Classical Jujutsu Choking Technique
Classical Ju-jutsu Choke
Submission Grappling Choking Technique
Submission Grappling Choke
Differences between classical Ju-jutsu and Submission Grappling
The differences between Submission Grappling and classical Ju-jutsu can be divided into several categories:
1. differences in strategy,
2. differences in techniques,
3. differences in training methods.
There are various historical and cultural reasons for these differences, and these make the study of either art such a unique experience.
1 - Strategic Differences
The goal of Submission Grappling is to submit your opponent or defeat him on points. The goal of classical Ju-jutsu was to win on the battlefield, usually in the presence of weapons and multiple attackers and often encumbered by armor. These divergent goals lead to quite different strategies.
Submission grapplers and the medieval samurai had different concerns while grappling on the ground. Countless modern-day competitions have proven that the ‘rear mount’ (illustrated by the modern choking sequence shown above) is a very powerful way to control an opponent. In this position an opponent is very vulnerable to a number of submissions and has extremely limited options to escape and counter-attack. This position is not favored in classical Ju-jutsu, however, because disengaging from an opponent could be difficult to do quickly. The knee in the spine control, although less secure, could be abandoned faster if a second attacker suddenly engaged the samurai.
Similarly the presence of weapons is an important strategic consideration. Classical Ju-jutsu teaches many defenses against wrist grabs. Some modern martial artists find this emphasis strange, given that so few confrontations begin this way today. In the sword culture of medieval Japan, however, wrist grab defenses take on a new urgency – a person grabbing your wrist may be trying to draw their own weapon and stop you from drawing your own. Furthermore some techniques involve controlling an opponent’s wrist and then using his own weapon against him. In medieval Japan wrist grabs were a big deal, and this is reflected in the techniques of classical Ju-jutsu.
2 - Differences in Technique
There are many similarities in the chokes and joint locks of Submission Grappling and classical Ju-jutsu - there are, after all, only a limited number of directions in which you can bend someone’s arm, twist someone’s foot or squeeze someone’s neck. Nevertheless there are some broad general differences in how the techniques are applied.
Classical Ju-jutsu utilizes some pressure-point attacks, whereas modern grappling tends instead relies on structural attacks. As an illustration of this principle, consider the leglock techniques linked to below. The classical Ju-jutsu man is crushing the calf muscle and attacking a nerve pressure point midway down the lower leg. In an otherwise similar attack, the submission grappler is attacking the ankle joint itself, threatening to tear the ligaments, muscles and tendons that attach the foot to the lower leg.
This reliance on pressure points is a divergence between old and new. The use of pressure points in classical grappling is due to a variety of factors. In some cases the point being attacked is in a location not very well covered by the armor of the era. In certain instances the pressure point attack is utilized to harness the pain response and create openings for subsequent submissions or strikes. In addition, certain very dangerous pressure point attacks, such as gouging the throat or eyes, are illegal in grappling competition due to safety concerns. Finally a submission grappler might argue that pressure points are unreliable, and that someone with a high pain tolerance could ignore such an attack.
Another difference occurs after a successful submission has been executed. In modern grappling a successful submission ends the match. In the classical Ju-jutsu context an opponent with a broken arm or dislocated leg might still be dangerous. As a result the classical Ju-jutsu kata often follow a submission with additional strikes and maneuvers designed to make absolutely sure that the opponent is no longer a threat.
The presence or absence of armor is another large factor in determining how techniques are executed. Limited mobility, protection of certain joints and body areas, and the use of an opponent’s armor against himself are all factors the samurai had to contend with. Consider the classical leglock shown in this article: after a successful leglock Alex kicks his foot into the air, simulating moving the armored flap protecting the groin out of the way, before dropping his heel into the groin to finish the confrontation.
Classical Jujutsu Leglock Technique
Classical Ju-jutsu Leglock
Submission Grappling Leglock Technique
Submission Grappling Leglock
3 - Differences in Training Methods
Ultimately it is perhaps the differences in training method that create the most profound divergences between the old and new approaches to combative grappling. How are the techniques actually practiced? Exactly what method is used to develop proficiency and technical expertise? What is the training ‘culture’? The answers to these questions heavily influence the development and outward form of a martial art.
As mentioned earlier, most classical Ju-jutsu training revolves around repetition of kata, repeating a specific combat scenario with one or more partners. This approach to training is very different from the rough-and-tumble training sessions of Submission Grappling, where sparring is emphasized. Classical Ju-jutsu would contend that the techniques in question are too lethal to practice in an un-rehearsed context. Submission grapplers would argue that the benefits gained from being able to grapple competitively in training far outweigh the disadvantage of having to use less lethal techniques
The goals of modern day practitioners are also different. Most classical Ju-jutsu stylists today feel that preserving the art in its original state is important, and do not welcome changes to their kata, techniques or training methods. They are very concerned about the history of their art and this is illustrated by the fact that most serious Ju-jutsu practitioner can usually trace their exact lineage back to a single person in medieval Japan. Submission grapplers, on the other hand, are most interested in surviving and winning while on the mat. If they think that they have found a more efficient way to take someone down and choke them they will rapidly adopt it. Submission Grappling is evolving very rapidly, and techniques fall in and out of favor on an annual basis.
Finally there is a profound difference in the way in which information is spread in the two arts. Knowledge of techniques in medieval Japan was often a life-and-death matter for the samurai. Consequently there was a strong tradition of secrecy, and each ryu or system had its ‘closed door’ techniques that would only be entrusted to reliable senior students.
In the modern world however information can no longer be kept a secret. Grapplers attend seminars and take private classes. Instructional DVDs and video footage of competition is available worldwide. Magazines show a competitor’s favorite moves. Forums on the Internet openly debate the best way to apply different techniques. This is an unprecedented development in the history of martial arts, and is the underlying reason why the sport is growing and evolving so quickly.
Summary
The study of these different approaches to combative grappling can be a fascinating and rewarding undertaking. The classical approach emphasizes issues related to culture, history, and the perils of total combat. Modern Submission Grappling, on the other hand, offers a highly efficient training method to develop skills and proficiency in the techniques of combative grappling. It is the opinion of the authors that practitioners of both arts can benefit by being exposed to the other art and approach.
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