Technique derivation: a look at origins and development

[Charles Choi]

Techniques of certain koryu jujutsu schools are distinct, but lots of jujutsu schools are common in methods/principles.

In your opinion, do techniques come from one defined origin and then spread/change?

[Neil Hawkins]

This is a discussion that we have had before, but`I personally believe that the majority of 'modern' jujutsu is judo based.

What I mean by that is that when the various masters of jujutsu got together with Kano to formulate the judo curriculumn, there was a lot of good stuff that was shared but not used in judo, or toned down in judo over the years. This is the basis of much of what we term jujutsu today. Of course every instructor has his own take and so there is still some variation between schools.

There are also styles that have been literaly 'made up' in the west by practicioners of other arts, these have borrowed techniques from extant schools and so they too look similar.

The other factor is that most fighting today is similar (or percieved to be similar), attacks follow a common theme and so the defences must also follow that theme. (Lets not start the old debate about practicality!)

Koryu schools did not have the wide exposure and so techniques developed hundreds of years ago were not changed much up until today. Plus because of the clan warfare that was prevelent when many of theseschools started they came up with techniques to counter techniques used against them. A different school in a different part of the country may not need the same defence because they would not see the same attack.

That said there are a core number of techniques that are very similar in the koryu styles I have seen, though I believe that these probably have been exposed to each other over the years.

Regards

Neil

[Charles Choi]

Koryu schools did not have the wide exposure and so techniques developed hundreds of years ago were not changed much up until today. Plus because of the clan warfare that was prevelent when many of theseschools started they came up with techniques to counter techniques used against them. A different school in a different part of the country may not need the same defence because they would not see the same attack.

Thanks Neil,

Would you know of any articles or information on this concept you'd like to share i.e. a link?