| There's no way you'll really know what Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu is all about unless you find one of our clubs and try it for yourself, but this web site will give you some insight into what we believe jiu jitsu is all about. It will also tell you something about the people who teach Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu and what makes us different from other styles and other martial arts. As we develop this site we will tell you more about the principles and philosophy of our style. Hopefully you'll get a feel for the way we train and how we teach and you'll be encouraged to find one of our clubs and have a go. One thing you will find in all our clubs is that there is a warm and friendly welcome for anyone who wants to learn our style of jiu jitsu. Our training is always geared to make the beginner feel at home and to help them learn in a way that best suits them. People learn best when they are relaxed and engaged in what they are doing, so our sessions are geared to be enjoyable. As Walt Disney said: "I prefer to entertain people in the hope that they learn, rather than teach people in the hope that they are entertained." We also believe in pushing the boundaries people set on their own achievement, so expect to work too. Our style of jiu jitsu is a practical form of self defence, enjoyable, but challenging. Safe but very effective and suitable for anyone who is prepared to work with us to get the best out of it. There are more styles of martial arts than there are religions and pretty much all of them have something to offer, but the quality of the instructor is all important. We believe in the quality and integrity of our instructors, and the quality of the art we teach. Come along and try our style or if there isn't a club near you drop us a line and we'll try to recommend a good instructor in a different style or even a different art. We'll offer advice on choosing a good instructor and finding an art that is right for you. We'd like to provide links to other web pages that we think are useful, informative or funny. Let us know of anything that you think is worth recommending, even if it's your own page. Julian Straker-Jones |
| History and Philosophy |
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| What is jiu jitsu? Jiu jitsu is a physical and mental discipline that provides effective self defence and self development. It is a traditional Japanese martial art that has been tried and tested over many hundreds of years, with a wide variety of techniques which rely on the principles of softness, compliance and flexibility. Today it is found in many self-defence and restraint techniques used by police and armed forces the world over, and is the basis of the physical skills taught in most self-defence courses. It takes a rational approach to the way the body works and how to make the best use of your size and strength when dealing with an attacker. Jiu jitsu means literally the 'Gentle Art', as it relies on the application of technique rather than strength. In the same way that a willow tree bends with the wind, so too should a practitioner of jiu jitsu adapt to the force of the attack and turn it to his or her advantage. Jiu jitsu consists of a wide range of techniques which include joint locks, throws, immobilisations and strikes to nerve points and vulnerable parts. Practice of jiu jitsu encourages awareness, confidence and adaptability to circumstances. These are crucial elements in personal safety. Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu encourages people to make the most of their physical and mental attributes. We all have different inate characteristics and abilities. There is always someone bigger, stronger, faster, fitter than us, but Aiuchi encourages each individual to make the most of their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. It is not about producing fighters, rather it is about building confidence and helping jitsuka to be as good as they can be. Aiuchi can be translated literally as "Inner Harmony". This means that it is the combination of body, technique, and mind that is essential to the successful performance of the art. Whilst it is an advantage to have a fit and healthy body, physical strength is of little importance in the mastery of jiu jitsu. Aiuchi doesn't just teach techniques which can be applied against an attacker, but also how your body's movement can be used to give power to those techniques. In Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu speed and power do not arise from physical strength, but are generated by your body's own natural movement, combined with a relaxed attitude and a focused mind. Although there are many techniques to learn and mastery takes time, there is much which can be learned simply and used quickly if the need arises. The purpose of Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu is to give greater confidence to the to the user, and to stimulate mental and physical development. Training takes place in a controlled and friendly environment. Students train on soft foam mats, and safe imitation weapons are used. Safety is always important, and students are encouraged to train with care and control, and with respect for training partners. Training should always be taken seriously as in any physical art, but it should also be fun. We learn better if we are relaxed and enjoying ourselves, so our instructors aim to get a good balance between serious training and serious fun. Training should be enjoyable, stimulating, and also very rewarding. |
