In the Beginning
The first mention of techniques used in jujitsu can be traced to a period about 2500 years ago, during the Choon Chu period of Chinese history (772-481 BC) when many open-hand fighting techniques were practiced. The rise of the wrestling sport of Chikura Kurabe in Japan, around 230 BC, contributed its techniques to a growing repertoire.
More and more techniques were incorporated as fighters discovered principles of movement, or were introduced to new ideas from overseas. In particular, the contributions of Chin Gen Pinh, a Chinese monk with knowledge of Kempo (known as Chinese Hand) who immigrated to Japan, were added. Hideyoshi Toyotomi also migrated to Japan from China, bringing with him Chuan Fa and Korean Tang Su, a punching and nerve striking method of fighting. These skills were also adopted by Jujitsu.
The beginnings of jujitsu as an organised system can be found in the turbulent period of Japanese history between the 8th and 16th centuries. During this time, there was almost constant civil war in Japan, and the classical weaponed systems were developed and constantly refined on the battlefield. Close-fighting techniques were developed as part of these systems to be used in conjunction with weapons against armoured, armed opponents. It was from these techniques tat jujitsu arose.
The first publicly recognised jujitsu ryu was formed by Takenouchi Hisamori in 1532, and consisted of techniques employing the sword, jo, and dagger, as well as unarmed techniques.
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu brought an uneasy peace to Japan by forming the Tokugawa military government. This marked thebeginning of the Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868), during which warring ceased to be a dominant feature of Japanese life.
In the beginning of this period there was a general shift from forms of fighting emphasising weapons to weaponless forms. These weaponless styles were developed from more than 700 systems of jujitsu.
The end of the Edo was marked by the Meiji Restoration, an abortive civil war that moved power from the Shogun back to the Emperor. A large proportion of the Samurai class supported the Shogun during the war. Consequently, when power was restored to the Emperor, many things related to the Samurai fell into disrepute. An Imperial edict was decreed, making it a criminal offence to practice the old style combative martial arts. During the period of the Imperial edict, jujitsu was almost lost. However, some masters continued to practice their art "underground", or moved to other countries, allowing the style to continue. By the mid-twentieth century, the ban on jujitsu in Japan had been lifted, allowing the free practice of the art.
The Rise of Other Arts
During the period following the Meiji Restoration, the suppression of jujitsu and its consequent lack of practitioners created a void, which was filled by martial artists creating new, approved styles. There was a general trend away from the "jitsu" arts - those whose focus was practicality and effectiveness in battle - towards "do" arts, whose emphasis was on spiritual and mental development. These arts saw the practice of techniques not as an end in themselves, but as a means to harmony within oneself.
Chief among these new arts were Judo, developed by Jigoro Kano in 1882, and Aikido, developed by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1920s. Both were and initially their adherents were high-level practioners of those arts. Both arts borrowed heavily from the techniques of jujitsu, taking them in different directions.
Our Style
Our style was founded by Riukiu Myura, a policeman and later Chief Unarmed Combat instructor at the Tokyo Police Academy. Myura studied various styles of jujitsu 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 style. He named this style Shorinji Kempo Jiu Jitsu.
One of his students, Matthew Komp, took the style to Australia in the early 1950s, where he founded a school in Footscray, near Melbourne. In Australia, jujitsu 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 emmigrated to Australia and later returned to England as a second Dan in judo as well as a fifth dan (Godan) in jujitsu. Brian Graham renamed the style Shorinji Kan Ju Jitsu and established the first Samurai Ju Jitsu club in Keighley, Yorkshire. One of Brian's first students, Peter Farrah, expanded the style, both literally and geographically, starting his first collegiate club at Plymouth Polytechnic (now the University of Plymouth). Peter Farrah's students moved and spread the style rapidly through Britain.
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 successful national competitions, courses and gradings.
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. Sadly, Peter Farrah passed away in 1997, but the Foundation has continued to grow under the direction of Directing Tertiary Dave Walker, and now has over 90 clubs in the UK.
Success at home has also been matched by the growth of our 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, and in Ottawa. In 1995, Mike Mallen opened his club in Spartenburg, South Carolina, in the USA.
In 1997 Matthew Komp visited the UK and conferred the grade of sixth Dan and the title Shihan to Brian Graham.
