For many centuries the nobles of Japan carefully guarded the secrets of a way of fighting they called jujitsu. In Japanese, jujitsu means "yielding art." As a way of fighting, jujitsu means not trying to overcome an opponent's strength, but seeming to yield to it. A jujitsu fighter will allow himself to seem to be knocked down by an opponent in order to catch the opponent off balance.
Jujitsu is hand-to-hand fighting without the use of weapons. Fighters trained in jujitsu learn a great deal about the human body. They learn the location of nerves which, when struck or pressed, will cause great pain or numbness. Some of these nerves are in the ankle, the wrist, the upper arm, and the side of the neck. Jujitsu fighters also learn how to get an opponent off balance and throw him to the floor with great force.
A small man who knows jujitsu can easily defeat a larger and stronger man. If the larger man rushes him, the smaller man can fall backwards and pull the big man down after him. Then he can get a hold on the larger man that will hurt or disable him.
Jujitsu fighters must be quick and skillful. They must be in good physical condition. They must know how to fall without hurting themselves.
Today jujitsu is no longer a secret of the Japanese. It is used in many countries of the world as a means of self-defense. Millions of American soldiers and marines were taught how to defend themselves with jujitsu during World War II.
