The Collaborative International Dictionary
Jujutsu \Ju"jut`su\, Jujitsu \Ju"jit`su\, Jiujutsu \Jiu"jut`su\, Jiujitsu \Jiu"jit`su\ n. [Jap. j[=u]jutsu; j[=u] soft (prob. because no weapons are used) + jutsu art.] The Japanese art of self-defense without weapons, now widely used as a system of physical training. It depends for its efficiency largely upon the principle of making clever use of an opponent's strength, weight, and movements to disable or injure him, and by applying pressure so that his opposing movement will throw him out of balance, dislocate or break a joint, etc. It opposes knowledge and skill to brute strength, and demands an extensive practical knowledge of human anatomy.
Wiktionary
n. (alternative spelling of jujitsu English)
WordNet
Wikipedia
Jujutsu is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon or only a short weapon.
" Jū" can be translated to mean "gentle, soft, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding." " Jutsu" can be translated to mean "art" or "technique" and represents manipulating the opponent's force against himself rather than confronting it with one's own force. Jujutsu developed to combat the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon. Because striking against an armored opponent proved ineffective, practitioners learned that the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it.
There are many variations of the art, which leads to a diversity of approaches. Jujutsu schools ( ryū) may utilize all forms of grappling techniques to some degree (i.e. throwing, trapping, joint locks, holds, gouging, biting, disengagements, striking, and kicking). In addition to jujutsu, many schools teach the use of weapons.
Today, jujutsu is practiced in both traditional and modern sports forms. Derived sport forms include the Olympic sport and martial art of judo, which was developed by Kanō Jigorō in the late 19th century from several traditional styles of jujutsu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which was derived from earlier (pre–World War II) versions of Kodokan judo.
Usage examples of "jujutsu".
He wanted Lenley to overtax himself, to bring about a situation in which The Shadow could gain a new jujutsu hold.
Mitch Reilly ran a notorious jujutsu school, pretty much specializing in combat arts of the one-hundred-ways-to-pluck-their-eyeballs-out variety.
I am menkyo kaiden there and a yudansha in Yanagi-ryu jujutsu and kendo.
The oddly matched pair of the airport attack--the attractive, competent girl who was a master of jujutsu, and the strange-looking man with the neck of a turkey--were in the machine, and their manner showed plainly that they were anxious to get away from the spot.
It was perfect jujutsu, but The Shadow did not apply pressure enough to cause his foe to scream with agony.
He did not guess that The Shadow was shifting him into position for a jujutsu hold.
His hands were like grappling hooks when he clamped the charging crook in a jujutsu hold.
The crook doubled to the floor, writhing in the clutch of an expert jujutsu hold.
The dick was hoisted bodily from the floor, caught in an expert jujutsu hold.
Flinging away his automatic, The Shadow gave a demonstration of swift jujutsu holds.
A hard jujutsu throw had sprawled the bearded fellow within the mummy casket.
Darryat, twisted double by the jujutsu hold, was in his clutch, between The Shadow and the door.
Dropping the automatic against the jouncing floor, The Shadow gave the crook a fast jujutsu hold.
Ku-Nuan had gained sufficient hold to wriggle away from a firm jujutsu grip.