SPORTS TOPICS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 264, 20 August 1936, Page 3

SPORTS TOPICS

JIUDO-THE MODERN JUJITSU.

CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS (“By Flagpole.”) Saturday. Ashburton v. North Otago, women’s hockey. Ashburton v. Nomads, Association football. First qualifving round, Ashburton Golf Club. August 29. Ashburton v. North Auckland, Rugby at Ashburton. Professional boxing, Nichol v. De Gans, at Rakaia. Tinwald Cycling Club’s 15-mile road race. Men’s 5-a-side hockey competition. The human instinct of self-preserva-tion has made it necessary for all races to develop their own arts of offence and defence. Jiudo Las been accepted as the Japanese national art. It is an application of the old form of jujitsu, subjected to modifications and improvements.

Jiudo halls are of simple wooden construction, standing with open leaves among green leaves. The flooring consists of thick straw mats. In the middle of one side of a hall appears an alcove, above which a frame is set with the words of some great Japanese. This is for inspiring the leader. The intending jiudo exponent is subjected to five or more years of the spiritual influence of such a hall, which a Japanese considers the requisite training for a full appreciation of the art, since it is held that a complete knowledge is not acquired by mere practice of the forms. It has been said by Europeans that jiudo is understood to be simply an art of defence, or a mysterious rat by which the weak or defenceless may easil3 r overthrow enemies. Japanese opinion conflicts with this statement, holding that it is but a limited view which possibly explains ancient jujitsu but scarcely modern jiudo in all its aspects. History of the Art. This is demonstrated by a research into the formation of jiudo. It was originally ancient jujitsu, catholicall.v adopted in Japan for the first time as a practice of the Sumarai. It assumed a combination, of physical and spiritual cultures during 265 years of peace. Primarily a product of feudalism, jujitsu declined when a new regime dominated. Ten years later a student in the Tokio Imperial University, Mr Jigoro Kani, decided to study jujitsu. He reached the conclusion that it would be a good military art besides a spiritual and physical culture. His work on it, systematised and organised it for scientific and practical use, as he adopted and improved upon all its associated merits. He made jiudo as much a life concept as an art, and in such a conviction established a school for its instruction in 1882, acting himself as principal instructor. That was how modern jiudo, as differentiated from ancient jujitsu, came into existence. Tricks of Jiudo. The various tricks associated with jiudo may be classified under four principal headings—throwing, locking, hitting and the Kodokwan school forms. Tho last combines the first three-men-tioned, and adds slow movement and old school forms, also one for obtaining the maximum efficiency for physical culture. These tricks arc all composed of many subsidiary parts. Throwing tricks are used for flooring an opponent by causing him to lose his balance despite himself. A numerous variety, they fall under two main categories; throwing of the opponent while the thrower remains on his feet, and throws caused bj' the thrower’s own falling. Tho locking tricks comprise all methods of bringing the opponent into rigidly fixed positions, byi holding the opponent down so that be cannot rise; gripping the throat to bring insensibility or suffocation, and twisting or bending the arm or leg to cause breakage. Hitting tricks press, hit or kick the sensitive parts of the body of the adversely, causing pain, temporary paralysis, or death, either leg, foot, arm or hand being used. The Kodokwan school forms add slow movement, there being 15 forms most expressive of the theory of jiudo (to conquer by yielding), which are generailj’ graceful and moderate movements ; the old school forms throwing tricks adopted with no alternative from jujitsu, and the maximum efficiency forms which are to give physical exercise combined with offensive and defensive movements. How Training is Accomplished. Jiudo training is accomplished by equal instruction in all forms and the practice of throwing and locking tricks. The total number of holds or movements is about ICO, which must be mastered in systematic order, from the simplest to the most difficult and complicated. Falling practice is a fundamental element in jiudo teaching how to fall or bo thrown without injury or pain. In training, a jacket is worn in the training ball, and the military etiquette is rigidly sustained by salutation.

Jiudo, boxing and wrestling, whioh are so different in their rules, cannot be compared without great difficulty. It may be said that the hitting tricks resemble boxing, and the locking tricks wrestling. The superiority of jiudo may be perceived in that it includes both boxing and wrestling in its tricks and also carries them to perfection. As a means of physical cul-

ture, jiudo has the merit of training an active, fully-functioning body. Its tricks are graceful and exciting to sec, while wrestling and boxing matches are rather gory. Also, in offence and defence operations, jiudo is efficacious in all positions and against an adversary attacking from any direction. More particularly, the unity of training in mind and body through allround exercises makes possible splendid expertness in timely ancl effective attack and defence, placing jiudo ahead of the others in this connection.