Kempo Jujitsu
What is Kempo Jujitsu?

Kempo means "The Way Of The Fist"
Jujitsu means "Gentle art" or "Gentle Way" but if the situation calls for it Jujitsu can be anything but gentle and can be quite brutal in it's application.

Kempo Jujitsu is a very effective and straight to the point style of martial art. What separates Jujitsu from most other arts is it's diversity. Many arts specialize in certain aspects, Karate, Taekwondo, Boxing, and 
Muay Thai all specialise in striking and usually will not integrate very well into a real self defence situation. For example if an attacker grabbed you from behind with one arm around you throat you cannot 
kick or punch your way out, so these arts fall short when it comes to reality based self defence. The flip side is also true though as arts such as Judo will only use grappling techniques and therefore will also fall short 
in a self defence situation that needs the application of a strike or two. When it comes to street self defence there is a time when you need to strike and there is a time when you need to grapple.

Kempo Jujitsu incorporates, Strikes such as punches, elbows, head butts, kicks, knees and vital point strikes. Throws which can be very effective against the above mentioned attack! Joint Locks, a well applied lock to an elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle, wrist, foot or simply a finger can cause enough pain that one lock itself is sometimes all it takes to subdue a violent attacker. Chokes, it truly doesn't matter about size when it comes to applying a choke to an aggressor and a well applied choke will subdue anyone regardless of there state of mind or whether they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Pressure points are very effective to make an attacker comply with your wishes such as letting go of a weapon. Grappling is effective in close range situations when punching or kicking is no longer an option and works equally as well from a standing position and on the ground and therefore is an excellent weapon for women to have.

Almost all styles of martial arts claim to be suitable for men women and children and that is true to a certain point, but think about this - If a 55kg woman learns a martial art that is focused on striking such as 
Karate or Tae Kown Do and developes excellent striking abillity what will she be able to do if an attaker takes her by suprise and gets ontop of her on the ground? Kicks no longer have any effect and punches or 
elbows now have very limited effect. The opposite is also true if the same woman was to learn a purely grappling art such as Judo then how does she defend herself agains someone thats kicking and punching her? 

Thats the beauty of The Defensive Arts Academys Kempo Jujitsu style. We teach you striking techniques such as punches, elbows, knees, kicks and even headbutts as well as throws, joint locks, chokes, escapes 
and counters, weapon defences and how to fight back from the ground making it a very well rounded street defence style of martial art that truly could save you life.

Jujitsu adapts to anyone therefore it is the one art that truly is for everyone. It will work just as effectively for women as it will for men and can be adapted for the disabled or frail. Many of the worlds elite forces 
use Jujitsu as there unarmed combat system simply because of its effectiveness. Let's face it these guys can't muck around trading punches with someone and they need to subdue their opponent very quickly. 

Put simply - If there's a situation, Jujitsu has an answer & JUJITSU WORKS

THE HISTORY OF KEMPO JUJITSU

Introduction

From the crude wrestling of armoured warriors came a refined and scientific way of throwing, holding and subduing. The opponents weight strength and momentum was used against him and his intent was weakened by blows to vulnerable areas. Some schools of Kempo began teaching the art to non-warriors and a form of competition between schools developed.

In Kempo JuJitsu we wear a black heavy weight uniform ( gi ). There is a ladder of progression against which the Kempo Jujitsu student can measure themselves and each rung on the ladder is identified by a coloured belt. As the student progresses, so the syllabus expands and becomes more technically demanding.

KEMPO JUJITSU

When the warrior class dominated Japan such grappling skill became the foundation of close quarter fighting. Methods of grappling dominated the close quarters combat systems of the warriors simply because those of a purely kick and strike nature proved ineffective against weapons and armour.

Note
Many of todays martial arts like Karate Do, Kung Fu, Aikido and Kickboxing may work well in the dojo, the loose fitting martial arts Gi gives a fake freedom of movement, but high kicks have their limitations when wearing tight everyday clothes.

This is why many of the worlds armed forces train in a Kempo Ju-jitsu type of martial art, Eg. a SAS commando would be hard pressed to kick above knee height and maintain balance with 30-40kg of equipment on his back.

Yoroi Kumi Uchi, or grappling in armour is a practical system of combat that became necessary when warriors engaged in single combat and for what ever reason had abandoned their major weapons, however Yoroi Kumi Uchi combat is not necessarily unarmed combat. With weapon in hand this form requires the combatants to use their hips and limbs in a powerful fashion. This is made possible through the Yotsu-gumi, a four handed symmetrical method of gripping by which the combatants lock to each other without actually grasping the armour.

