Our Jiu Jitsu History

Jiu jitsu was developed by Japan's elite warrior class, the Samurai, who refined their techniques in battle and passed them down through political or family lines. At our school we study three of these traditional schools: Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Kukishinden Ryu and Shinden Fudo Ryu.

Even today, many schools won't teach or show non-members what they consider their secret levels. Fortunately, our teacher in Japan is very open with his training and shares his knowledge with his students. Together, these three systems give you a very large number of techniques for a wide range of situations.

Takagi Yoshin Ryu

A close-in fighting system with an emphasis on sacrifice throws (sutemi), and on making it as hard as possible for an opponent to take a safe fall.

Kukishinden Ryu

A traditional Samurai school with a huge jiu jitsu and weapons curriculum. It's a Sogo Bujutsu, or complete fighting system, and nearly all the weapons we study come from it. Training is sometimes done wearing Yoroi, or Samurai armour, both at our dojo and in Japan.

Shinden Fudo Ryu

Known for its unusual striking and for traditional ground fighting from the seated position of Fudoza. It has two main sections of training, Daken Taijutsu and Ju Taijutsu.

Common questions

Where does jiu jitsu come from?

Japan. It was developed by the Samurai and passed down through traditional schools called Ryu. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu later developed from it.