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Jason Acoba

McGriff

ENC1101

2/14/2020

Modern Jujitsu Is Better Suited to Today’s World Than Karate

Throughout history man has always fought and had a need to fight better. Ancient man

waged war and made martial arts to attack and defend. Although Karate and Jujitsu are both

Japanese martial arts, they are very different in execution. In my opinion, Jujitsu is a vastly

superior art. Both arts are hundreds of years old but they have changed substantially since their

beginnings. These arts have evolved throughout the years to adapt to the ever-changing needs

and standards of our world. Although Karate and Jujitsu are both Japanese martial arts, Jujitsu is

better in training, techniques, and distancing.

In Karate the training is not the same as it was even 30 years ago. In times past, for most

of the history of the style, Karate training was hardcore and extreme. Practitioners were

subjected to training that was specifically designed to emulate a battle or street fight. The

sparring during training was as tough and hard fought as any engagement outside of a dojo. In

the old style they would harden the bones and muscles with the objective of breaking an

opponent's bones in a single strike. Karate training of previous generations was tough and

extreme.

There are a vast number of techniques in Karate. Some are beautiful and showy, and

some are straight to the point. There are blocks in Karate that are sometimes as hard as strikes.
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Kicks are probably some of the most recognizable techniques in Karate. There are many kicks

and variants of kicks to learn in Karate and they are all deadly serious. Karate has many

techniques to deal with a variety of situations.

A big aspect in any fighting art is the distance a practitioner can engage and defend from.

In Karate striking is the preferred method to win a fight. These techniques are excellent for a

stand-up fight. The strikes in karate were designed to effectively end a fight in one strike,

meaning to incapacitate an opponent or break bones and joints rendering them unable to

continue. There are also some joint locks and throws meant to subdue and manipulate an

opponent. Karate is a great and useful art to fight from a distance.

In Karate the training is soft compared to what it was like in the old days, but Jujitsu

training is as hard as ever. The problem with training in Karate is that sparring at full force

would often render a training partner broken or unconscious, yet in Jujitsu the sparring can be at

full speed and force. In Jujitsu there are no punches pulled or soft blows, everything is as it

would be outside of a dojo. The locks that are practiced in Jujitsu are done full force, clean and

smoothly, to a point just before a break or damage to the muscles and ligaments. This kind of

training requires a practitioner to know when to tap out so they don’t injure themselves. In

Karate they cannot use full force techniques in fear of great injury, Jujitsu doesn’t have this

problem in training.

Karate has many techniques for countless types of situations, but in modern day

execution the techniques of Jujitsu are vastly superior. Instead of blocking, like in Karate, Jujitsu

practitioners tend to prefer to redirect any strikes that may be thrown at them. Kicking is a big

part of Karate, whereas there are very few, if any, kicks in Jujitsu. In Jujitsu there has to be a

solid base to balance and apply throws and locks, so kicking is not preferred. Karate practitioners
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must have great balance to kick, but when a limb is lifted off the ground that balance is halved

and it is much easier to bring them down. The techniques of Jujitsu are vastly better to fight in

today's world.

The biggest distinction between Karate and Jujitsu, to me, is the distancing. Karate is

mostly a stand-up art, focusing on striking and very little ground work. Jujitsu is all about taking

an opponent to the ground and ground fighting. Once a fight moves to the ground Karate

practitioners have very little moves to pull out and Jujitsu practitioners have a whole

encyclopedia. In Karate there are locks to subdue an opponent up close but the locks of Jujitsu,

in my opinion, are vastly superior. Locks in Karate are done when an opponent is up close and in

your space, and Karate lacks effectiveness up close when trying to apply these techniques. Jujitsu

locks are mostly done in combination of a throw or redirection, and are greatly effective up close

with little space. Karate's usefulness is greatly reduced when fighting up close, where Jujitsu's

effectiveness shines.

Karate and jujitsu are both Japanese martial arts, developed over many years, and have

been adapted to the modern world. Karate has grown to accommodate the afterschool programs

and has lost most of its hardcore training methods, and became weaker in technique and dealing

with distance. Jujitsu as an art has grown stronger in its path to becoming useful in the modern

world. Jujitsu training, although not as dangerous, is still as strenuous today as it was in the past.

The techniques and distancing skills of Jujitsu lend themselves well to what modern man sees in

combat today. Although both arts grew out of Japan in a similar timeframe, Jujitsu is the superior

art today. With the modern world changing so much every minute, now is the perfect time to get

out there and train!

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W.C. 923