Japanese Martial Art

The first time I watched a sumo bout live on screen, what struck me was not the collision. It was the silence before it: salt in the air, two men staring, a referee in a kimono (着物) holding his fan still.

Japanese martial arts are systems of attack and defense that also transmit cultural, spiritual and physical values. Three terms describe them: bugei (武芸, martial art), budo (武道, the way of war), bujutsu (武術, war techniques).

In Japan, learning to fight is also a way of disciplining the mind. This is what you will find below:

• The history of Japanese martial arts
• The national and sacred sport of Japan: sumo
• The founding father of martial arts: jujitsu
• The various Japanese martial arts

Each discipline represents a "way", and you may be looking for yours.

The history of Japanese martial arts: a myth or a reality?

By definition, a Japanese martial art is a discipline of Asian origin whose objective is not to defeat the opponent at all costs. It teaches self-control instead, with a few combat sports as exceptions. According to one myth, an Indian monk named Bodhidharma was at the origin of martial arts. He is also considered the founding father of Zen Buddhism in Japan.

After years of meditation, Bodhidharma visited Chinese monasteries and stopped at Shaolin. He taught meditation there, and also a style of exercises built on combat principles. Disappointed by his disciples' infatuation with fighting, he left. Behind him, kung fu was born.

Shaolin kung fu is therefore the first martial art to unite bodywork and spiritual meditation. Historical facts tell another story: the technical basis of Chinese martial arts existed several centuries BC. The Chinese army used it against armed and unarmed opponents.

That split explains why kendo and judo look like sports today, while the older schools kept the logic of the battlefield. It also explains their clothing. The wide pleated trousers of the old warrior class, the hakama (袴), survived almost unchanged in aikido, kendo and iaido.

The iconic Dr. Akiyama

It is impossible to review the history of Japanese martial arts without mentioning the Japanese doctor Akiyama. He allowed the birth of the Japanese martial arts we know today. It begins with his journey to China, where he stopped in Manchuria and met a religious sect.

This group practiced training based on kung fu. The doctor admired it and was allowed to watch, but never had the chance to practice while in China. He returned to Japan to show his family the techniques he had seen.

He then stayed outside and watched tree branches bend under the weight of snow. Seeing how flexible the tree was, Akiyama decided to create a martial art on that principle. This is only a legend. History credits the birth of Japanese martial techniques to the samurai.

Sumo, a national and sacred sport for the Japanese archipelago

Sumo is the iconic sport of Japan, going back nearly 1500 years. It is a traditional wrestling built on religious rites and gestures. Its roots are Shinto, and the ring itself is treated as a sacred space.

The origin of this ancestral wrestling

One book traces the great Japanese myths and the formation of the islands of the archipelago. This book, the "chronicles of ancient facts" (kojiki), mentions sumo wrestling for the first time, in 712.

Sumo was associated with dance, theater and prayers dedicated to the gods. It was a religious custom meant to praise the deities and obtain a good harvest. Sumo entered the imperial court during the Nara period (8th century), and every move was allowed.

Rules were then introduced by the same government. During the Kamakura era, Japanese wrestling was practiced as a military immobilization technique. During the Edo era, it became entertainment for the wealthy. From the 18th century, this ancestral wrestling was considered a national sport.

Sumo wrestlers: the rikishi

Sumo is a professional sport dedicated to men, and the wrestlers are called "rikishi". There is no weight category, and a rikishi can weigh between 70 and 280 kg.

A wrestler may therefore face a sumotori of a completely different size. The average weight of a rikishi is around 150 kg. That balance gives both stability and flexibility. The Japanese wrestler follows a regulated lifestyle inside the stables, a sumo school where a rikishi lives and trains.

Traditionally, the rikishi wears a mawashi during a fight, a band of cloth wrapped around the waist and crotch. His hair is set with oil and kept in a bun. The sumo wrestler keeps his hair long for his whole career. When he retires, the danpatsu-shiki is celebrated, a ceremony during which his hair is cut to mark the end of his career.

Principle of this traditional Japanese fight

The arena is called "dohyō". The area is bounded by a woven straw circle. The two fighters face each other inside, and the referee, the gyōji, is dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono. The rules are simple: push the opponent out of the circle, or make him fall to the ground.

Before each bout, both wrestlers perform the following rites:

• Shiko: the first ritual, meant to drive out spirits. Both wrestlers raise a foot very high, then stamp it on the ground
• Kiyome no shio: the second ritual, a sign of purification. A handful of salt is thrown into the circle
• Chikara-mizu: the third ritual gesture. Both wrestlers drink the "water of strength", then spit it out

Once the three gestures are done, the gyōji gives the signal by presenting the face of his Japanese fan. After a long exchange of stares, the two fighters touch the ground with both hands to approve the confrontation. The fight then begins, and the two wrestlers charge, using the 82 recognized winning techniques.

