Atemi Ju-Jitsu

Summary

Atemi Ju-Jitsu, in Japanese: atemi (当て身) jūjutsu (柔術), is a modern martial art of ancient origin created in France in the 1940s by Bernard Pariset†, under the influence of of Mikonosuke Kawaishi , himself direct student of Jigoro Kano (Judo Founder). The Pariset family is commonly referred to as the 'French Gracie', after having developed their own Ju-Jitsu style directly inspired from Kano's Judo and traditional Jujutsu systems .

Atemi Ju-Jitsu includes Atemi-Waza (Striking techniques), Nage-Waza (Throwing techniques) and Katame-Waza (Grappling techniques). Its practice is very much oriented towards Kihon and Randori, both standing (Tachi-Waza) and on the ground (Ne-Waza). It combines ancient techniques, developed by Samurai to defend themselves against armed and unarmed opponents on the battlefield in feudal Japan, with modern techniques, found in more recent martial arts such as Judo, Karate-Do, Aikido and Savate. It works well with single opponents, but its effectiveness is maximal with multiple opponents.

History

Jigoro Kano sent two of his close students outside Japan to spread Judo abroad, one went to the Americas (Mitsuyo Maeda) and the one to Europe (Mikonosuke Kawaishi). After a long trip across the North and South America, Maeda finally settled in Brazil where he started to teach the Gracie family in the late 1910s/early 1920s a form of Judo mainly focused on Ne-Waza (ground work and grappling) and heavily influenced by Fusen-Ryū Jujutsu and his street fight experiences. This later became known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). The second student, Kawaishi, finally settled in France after an equally long trip across Europe, where he started to teach the Pariset family in the late 1930s/early 1940s a slightly different form of Judo influenced by traditional Jujutsu systems from the Muromachi and Edo periods. Kawaishi founded the French Judo-Ju-Jitsu Federation in 1947. The 'Ju-Jitsu Club Français' was created and Bernard Pariset started to teach Judo-Ju-Jitsu there, before becoming its Director until his death .

The 'Ju-Jitsu Club Français' has been at the epicentre of the expansion of a lot Japanese martial arts in France. It was regularly visited by Japanese instructors, such as Kawaishi, Awazu or Minoru Mochizuki. Mochizuiki was another direct student of Jigoro Kano, Morihei Ueshiba (Aikido Founder) and Gichin Funakoshi (Karate-Do Founder). In addition to being a Judo instructor, he became the first to teach Aikido in the West (Paris) and founded Yoseikan Budo. He was considered as one of the 'last samurais'. At the same time, Karate-do was making its first steps in Europe and was hosted under the young Feench Judo Federation. The 'Ju-Jitsu Club Français' saw the development of Karate-do under the the influence of Jacques Delcourt and Henri Plee. Finally, Savate (Boxe Francaise) was also intensely practised in the club. Kawaishi and Mochizuki died in France in 1969 and 2003 respectively. All these different arts influenced the making of Atemi Ju-Jitsu as a modern martial art with ancient roots and traditions.

This traditional form of Ju-Jitsu is still actively practised today in France by Daniel Pariset (8th Dan) and Eric Pariset (6th Dan), and in the United States by Julien Durand (4th Dan). A dedicated Atemi Ju-Jitsu Federation exists and regroups all Dojos practising this jujutsu system.

System

Atemi Ju-Jitsu puts a lot of emphasis on Tai sabaki and Kuzushi to break the opponent's balance, combined with locks, throws and chokes/strangulations. The use of Atemi is particularly important in this system both as a mean to create the Kuzushi and strike vital points to neutralize the opponent, and prepare the transition to other techniques. It is coming from traditional Nihon Jujutsu systems such as Kyūshin Ryū, Takenouchi-ryū, Kitō-ryū, Yagyū Shingan-ryū, Yōshin-ryū and Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū (most of which were having extensive use of Atemi). It has also benefited from the influence of more recent systems such as Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu and Wadō-Ryū.

Ju-Jitsukas are asked to maintain a balance between all elements of the system in order to build a complete martial artists able to face multiple situations, multiple opponents and multiple types of weapons. As a result, their training is evenly split between Atemi, Nage and Katame-Waza; and between Tachi and Ne-Waza. It is a complete educational method based on SHIN-SI-TAI (Spirit-Technique-Body), all inseparable.

Bibliography

• 'Judo : progression officielle française' by Bernard Pariset, published in 1969 and 1984 in French
• 'Judo - Formes de projections, Nage No Kata' by Bernard Pariset, published in 1970 in French
• 'Jiu-Jitsu moderne par l'image : self-défense judo d'après la progression officielle française' by Bernard Pariset, published in 1972 in French
• 'Nage no Kata; formes de projections' by Bernard Pariset, published in 1970 in French
• 'Atemi Ju-Jitsu moderne : self défense - progression officielle française' par ceintures by Bernard Pariset, published in 1982 in French
• 'Atemi Ju-Jitsu : les 16 techniques et le Goshin-Jitsu' by Bernard Pariset, published in 1991 in French