It's a good thing Jujutsu teaches absorbing, yielding and pliability. Along with many other traditional styles, Jujutsu's reputation has taken a battering in the last decade, probably starting with the advent of the UFC in 1993. The onslaught of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and then a hybdrid of Muay Thai and shoot wrestling appeared to leave Jujutsu, Kung Fu, Ninjutsu and other traditional styles with their pants, or rather Gis down. No Mr. Miyagi, no crane kick.
Krav Maga and other styles of "reality"-based training, could help save these arts from a slow decline into obscurity. Nearly every Sensei or Sifu wants to spread their art: no one wants it to become a White Elephant or exotic collector's item for Japanophiles or an alternative to medieaval fantasy role-playing games.
KM's Debt to Jujutsu
Another name for Krav Maga might be "Scientific Jujutsu." Moni Aizik, co-founder and probably the most senior KM-ist was a Judoka and Jujutsuka before developing the art of KM in the 1970s.
[Above, Moni Aizik, an Israeli Judoka with his Sensei in Japan. Aizik was a co-founder and pioneer of Krav Maga, an art Ben Haryo Sensei described as "not a Budo by any stretch of the imagination". Also, Aizik demonstrates the Jujutsu roots of his style of KM].
Strip away the sexy, spi-fi packaging of his Combat Survival Vols 1-5 series and there are is alot of traditional Jujutsu. We see two-person kata drills, irimis (entry principle), sukui nage (scoop throw, ogoshi,(hip throw), and shime-waza (choke) and pressure points.
But more importantly, the basic strategy is pure Jujutsu. Time and time again, he demonstrates a strike (atemi), seizing and controlling (Chinna- not sure what the Japanese name is), and often a joint lock or throw, then escape. We also see principles of leverage, balance-disruption, and evasion.
We can see all of these elements in the most traditional, 1-10 kata of Wado Ryu, and even several of exactly the same technique. Like Wado and Karate, KM advocates staying on one's feet.
An interesting thing is that nearly all of the techniques begin with two-person drills, or kata.
They just don't stay at the kata level. What sets KM apart is the intense focus on adrenaline-training, and panic and reality drills to train someone for a realistic encounter. One drill is surprisingly like the multiple-attacker drill from Aikido.
By injecting science into an a venerable combat art, the Israelis have performed a valuable service for Jujutsu. The Israelis have studied reaction times, reflexes and human stress response all in a bid to find out what "works" and what doesn't.
In one lesson on gun disarms, for example, Aizik mentions to avoid looking into your opponents eyes because your eyes can dilate (even in an instant), before a gun disarm or attack giving the opponent a chance to respond. We learn that it often takes a person a couple of seconds, even soldiers, to pull a trigger, giving you a window of opportunity to disarm them.
Are Jujutsu students interested in self defense or self-improvement ?
The reality is probably both. If they just wanted spiritual self-improvement, they'd probably skip the martial arts and do Yoga, Tai Chi or even just go to the Mesjid, Church or wherever they go. On some level, most students of the martial arts are interested in learning how to defend themselves.
But they probably want more than just, "self defense in 10 easy lessons." We train for a variety of reasons and to face a variety of challenges throughout our lives, not just that 10-second encounter with a mugger in a dark parking lot.
KM offers a wealth of knowledge, techniques, and methods, to enliven traditional, venerable techniques. In any case, the traditional techniques are usually based on sound biomechanics, anatomy, physics and physiology. Somehow, somewhere, in the safety and comfort of the Dojo and the ranking system, reality was left behind.
It needn't be that way. Tradition and reality can and must exist side by side if Jujutsu is to become part of the martial arts' future as well as its past.
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