Jujutsu Throwing

Jujutsu Throwing - 'A Means To An End'

By Kevin O’Hagan 6th Dan.

Recently I was having a conversation with one of my students who has been training with me a short time, about the origins of Jujutsu and its many fighting forms. He told me that a friend of his who practised Judo said that Judoka had stronger throws than Jujutsu practitioners and went even further to say that the Jujutsu person couldn't throw properly at all! When I replied that I had heard this comment before and also added he was in a way correct, I registered the immediate look of surprise on my student's face.

I then went on to explain my reasons to him and I felt after that it may be of interest to others who have faced the same criticism to learn more about how I view the difference between the throwing' techniques of Judo and Jujutsu.

Jujutsu Throwing. Firstly let me state I rate Judo highly not only as a Martial sport but also an effective form of defence at close quarters. I have over the years met and trained with many Judoka and always found them fit, strong and aggressive individuals on the mat, who can certainly throw fast and hard. A top class Judo person would without doubt be able to throw most people if they got their hands on them.

Why are they so good? Because this is what they train for, every time they get on the mat. Sport Judo as it stand's today is probably 80% throwing and 20% groundwork. Judoka are encouraged to finish a match with a few clean throws rather than go to the floor to win. They become very good at entering with speed and power to get their throw and are masters of fighting for good grips and holds. Their whole training is geared around this principle and in the world of jacket grappling I think they are 'tops'.

For a Jujutsu practitioner, throwing is only part of their complete art. They are the original 'cross trainers'. They have been learning for decades strikes, kicks, throws, locks, pressure points, choke, strangles and much more. Also they have been learning their moves for a self-defence situation, not sport competition. Their needs are different to the Judoka.

Jujutsu Throwing. The Judoka's work starts at standing grappling because any further range does not exist in their sport.

In Jujutsu you may wish to grapple after 'catching' a kick, slipping a punch or having to immediately work from a rear choke or grab. Nothing is pre-planned and no given rules or distances will apply. In a self defence situation you will have to work with what you are given at that moment.

For me in system of combat Jujutsu, 'throwing' is only a small part of what I do and it is not my first line of defence. I always will teach 'atemi waza' (striking vital points) over any grappling. Even if I close to grappling range it will be 'head, knees and elbows' first backed up with chokes or joint breaks. I have found out in reality how difficult it is to clearly throw a man who may be two stone heavier and intent on gouging your eyes or biting your ear off! My prime area of training is dealing with 'reality street situations', not sport grappling. For me this is what 'real combat Ju Jutsu' is for, not for the sporting arena.

A lot of today's Jujutsu is Brazilian style, straight to the floor and grappling for submissions. To me there are not a great many differences between Brazilian Jujutsu and Judo. You can find the same techniques in both.

You must remember when Kano developed Kodokan Judo and began to introduce it to the world at the start of the 19th century it still carried the name Jujutsu until it was changed. So a lot of people at that time were really practising Judo and not Jujutsu at all.

When the feudal era of Japan was over, Jujutsu had a bad reputation for being too severe and violent in its nature.

Japan was promoting peace and they needed a new image, the days of real martial Arts were over hence the rise of Judo and the fall of Jujutsu.

Battlefield Jujutsu was a totally different art to anything that came later, its purpose was to finish the enemy by whatever means fair or foul (usually foul). If it wasn't with a weapon then it was with bare hands - lethal blows to vital points, neck breaks, joint dislocations and chokes were the order of the day not osoto-gari or seionage!

In the system I teach I hold on to those principles but obviously have to teach them in a safe manner to prevent injury. To me, there is no such thing as a 'throw' in combat Jujutsu. The attacker just ends up on the ground as a result of your action!

Let me give you a few examples of what I mean by this statement. In Judo, o soto-gari (major outer reap) involves the breaking of your opponent's balance to their rear corner and then stepping up to sweep the supporting leg clean out from under them to execute a very fast and powerful throw.

In combat Jujutsu the 'throw' is the result of you stepping up and side stomping down onto the outside knee ligaments and collapsing the leg - end result, opponent on the floor and at your mercy. No throw, just the end product of your stomping out his support knee. Brutal but effective. You certainly do not need the precision skill of timing, balance breaking and footwork of Judo but then again the technique was devised for battlefield combat, you didn't get to much time to be subtle!

