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Japanese Arts
The fighting arts have been in Japan for hundreds of years, and the term jujutsu is often used to name the various arts that evolve through the samurai classes in Japan. And while jujutsu has been around for many years, even centuries, the Japanese grappling arts may have begun with sumo.
SUMO
Combat sumo supposedly began in Shimane prefecture before the birth of Christ. An undefeated warrior named Tajima-No-Kehaya met Nomi-No-Sukune in a match. Sukune broke Kehaya's ribs with a kick and knocked him to the ground., He then stomped on Kehaya and crushed his hip. Kehaya died from his injuries. This match is considered the origin of combat sumo, and Sukune is considered its founder.
The early stages of combat sumo centered on grappling techniques much like those seen in sumo today. However, there were also a wide variety of striking techniques available.
As combat sumo grew, it became a popular spectator sport and its champions attained high social status. However, during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333), as the warrior class rose, sumo was fine-tuned into a highly effective combat art.
With the new emphasis on using sumo on the battlefield, the strategy was to take your enemy to the ground and use your sword to finish him. This led to an increased study in how to close with an enemy and throw him while he was wearing armor. Also, the emphasis on battlefield tactics changed from individual strategy to group strategy. These two changes caused combat sumo to fade away. Despite this, sumo is still a wildly popular sport in Japan.
JUJUTSU
The 1500's can be considered a turning point in Japan's martial arts history. It was during this time that Takenouchi Hisamori developed a system of unarmed combat centered on the closing and throwing techniques of combat sumo. It was called kogusoku, or the art of seizing an opponent.
Hisamori's system was later classified under the generic name of jujutsu. While jujutsu is generally considered to include striking, throwing, choking, joint-locking and grappling techniques, very few styles emphasized all of these techniques. Most experts preferred to focus on one or two subsets of techniques.
Group tactics continued to take the place of individual combat in Japan and as the "commoners" began studying jujutsu, the combat effectiveness began to diminish. this led to an emphasis on the aesthetics of the art. Often, techniques were exaggerated, sometimes becoming unrealistic or even silly. As the emphasis of jujutsu switched from combat effectiveness to beauty, the reversal had become complete.
This new approach led to the commercialization of jujutsu. Unemployed warriors would teach the art to make a living, and it was often perceived as more of a carnival act. This aided in jujutsu's decline and helped the public formaulate a low opinion of the martial art.
JUDO
Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was a leading educator in Japan and held teaching certificates in the jujutsu arts of tenshin shinyo ryu and kito ryu. Noting the decline of jujutsu, he decided to try to forma more publicly acceptable system of grappling to keep jujutsu alive. He removed techniques he considered dangerous or obsolete and added techniques he considered more effective.
In 1882, Kano established the Kodokan, or "Hall for Learning the Way," and called his style of jujutsu kodokan judo to separate it from other jujutsu styles that had been called judo over the years. He used his vast influence over the Japanese educational system,to further judo,and it quickly surpassed jujutsu in popularity.
Basing the development of judo on the educational system, Kano established a system of belts to indicate advancement in rank. Originally intended for just his kodokan judo, Kano's colored belts are now used in numerous styles around the world.
AIKIDO
MOrihei Uyeshiba, the founder of aikido, began developing the art mostly because of personal interest. He was a deeply religious man with philosophical beliefs rooted in the Shinto religion.
Uyeshiba studied more than 200 fighting styles, paying particular interest to daito-ryu aikijujutsu and kenjutsu, a sword art. He originally used the term aikijutsu for the art he was developing, but like Kano, he sought to differentiate his style from the others that had used the same name. Therefore, Uyeshiba adopted the name aikido in 1942 after his art had been refined and developed into a full, mature system.
Aikido's skills and mechanics place emphasis on unifying the mind and body by using the concept of ki, or internal energy.
KYOKUSHINKAI
Kyokushinkai is one of the toughest karate styles that exists today. Its founder, Masutatsu Oyama, began his training in shotokan karate at a military school at age 14. Oyama was actually a Korean named Yee Hyung, but changed his name when he came to Japan.
Oyama was drafted into the Imperial Army in 1941, after only a couple of years of training with Gichin Funakoshi. After the war Oyama began training with Chojun Miyagi, but later decided to go into seclusion, traveling to Mt. Kiyosumi, where he remained isolated for over a year and a half. When he finally returned to civilization, Oyama attempted to start his own karate school, but met with only moderate success.
It was Oyama's attempts at killing bulls with a single blow that won him enough fame to open a few doors. In 1952, Oyama toured the United States in an attempt to popularize his karate style. He took on all comers and never lost a match, ending most with a knockout. When Oyama returned to Japan, he founded kyokushinkai, a hard-nosed karate style.
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