Jitsu is above all a practical, defensive martial art.

At its core is the principle that aggression can be overcome by seeming to yield to it, by using an attacker’s strength, size and momentum to a defender’s advantage.

Men and women of all ages, shapes and sizes can therefore become very good at it.

Training is gradual, but as you progress through the belt structure you will learn to defend yourself against increasingly demanding armed and unarmed attacks, using a system of throws, locks and strikes.

Jitsu’s practicality consists partly in learning techniques by practicing them together, and this requires a particular kind of trust. The atmosphere in Jitsu clubs is therefore very friendly, and there is a vibrant social life off the mat.

Although you need not be fit to start Jitsu, regular training will improve your general fitness, flexibility, strength, coordination, reaction time and, above all, self-confidence. Of course, you will also learn to look after yourself. Regular training also results in, for want of a better expression, an increased strength of character.

Lessons learned on the mat can filter through and change for the better the way you think of yourself off the mat. The Jitsu Foundation, our governing body, organises regular gradings, as well as regional and national courses and events. Undertaking the study of Jitsu makes you a part of something much larger than just a martial arts club.