Mastering the Yotsu-gumi was essential to effective grappling in armour. Through this manner of locking up the warrior developed the balance, leverage and mobility with which to preserve his position and to hurl his enemy to the ground at any appropriate moment in the standing grappling action. Either Warrior could draw his short blade, the Yori-doshi which was worn at the left hip, but of course great skill was required to maintain one’s own balance and control the struggles of the enemy while one hand sought to unsheath the short blade and plunge it into vital of his body.

A large number of classical combative traditions gave considerable attention to the study of Yoroi Kumi Uchi.

On the basis of historical evidence the TSUTSUMI-HOZAN RYU a fifteenth-centry martial tradition, appears to have been the first to do so.

FROM KEMPO TO JUJITSU TO JUDO

Purely empty hand systems are by and large the product of the Meiji and later eras.

HEIAN PERIOD 794 – 1185 
KAMAKURA PERIOD 1185 – 1336 
ASHIKAGE PERIOD 1336 – 1603 
EDO PERIOD 1603 – 1868

In order that this important fact may be seen and the true nature of empty hand methods be understood, some background as to the relationship between empty hand combat and the classical weapons system is necessary.

The classical warriors had little use for any system of combat that did not use weapons. This was primarily because the opportunity for unarmed combat was rare, being favoured by neither custom nor circumstances. The very rationale and mystique that surrounded the classical warrior revolved around his possession of weapons.The necessities of the time in which he functioned required him to be well armed and trained in the use of deadly weapons.

For the warrior to even entertain the idea of success in combat, he could only attack his foe when armed.

The fact that armour was worn influenced the manner in which a warrior would deal with his foe. Mere sparring tactics of a boxing nature by striking, punching or kicking to anatomically weak points were hopelessly ineffective and would likely result in more injury to the attacker that the intended victim.

It was quite natural then that close quarter combat should be characterised by grappling methods. The general word describing these methods of combat was Kumi Uchi, and expression that suggests the clashing of to two combatants at close range. These methods of grappling included the liberal use of atemi (Strikes) as could be delivered when the opportunity arose.

Teachings contained in the TENSHIN SHODEN KATORI SHINTO RYU, a fifteenth century martial tradition from the KAMAKAGA period mention a systematic kind of grappling carried out between persons who may or may not be armed in the style of KATORI SHINTO RYU.

The TACKENOUCHI RYU, founded in the first half of the 16th century, featured a kind of grappling with the warrior clad in a minimal armour consisting of leggings and gauntlets. It was also a method of restraining an assailant using purely empty handed methods of combat.

ARAKI MUJINSIA(1584-1637) as a youth studied swordsmanship under YAGYU SHIKAGE RYU masters. As the 11th Headmaster of the MUSO JIKIDEN RYU, Mujinsia also studied with Kaganosuke and thereafter founded his own style of combat, which he first called ARAKI RYU, later after adding more weapons and open handed techniques to his system he retitled it BUDO ARAKI RYU KEMPO. The name suggests a synthesis of various arts of combat, a complete system.

A clear cut shift in emphasis from weapns to empty hand tactics was revealed in the development of ARAKI RYU KEMPO

KEMPO JUJITSU

TRAINING IN KEMPO JUJITSU WAS ABOUT BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS.

Training either makes or breaks a trainee, however by the late 17th century the BUDO ARAKI RYU KEMPO had adapted itself to the Tokuguan society.

In it's Dojo the following injunctions were posted:
KEMPO IS THE ART OF SELF PRESERVATION
KEMPO MUST LEAD TO THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN LIFE, NOT TO THE TAKING OF LIFE.
KEMPO IS AN ART THAT EXISTS IN WAR AND IN DEFEATING AN ENEMY.

The name Kempo, which may be roughly described as a method of killing people, possessed many points of resemblance to JuJitsu but was totally different in practice being a system of self defence against sudden attack with the intent to kill and repaying the attempt in kind.

Kempo of course was a system of attack that branched off from Jujitsu into the paths of strenuous endeavour, but apart from the fact it was more scientific than Ju-jitsu, it was declared an illegal practice when the sanctity of human life was recognised under the new regime in Japan.

Another analogous system, known as Tori in some parts of Japan, and Shime in others was an extension of Kempo in the department of groundwork. It is possible that many of the holds and locks of Jujitsu were originated by exponents of Tori.

It is not wished to imply that the power to dislocate a joint, break a limb or even kill an opponent (which were the cause of prohibition of Kempo) do not exist in JuJitsu, since all JuJitsu experts are well acquainted with them. It does well to point out that these powers are rarely if ever exercised as the locks are so complete that the mere threat of damage with their application implies, is enough for the most obstinate opponent to cry for mercy.