1st Dan
    • Primary Trainer: Black belt, Hakama, White Jitsu badge with black writing
    • Senior Primary Trainer: Black belt, Hakama, Black badge with white writing
  • 2nd Dan
    • Acting Secondary Tutor: Black belt, Hakama, White badge with Red writing
    • National Secondary Tutor: Black belt, Hakama, Black Waistcoat, White Badge with Red writing
  • 3rd Dan
    • Acting Tertiary Fellow: NO belt, Hakama, Black Waistcoat, Red badge with white writing
    • Tertiary Fellow: NO belt, Full black over-gi with sleeves, Red badge with white writing

[edit] National Events

[edit] Atemi Nationals

This is an annual event held in Birmingham, UK but has previously been held in Sheffield, Slough and Manchester. Usually held in November, competitions are held for each grade level. There are two phases to the competition. Firstly the in the 'V' competitors must defend themselves, using any techniques that they have learned, against a continuous cycle of attackers either unarmed, or armed with weaponry appropriate to the grade of the defender. This is followed by a 'gauntlet'. In this phase, the competitor has a chance perform techniques without the pressure of a realistic 'combat' situation, however the competitor is expected to demonstrate control, skill, and fluidity. The 'V' focuses on the "martial" or fighting aspect of jujutsu, whereas the 'gauntlet' examines the "art" aspect. The competition judged by a panel, who assess technical ability, style and effectiveness of techniques. The event is held over two days, with heats on day one and finals on day two. Day two also includes the 'open grade' category, which any senior grade can enter.

[edit] Randori Nationals

TJF also run annual Judo competitions for its members, currently held in Birmingham, UK. Usually held in March, competitions are held for each grade level, with exceptions for those who also hold Judo grades. At the Randori nationals, grades have a choice of two competitions. In ground fighting, competitors must try to achieve a pin or submission, whilst on the ground, over a 2 minute bout. In standing, the first to score an Ippon, with any throwing technique, is the winner. The highlight to this event is the second day, which includes the finals and Open Competition, itself a full 'Judo Rules' competition. Due to the nature of these contests, the competitors are placed in body-weight categories.

In the Open Competition, the scoring can be very harsh. It is very difficult to score an Ippon, compared to real Judo, and most fights end on the ground.

These two events form the highlights of TJF year for most jitsuka. Both competition events have now been recognized by BUSA, and competitors can earn points for their respective universities, if applicable.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Jitsu Foundation
  2. ^ Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association
  3. ^ Liikan Jitsu
  4. ^ Shin tai wa ryu ju jitsu

[edit] External links

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