Much of jujitsu's history has been lost so it is difficult to put dates to events. jujitsu-like forms have been documented even before the samurai class emerged. The first records of Japans grappling for combat can be found being used by Japanese warriors shortly before 750 A.D.
Since the samurai of ancient Japan where seldom seen without a weapon, Jujitsu evolved to maintain a balance of weapon and empty-hand methods with a great amount of overlap between the two. Therefore, jujitsu was designed originally as a complimentary skill to be used together with weapons.
The samurai of feudal Japan were required a vast array of combat skills. The bow and arrow, the sword, horsemanship, the spear and grappling in armour where among the basics, these where essential skills to bring into combat. Jujitsu was a small aspect of a larger training methodology for combat. It never became a generic term to describe a wide range of techniques until between 1603-1867, when battlefield combat became a thing of history and duels to the death where frowned upon by the government, at this time the need to control or disable an opponent using non-lethal methods became respected and valued.
Today, there are few traditional jujutsu systems that still exist that are in regular use by both law enforcement and civilians alike. Himizu Ryu Jujitsu is one of the most comprehensive martial arts systems in Japan still in practice today. They train a large curriculum of combat including striking, throwing, restraining and weaponry.
Compared with the martial arts systems of China and Korea, Japanese jujutsu places emphasis more on throwing, immobilizing and/or pinning, joint locking, and strangling techniques. Striking techniques are secondary, whereas the Chinese ch'uan-fa (kempo) emphasizes punching, striking, and kicking more.
Many other legitimate types of jujutsu styles exist but are not considered traditional jujitsu. These are known as modern jujutsu. Although modern in formation, this newer style of jujutsu systems has direct historical links to the ancient traditional jujitsu systems.This “self defense” jujitsu is usually formulated outside of Japan and may include other culture influences, a good example of this is Brazilian jujutsu.