The father of Japanese martial arts: traditional jujitsu

Ju-jutsu, jujitsu, jiu-jitsu: several spellings for the same traditional martial art of Japan. Literally the "art of flexibility", it was used by the samurai during the Edo period. Judo, aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu all draw from it.

The concept of Japanese jujutsu

These are the techniques used by the samurai when they found themselves unarmed in the middle of a fight. The yōshin-ryū is an ancient traditional school (koryū) that passed on jujitsu knowledge. Jujitsu is broken down into five fighting sections:

• Atemi: blows to vital points with the fist, the foot or the edge of the hand. Also used in judo, karate and aikido. It is said to disrupt Ki, the vital energy
• Nage-waza: throwing techniques, used in judo and aikido
• Kansetzu-waza: submission techniques, also called "joint keys"
• Ne-waza: a ground fighting system, similar to Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• Shime-waza: choking techniques used to submit an opponent

The origin of Japanese jujitsu

This art of flexibility uses katas to avoid frontal attacks and channel the opponent's strength. "The gentle masters the strong" is the expression that sums up the idea. Jujitsu is said to have appeared 1500 years ago.

Its beginnings run from the Nara period to the Kamakura period, when the bushi used it. These were close combat techniques designed for opponents wearing weapons and armor. Another account dates the birth of jujitsu to the year 792, at the time the samurai appeared.

Emperor Kammu is said to have founded a school for soldiers called butokuden. Legend, again, credits the concept to Akiyama after his trip to China. Either way, Japanese jiu-jitsu gave birth to many of today's popular martial arts.

The various martial arts of the Japanese archipelago

Martial arts hold a central place in Japanese customs. Three principles frame them: budo (way of war), bujutsu (war technique) and bugei (martial art). And there are two families: the modern era and the ancient era.

The goal here is not a complete list of the martial arts of Japan, since there are dozens. It is a selection of the most widely practiced and best known.

Modern Japanese martial arts

Five recent martial arts stand out. They are the most practiced in the world and keep growing in popularity. They can be seen as the descendants of the ancient Japanese martial arts.

Judo, the way of flexibility

This Japanese discipline is directly related to jujitsu. Judo teaches you to turn an opponent's strength around. It is a self-defense martial art practiced by women, men and children.

It was founded in 1882 by Master Jigoro Kano, who considered traditional jujitsu too dangerous. Its techniques rely on controlling the opponent's strength, his submission and his projection. Judo trains the body, and also the mind.

A person who practices this art is called a judoka. Judo is always practiced barefoot on a tatami mat, in a dojo, wearing a judogi. The discipline entered the Olympic Games in 1964. At the waist of a judoka, a colored obi (帯, belt) shows the rank (dan):

• Black belt: from 1st dan to 5th dan. Worn by the deshi (disciple) and renshi (external mastery)
• White-red belt: from 6th dan to 9th dan. Worn by the kyoshi and hanshi
• Red belt: the 10th dan, the top level, that of a meijin considered a living treasure
• Broad white belt: the 12th dan, belonging to Jigoro Kano. It was created in memory of the judo master

Karatedo, the way of the free hand

In 1409, the king of the Ryukyu Islands, now Okinawa, banned the use of weapons. To defend themselves from bandits, and under Chinese influence, the islanders developed karate. The skilled karateka uses feet, hands and elbows for offensive and defensive techniques.

Funakoshi Gichin is considered the father of modern karate and the founder of shotokan-ryu, a martial school created in 1922. Other styles came from other schools of the archipelago:

• Wadō ryu, founded by Master Hironori Ōtsuka, teaches dodging techniques
• Shitō ryu, founded by Kenwa Mabuni, teaches a series of kata based on soft punches and kicks

Karate made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games held in 2021. At the waist of a karateka, a colored belt shows the grade, and the order differs from school to school. Generally, it looks like this:

• White belt (9 kyu): the lowest rank of a practitioner
• White belt and a black bar (8 kyu)
• Yellow belt (7 kyu): the second rank
• Orange belt (6 kyu): the third rank
• Green belt (5 kyu): the fourth grade
• Blue belt (4 kyu): the fifth grade
• Red belt: used for competition
• Brown belt (3 kyu): the sixth grade
• Brown belt and a black bar (2 kyu)
• Brown belt and two black bars (1 kyu)
• Black belt (1 dan): the seventh grade, considered superior
• Black belt and a yellow bar (2 dan)
• Black belt and two yellow bars (3 dan up to 10 dan)

Aikido, the way of harmony

Aikido turns an opponent's strength against him. It is not considered a combat sport, but an art aiming at harmony. It was created in Japan in 1920 by Morihei Ueshiba, then officially recognized in 1940.

It is an art of self-defense where the practitioner uses the hands to neutralize an attack. Aikido is physical and mental training at once. It teaches self-control.

