history of Jujutsu

The Daito-ryu scrolls written by Takeda Sokaku (starting just before the turn of the century) include a lineage that traces the art of Jujutsu back to the Emperor Seiwa of Japan, who, as legend tells us, won his throne when his sumo wrestling champion defeated his older brother's champion.

The actual founder of the art is said to have been Seiwa's descendant Shinra Saburo Minamoto no Yoshimitsu [1045-1127], who lived in a mansion known as Daito, hence the name Daito-ryu. The martial art was then handed down through his descendants, the Takeda family.

There is evidence in the authorized chronicle of Japan (Nihon Shoki) that shows that a bout held in 230 B.C. was a close contact martial arts fight.  The fight was held between Takemi-kazuchi-nokami and Takemi-nakata-no-kami.  Takemi-kazuchi-no-kami took his oppositions arm joint and threw him to the ground.  He was made ruler as a reward.  Another very bloody contest was held between Nomino-sukune and Taimano-kehaya.  Nomino-sukune hit his opponent's chest with his hand, threw him onto the ground, and kicked him to death.

The chronicles of these fights is the earliest written record we have of Jujutsu.  Later, Jujutsu (or yawara) appeared in literature in the "Once upon a time tales" (Konjaku-monogatari) of the eleventh century.  Over the centuries Jujutsu has been called by many names such as kumiuchi, torite, koshinomawari, kogusoku, taijutsu, wajutsu,  hobaku, etc.  Because theses Samuri warriors wore armor, the techniques used consisted mainly of knocking their opponents down.