| HISTORY OF JU-JITSU |
FROM 1600 TO THE PRESENT
 The 16th century brought about a profound change in the structures of the country with the development of private commerce in almost the whole Asian area, the birth of free cities, the arrival of westerners introducing firearms and Christianity, the reunification of the country under a military dictatorship and the first attempt at a pan Asiatic political expansionism. The initiator of the reunification of Japan was Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), a small daimyo of the central provinces, soon joined by Toyotomi Hidetoshi (1536-1598) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) to form the triad to whom Japan owes its unification. Tokugawa Ieyasu became, upon the death of Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful feudal lords of the country and obtained absolute dominion by overcoming the other united daimyo at Sekigahara (1601). In 1603 he legitimized this power by assuming for himself and for his descendants the title of Shogun. Thus began the era entitled, rightly, Tokugawa (or Edo, from the name of the capital, today called Tokyo) that endured for over two and a half centuries (1600-1868).
 The State was reorganized according to criteria inspired by the neo-Confucian thought of Chu His and all of the social classes were subjected to strict controls. The rigidity of the internal system was accompanied by a total closure toward the outside, a closure that blocked commerce and brought about the prohibition and persecution of Christianity. For about 200 years, the country experienced relative peace and prosperity. During this period the feudal wars, the civil wars, the uneasy feelings and the most intimate emotions that had for centuries afflicted Japan began to disappear. The lack of wars implied that there was no longer the need to combat to kill one’s enemies, therefore the numerous schools of combat created by the Ronin (Samurai without masters) refined their techniques, perfecting pressure moves and blocks that permitted easy control of the adversary without the need to kill or maim him. The object of the techniques moved toward hand-to-hand combat forms and as a whole they were recognized everywhere as Ju-Jitsu.
 At the beginning of the 19th century, for internal reasons and due to international pressure, the Japanese system entered into a crisis culminated in 1853 by the arrival of Commodore Perry, bearer of the American request for political openness. In a climate of great political uncertainty, the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed (1854), which opened to American ships the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate. Similar treaties followed with Great Britain, Russia, France and Holland. This brought about a period of strong internal tension and in 1867 the nationalist forces obtained the surrender of the last Shogun and the ultimate fall of the military government. Therefore, after centuries, the effective power returned to the hands of the emperor, in the person of Mutsuhito.
 Many Samurai had sustained the Shogun during the war and therefore lost their place and honor when the power was restored to the hands of the emperor. An imperial law was introduced banning the practice of Ju-Jitsu and prohibiting the Samurai to carry arms in public. In 1882 Jigoro Kano used his knowledge and experience in Ju-Jitsu to create a sportive discipline called Judo, based on projection and ground combat. In 1925 Ueshiba Morihei, a Master of Daito Ryu Aiki-Jujitsu, concentrating on pressure moves, created that which is now known as Aikido. Nevertheless, a few Masters of Ju-Jitsu continued to train in secret or emigrated to other countries. During this time, Ju-Jitsu was almost lost. It was during this time of oppression that the first representatives of this Art arrived in Great Britain.
 The ban on Ju-Jitsu was only revoked in Japan toward the middle of the 20th century, permitting free practice. Ju-Jitsu has become the base for other more recent martial arts and translated it means “art of elasticity” (Ju = elasticity, it is the flexible force that one bends to resist; Jitsu = technique, art) because one apparently bends under the force of the adversary, but only to control and direct this force against him. It is an art where techniques of striking pressure points, kicks, projections, ground combat, blocks and articulate pressure are combined to neutralize an aggressor with ease. It has been said that to attack an expert in Ju-Jitsu is to attack oneself.
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