| History of Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu The Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association began in 1994, with the merger of two Associations which had only just been established, but held the same aims.The founding members of the organisation had all left an organisation (The Jitsu Foundation) they had been an active part of for many years. They left with the desire to improve the environment in which the member clubs trained, and to ensure that members were treated fairly, openly and with respect, both in and out of the training hall. There were other issues that were important in causing this separation, including the financing employed within the JF which we considered to be "creative" and what we perceived to be different kinds of intimidation that were employed in different quarters. There were also rumours that were circulated by some members of the JF as a smoke-screen. These had no basis in fact, but somehow still survive and re-surface even now 10 years on (2004). The style of jiu jitsu practised within the Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association has been influenced by the many instructors within the organisation, who have taught and developed it over the last 10 years. As a style it is not clearly defined in physical terms, having many different individuals there are many different ways in which it is practiced, but the core techniques are firmly based on Kodokan Jiu Jitsu or traditional Judo. There is some influence from certain other arts too, which is explained by the lineage of the instructors who developed it, and those who brought it to Britain from Japan via Australia and Germany. Its history is confused, but there are clearly influences in style that point to its origins in Japan, with some other influences, including Western influences. There are a great many web-pages in existence which talk about the common history shared by Aiuchi and The Jitsu Foundation. These will often make mention of a style called Shorinji Kan, which is supposedly based on Shorinji Kempo. This link is in fact a myth, based on the misunderstanding of a story told by Shihan Matthew Komp. When we interviewed Shihan Komp he was quite clear that he had never practised Shorinji Kempo, nor had his instructors. Indeed they could not have seen it since it was devised in 1948 by Doshin So, and Komp had already begun his jiu jitsu career. The myth is based on a visit Komp made to Japan, when he was asked to demonstrate his art, and the assembled instructors likened it to Shorinji Kempo. There may have been many similarities, since Shorinji Kempo was based on Aikijitsu, and had many of the same influences as Komp, including boxing and kung fu. The similarities may be explained by the common roots, but there is no direct lineage, and the name was probably coined by Brian Graham. The name stuck, and for many years the style of jiu jitsu in Britain was referred to as 'Shorinji Kan', but more commonly as Samurai Jiu Jitsu. The founding members of the Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association began their jiu jitsu careers in the Jitsu Foundation, which was the creation of Peter Farrar. Peter began his jiu jitsu career in 1969 at the age of 9, learning from Brian Graham who brought his very individual style of jiu jitsu to Britain from Australia in 1967. Peter and Brian, had very different physiques, and very different styles of jiu jitsu. Graham's smaller stature meant that his techniques were typically short, punchy, simple and effective. While Brian had developed his own very effective style of jiu jitsu, and had run a successful dojo in Keighley for many years, it was his student Peter who had the flair and charisma to build the club into a large organisation. Sadly, Peter died in 1998. Brian Graham began training in judo and jiu jitsu with Matthew Komp in Melbourne, Australia in 1957 and was awarded his Shodan in 1967. Komp's dojo was a centre for many martial arts, and often attracted visiting instructors from Japan and Korea. He maintained connections with Akira Miura (also referred to as Riukia or "Rocky" Myura), who taught a number of judo seminars in Australia, and was involved in judo training for the Tokyo Police. Matthew Komp originally learned judo, jiu jitsu, aikido, wrestling and boxing as a young man in Germany. Komp had been taught judo and jiu jitsu by his instructor in Cologne, Hassermayer, and later by another German (Wolfe?) who had trained in Japan prior to the Second World War. The style of judo taught by Hassermayer, and Komp was greatly influenced by Kenshiro Abbe (note: possibly Ichiro Abe). Abbe was a teacher of some renown, who spent some years teaching judo and aikido in mainland Europe before being invited to Britain in 1955. Komp, who had trained as an engineer, emigrated to Australia in the 1950s, where he established his judo school in Melbourne. It is unclear which style, or styles, of jiu jitsu Komp was taught. There seems to be a marked judo influence, presumably from Kenshiro Abbe, and verbal history suggests that the jiu jitsu hails from the Kodokan. However, the influences of other instructors probably have a greater effect on the style as it exists today. In order to understand the style it is necessary to realise that the transition from its roots in Japan to that practised in Britain today have relied on the understanding, and memories of several key men. These men were human, and in passing on their knowledge there has been much room for error, as well as the refinement and evolution of technique that is its strength. In view of this the senior instructors continue to review the knowledge as it has been provided to them. The core elements of the style are fluid, dynamic and practical, but there is also room for improvement. The collective goal of the Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu Association fosters the ideals of learning jiu jitsu by testing, experimenting, and adapting techniques in order to improve and perfect them. It maintains the goals of developing character through the perfection of technique, and training with a partner as a way of gaining insight and compassion. These ideals seem compatible with those fostered by Jigoro Kano in the Kodokan, and by the principles espoused by other great teachers, like Kenshiro Abbe. |