Jujutsu (柔術, jūjutsu
Jiu-Jitsu, or Jiujitsu translates as the "art of softness", or "way of yielding", is a collective name for Japanese martial art styles including unarmed and armed techniques. Jujutsu evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent without weapons. Because striking against an armored opponent proved ineffective, practitioners learned that the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it.
"It's close quarter combat. Jujitsu.
And that's why a lot of the samurai, the ninjas,
and …. warriors in those days used this particular technique because it was all in close."
"Jujitsu is a type of martial art that you could perform in a phone booth."
( it's up to those who know what a phone booth is to explain that!)
Jujutsu expresses the philosophy of yielding to an opponent's force rather than trying to oppose force with force. Manipulating an opponent's attack using his force and direction allows jujutsuka to control the balance of their opponent and hence prevent the opponent from resisting the counter attack.
Jujutsu was first developed by the Samurai. The term jūjutsu was not coined until the 17th century, after which time it became a blanket term for a wide variety of grappling-related disciplines
As a "soft" art, jujitsu systems generally employ the principles of balance, leverage, and momentum to overcome opponents. This is in contrast to "hard" systems (for example, some styles of karate and taekwondo that tend to emphasize developing power, strength, and speed. Although there is some diversity in the actual look and techniques of the various traditional jujutsu systems, there are significant technical similarities common to all schools:
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