Looking at the effectiveness of Japanese Ju Jitsu in a street fight

Arguably, Japanese Ju Jitsu is one of the most influential forms of grappling ever. Without it, the likes of Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu would not have been formed. However, since its creation its popularity has stagnated and dwindled. Perhaps the reason for this is that Judo and BJJ have overshadowed it, which is a testament to its success.

What’s also worth noting about Japanese Ju Jitsu is its self defense perspective. Unlike the previously mentioned martial arts, Japanese Ju Jitsu is bigger on self defense and doesn’t have such an emphasis on sports and competition. As a result, it’s fair to assume that when it was originally founded, Ju Jitsu was very effective. Since then though, Japanese Ju Jitsu has become dated which leaves some questioning its legitimacy in street fighting scenarios.

Ju Jitsu falls apart without sparring

When Japanese Ju Jitsu began, it was very realistic and appropriate for its time. You can see this with the weapons used which include katanas, sais, and even fans. Obviously, these aren’t commonly used weapons in today’s society.

One thing worth noting is that originally, Ju Jitsu would have included lots of sparring. Whilst this may not have included full blown fighting with weapons, it may have been closer to Judo in terms of throws with some striking mixed in. As you can imagine, this sounds like a solid system for self defense.

Why sparring is so important

The issue is these days, Ju Jitsu dojos often avoid sparring which means that methods cannot be pressure tested. In other words, someone may not be able test out their skills against a resisting opponent.

For example, in drilling with a compliant partner, you may be able to pull off certain throws, arm locks, and other moves. However, you need to try this against tough opponents who are trying to hurt you. Whilst nothing can prepare you for a street fight, sparring is the next best thing.

Without this, the entire system falls apart and certain techniques that may look and feel good in drilling may lack realism against a stubborn street fighter. Therefore, put simply if your Ju Jitsu lacks sparring then it may be questionable, whereas if it involves sparring then it’s probably more legitimate.

Ju Jitsu has some good techniques, and bad ones

Undoubtedly, Japanese Ju Jitsu has its fair share of useful stuff that has been proven in real combat. For instance, its throws and takedowns certainly work – especially where a gi or jacket is involved. Secondly, it also combines these with strikes which make the dynamic more realistic. When taught like this, it looks like an earlier variation of MMA training which is certainly effective.

However, if we’re honest then there’s also some questionable stuff too. As mentioned, there are certain weapons such as fans which just aren’t realistic anymore. So, if your dojo teaches these for tradition, then it’s nice but won’t offer you much in terms of realisticness. Furthermore, some of the moves that don’t require weapons are also sketchy.

For instance, standing joint locks generally have a low percentage of success where grappling is concerned. Some moves venture into Aikido territory as far as ineffectiveness is concerned such as wrist locks and standing arm locks. Arguably, these could get you into more trouble than it’s worth when it comes to fighting, even against a completely untrained opponent.

This means that Ju Jitsu certainly has some good, and some bad. Ultimately it’s up to you to pick what works and try to approach learning with realistic expectations. Really, it’s common sense and a lot of sparring will prove what works and what doesn’t.

How does Japanese Ju Jitsu work in a street fight?

As most of the general population is untrained, let’s assume your attacker is untrained. Let’s also assume they’re equal in strength and size to you. In short, a Ju Jitsu practitioner who trains with sparring would win the fight with relative ease.

The reason for this is that they’d be well versed with basic blocks, dodges, and strikes. Against an unskilled person, this alone could be enough to win a fight. However, when you throw in takedowns and pins then it further puts the balance in the favor of the martial artist.

It should be noted that most ground moves in Japanese Ju Jitsu aren’t given as much priority as stand up work. Still, it would be enough to subdue an attacker and keep them detained.

Having said this, if the same practitioner didn’t spar at all then they’d probably have a minimal chance of winning. In other words, their chance of success drastically lessens due to having no realistic experience. This example proves how important it is to spar and constantly test your skills. Remember, sparring will also improve your cardio too which is essential for a street fight if it goes the distance.

Ju Jitsu has some realistic weapons…sometimes

So far, we’ve established that Ju Jitsu has some unusual weapons that are a throwback to older times. However, in some cases, Ju Jitsu can also have a modern curriculum. Not all schools are stuck in the past and really it depends on each individual teacher.

For example, some dojos now teach how to disarm guns which keeps up with modern times. At the same time, certain weapons are still applicable to the modern day. These include daggers and knives as well as some moves which have modern equivalents such as baseball bats and such.

In other words, it does have some weapons that are useful which are similar to those trained in the likes of Kali and Krav Maga.

Summary

Overall, it’s fair to say that Japanese Ju Jitsu has some benefits and is certainly no joke. At the same time, it’s also fair to look at its bad points. What should also be mentioned at this point is it’s not that Ju Jitsu is bad, it’s more down to each individual school.

In other words, if you train at a legit JJJ dojo then you’ll probably be fine if you’re even unlucky enough to end in a fight. However, if you train at a dojo that doesn’t spar and focuses on unrealistic moves then your training is mostly worthless.

Put simply, if you spar, use realistic takedowns akin to Judo and involve strikes then Ju Jitsu is great. However, if you train without sparring, use unrealistic weapons and your training mimics a lot of Aikido then the reality is that it probably won’t work in a real fight.

If you’d like to learn more about Japanese Ju Jitsu then check out this book which is filled with useful information.