New to jiu-jitsu

[bogirl]

It does sound good Brandon, keep us posted on how you're doing.

[Chihua-ku]

The instructor teaches mostly small circle Jujitsu, but with influences and adaptations from/to karate and the many different martial arts that different people have brought to the club over the years. Seems like a neat group, and I'm fortunate to have it right on campus.

That  alone is a winning combination: an instructor willing to accommodate to his students skills levels and a nice group of new friends. And right on Campus. Great for you! There was none of that at any of my two Colleges.

[Brandon]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I had my first practice with the club yesterday, so I thought I'd report.

Though run very informally, the club's focus is more traditional: No sport concerns, little ground fighting, and techniques are intended to do major damage. Lots of throws, standing joint locks, and some dangerous techniques to the neck.

The instructor teaches mostly small circle Jujitsu, but with influences and adaptations from/to karate and the many different martial arts that different people have brought to the club over the years. Seems like a neat group, and I'm fortunate to have it right on campus.

[bogirl]

Something else to keep in mind. 

Since the joint locks CAN lead to dislocations and/or breaks, DON'T play the tough guy.  When it's properly applied and starting to hurt, tap out. 

And on the other side, don't jerk into the locks, especially as a beginner.  Ease into them, feeling the tension of the proper set.

I've seen a few "macho" guys (and smart a$$ kids) end up with hyper-extension injuries from jerked locks or trying to be too tough that their partner went too far.

[Bluecrab]

Hi Brandon,

I agree, it sounds like it's probably a traditional Japanese jujutsu style. Assuming it is, and having made a very similar transition myself many years ago (from jidokwan to jungki hapkido ,which is almost pure jujutsu - none of the fancy kicks/meditation/philosophy that Ji Han Jae added to hapkido. Also did Daito-ryu aikijujutsu for a couple of years), I think I can give you a couple of pointers.

First, forget every formal stance you ever learned. Traditional jujutsu is all about quick, effective movement and keeping yourself balanced always. You'll find that something like a boxer's stance is very common. In a boxer's stance, you're light on your feet and mobile in pretty much any direction.

Second, no forms. You will find a new form of "kata." Kata in Japanese jujutsu is the classic way of transmitting the art: two-man practice, uke and tori, of individual techniques, with predefined attacks and predefined defenses.

Third, a different approach to striking. One of the things that always surprised me about the original form of hapkido, from Choi Yong Sul, is that there is no strike that resembles the classic karate fist punch or Western boxing punch. There are many different hand and elbow strikes, and even inner-wrist strikes, but they're a bit unusual and mostly aim to affect a nerve or other vital point to set up a lock or throw. No "one strike, one kill" idea here. 

One more for now... you'll have to get used to getting your wrists, elbows and shoulders locked and cranked. At first - as in for the first six months or so - it can be very uncomfortable. But you will start to get used to it over time, and with the joint limbering and stretching that is part of any good jujutsu/hapkido program.

As for gi/no-gi - that's a BJJ/MMA consideration only - irrelevant to Japanese jujutsu. You will definitely wear a gi, most likely a judogi. Judo gis are good for jujutsu because you use the gi a lot in both offense and defense, and it is subject to quite a bit of stress. A typical karate gi won't stand up long to the rigors of jujutsu. Some styles also use the hakama (Daito-ryu practioners in Japan almost always use the hakama; in the US, it tends to be only for the yudansha).

Can't think of any other obvious differences at the moment, but I'll come back when I can. And good luck to you.


Take care, Howard

[Gambatte Karate]

I once asked what the difference between gi and no-gi ju jitsu was. Someone told me it was like trying to run a mile....In gi ju jitsu, you have a parachute on. In no-gi, there is no parachute. LOL

So I have to ask, which is it? gi? Or no-gi? If it is gi ju jitsu, it is more sport oriented than you would think. Especially since most shirt lapels are not as thick as a gi's lapels are, and a good portion of gi jujitsu involves chokes using that lapel. 

[Brandon]

Excellent point blue crab, thank you.

I don't actually know much about the club, since I've only seen the listing on the grad school website. The claim it as, "jujitsu, the self-defense system of the samurai." So it sounds like it's closer to "traditional" than "Brazilian." That would be fine with me, since I prefer the atmosphere in traditional schools, and I'm more interested in self-defense than in a ring sport. (Not to say that BJJ isn't viable outside of competition, of course)

[Bluecrab]

Hello Brandon,

A question for you: You refer to jiu-jitsu, so I'm inferring that you're talking about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Is that right? Or do you mean a form of Japanese jujutsu?

Since the two forms of jujutsu tend to be rather different, I think it would help us respond if we know which form you're referring to.

[Brandon]

I'll be starting grad school soon, and there's a Jiu-Jitsu club on campus. I'm really looking forward to investigating and hopefully joining. It will allow me to continue some form  of martial arts training (and maybe a welcome stress reliever and a social venue). I have little grappling knowledge and this could be a way to fill in some of the gaps in my abilities.

My background being in Tang Soo Do and Shotokan Karate with a very limited amount of grappling, I imagine there may be some problems trying to learn something like Jiu-Jitsu. Different mindsets required, different muscle groups, resisting the urge to punch someone if you're strictly practicing holds (felt that myself).

Any advice or anecdotes from people who have cross trained in separate striking and grappling schools?