Seio-nage (shoulder throw) in combat Jujutsu is done with the attacker's elbow levered anti joint wise over your shoulder with the sole aim of breaking the joint, not to tip him over your back. If the attacker 'went over' it was to prevent the joint breaking, in fact 'throwing' himself to the floor. All the 'throws' were end products of breaking a limb or twisting or wrenching a neck or spine. Clean throws as in Judo did not exist.

Taking the attacker to the ground involved attacking any vital points. Twisting the chin and neck, pulling and twisting ears, grabbing hair, seizing testicles or windpipe, locking and cranking elbows and wrists to breaking point. The assailant would hit the ground through severe injury, not perfectly timed throwing.

In my belief Jujutsu methods of getting your opponent to the floor are a world apart from Judo so you cannot compare them.
 
I have learnt hip throws, body drops, winding throws etc and if I teach them they are executed with a 'persuader'. Hip throws with the thumb stuck in an eye or a finger fish-hooked in the mouth. Body drops being executed by the hair or ears. Tomeonage (stomach throw) with the foot squarely planted in the groin, etc etc. This is how I was taught to 'throw' with the emphasis on getting the job done. not pretty, but bloody effective and it can certainly bring a large attacker down to the ground!

A lot of Jujutsu systems are using Karate type blocks and strikes and Judo like throws, for me this is not 'true' Jujutsu, it's not even modern Jujutsu.

Mr early instructors like Mick Upham, Dave Vincent, Dave Turton and Mike Marshall were teaching progressive concepts back in the early 80's. Using short stances, boxing like hands and defence, short quick rapid strikes and brutally effective take-downs so different to anything else. They were criticised for being mavericks and renegades, but for me their hybrid Jujutsu techniques were as 'real' as it can get.

Judo practitioner's lock up grips and throw, this is their only concern to earn the points to win, this is what they train for and they are extremely good at it. I wouldn't match myself with a half decent Judoka and play to his rules and expect to win. I know this is their field of expertise.

In my Jujutsu system if it is close up grappling at standing range I will still strike first, butt, knee, elbow, bite, palm strike, gouge, stomp - whatever it takes to bring the 'man down' - throwing would not be my main aim. In my book 'I thought you'd be bigger, a small person's guide to fighting back', I spoke at length how difficult it is to throw an uncompliant person.

Even in a Judo match it is not always possible to execute a throw and it ends up with both participants dragged to the floor.

I have competed in Jujutsu Kumite matches and Brazilian Jujutsu competition and witnessed loads of matches, I could count on one hand the number of clean throws I saw. This, I believe is why Jujutsu does not put the emphasis on throwing but just uses it as a means to an end if you can't do anything else. I am not a great thrower, but I know many ways to put people down on the ground, that's my main concern. This method is not important it's the end product that counts.

Here are a couple of examples of how I view the different concepts between Judo and Jujutsu 'throws'.

I have had the great experience of training on a BCA seminar with the legendary Neil Adams. At one stage of the seminar he showed his famous Taiotoshi (body drop throw). He demonstrated this on Wayne Larkin, another superb British Judoka.

Neil Adams gripped and made an entry for Kouchigari making Wayne take a step back, then Neil shifted his body and span into a tai-o-toshis blocking Wayne's front leg and sent him crashing to the floor.

It was a superb execution of Judo throwing. Balance, leverage, speed and power.

On a course many years back I witnessed a completely diverse method of throwing by one on my old Sensei, Mike Upham of Liverpool - a charismatic and explosive Jujutsu expert. He demonstrated an entering move inside a punch thrown by another good friend and excellent Martial Artist, John McCartney.

Let me tell you, John was from Northern Ireland and an ex-merc, he was a powerful 15+ stone and a fearsome fighter. One of his prime characteristics was a large bushy moustache! When Mick moved inside the punch, he crossed, grabbed John's moustache and launched him with a full shoulder throw. Now believe me. John was not an easy man to throw but faced with the choice of losing his prided facial hair or taking the fall, he chose the least painful option. This was a prime example of combat Jujutsu motto of 'use anything that works!'

Jujutsu Throwing. Can you see the two extremes, both throws excellent in their chosen arena but as different as 'chalk and cheese'. There can be very little comparison.

Judo relies on leverage and balance breaking to achieve its goals - Jujutsu relies on 'Pain'!

If any of you are interested in experiencing and learning combat Jujutsu, I have 'Rapid Fire Ju Jutsu Seminars regularly in my home town of Bristol

You can contact me, Kevin O'Hagan  www.bristolgoshinjutsu.com