Practitioners wear an aikidogi. Over it, higher grades add the black hakama, which is why the silhouette reads so clearly as traditional. Physically, aikido develops flexibility, muscle tone and endurance. Mentally, it improves concentration, self-control and confidence.

Iaido, the art of drawing the sword

Iaido focuses on the use of the katana. Its principle is to draw, strike once and sheathe in a single sequence. It is a discipline built on perfection of movement and on Zen Buddhism.

Nakayama Hakudo codified iaido in 1930, and it spread through many traditional schools. Practicing iaido means performing katas following a precise scenario. They are grouped into four stages:

• Nukitsuke: draw
• Kiri Tsuke: make the first cut
• Chiburi: clean the sword
• Notō: return the sword to its scabbard

Each kata must be in harmony with its user, carrying these values:

• Zanshin: alertness, awareness of one's environment
• Seme: a sense of threat, the ability to react instantly
• Netsuko: a broad visual perception
• Kokoro: the heart

Iaido leans toward art, while iai-jutsu leans toward combat. Neither discipline is part of the Olympics.

Kendo, the way of the sword

Kendo is the oldest and most popular art in the "modern martial arts" category. Kendo is the modern metamorphosis of kenjutsu, the art of killing an opponent with the sword. Today it offers techniques to develop the mind.

It is both an art and a competitive sport followed around the world. This martial art is practiced with a wooden sword (bokken) or a bamboo one (shinai). Its purpose is to strengthen determination and character in the swordsman.

The legendary Miyamoto Musashi founded the two-sword school. Kendo practitioners are called "kenshi", and they train in a dojo. Thanks to the protective helmet, the men, kendo is also practiced by children.

The traditional Japanese martial arts

After the modern era, here are the older arts. They were shaped by feudal warfare, ninja missions and Shinto ritual, and several of them nearly disappeared.

Taijutsu, a martial art for close combat

When people hear "tai-jutsu", they often think of Rock Lee from the manga Naruto. That is indeed close to how taijutsu is represented. These are the fighting techniques of the Japanese ninja, hand-to-hand combat for a shinobi caught unarmed.

The first written records of taijutsu come from the kojiki. It faded along with the ninja, and was rediscovered by Nagao Kenmotsu in the 18th century. He was a samurai and the founder of the Nagao-ryu school.

There are two currents of taijutsu:

• The modern taijutsu of the West, established by Daniel Dubois and Roland Hernaez
• The ancestral taijutsu of the Japanese archipelago, coming from the koryus, the traditional Japanese schools

Its techniques can be summarized in two categories:

• Dakentaijutsu: techniques for blocking and neutralizing an opponent's vital points
• Jutaijutsu: the submission techniques of taijutsu

Ninjutsu, the essence of true Japanese ninja

In feudal Japan, the main mission of the ninja was to gather information through cunning and deception. Staying alive mattered more than winning. Shinobi preferred to escape combat, so ninjutsu relies on dodging and defensive techniques to break away from the enemy.

Masaaki Hatsumi is the last ninja master and founder of the bujinkan-dojo, a school that carries on the ninjutsu tradition. He is the heir of the togakure-ryu, the 18 teachings of ninjutsu. According to Jinichi Kawakami, often called the last living ninja, the art is disappearing with urbanization.

Even in decline, its legend keeps growing through manga such as Naruto. In that work, ninjutsu is a mystical art and ninjas hold magical powers. In reality, ninjutsu is a variation of these techniques:

• Taijutsu, the art of close combat with bare hands
• Kenjutsu, the art of wielding a ninjato, the sword of a Japanese ninja
• Sojutsu, the art of wielding a spear
• Shurikenjutsu, the art of throwing shurikens, as Sasuke and Itachi do in the Naruto anime

The kyudo

Kyudo is the Japanese art of archery. The bows are extremely long and asymmetrical. This design, more than 2000 years old, gives the shot enormous power. The bow is very difficult to handle, which is why the practice is seen as requiring both strength and maturity. Kyudo is generally not taught before the age of 15 in Japan.

The yabusame, the ritual of archery

Yabusame is a religious custom performed to satisfy the Shinto gods. In this tradition, the Japanese archer rides a horse down a track at high speed and shoots arrows that whistle through the air.

Yabusame is not a sport, but a religious practice surrounded by ancient ritual. It is also performed during official ceremonies, such as the visit of a head of state. One demonstration took place during the official visit of US President George Bush.

During Japan's troubled periods, the yabusame archer was chosen among the best fighters. He is dressed in a white Japanese robe, a symbol of divine purity.

The koryu

This is a broad category of Japanese martial arts dating from the Edo era and earlier. Most fell into disuse after Japan opened to the West. Martial arts entered a serious decline after the dissolution of the samurai class.

At that time, they were seen as relics, useless against Western military techniques. Many of Japan's ancient martial arts focused on feudal warfare, and were very different from the athletic disciplines found in Japan today.

The most important things about Japanese martial arts

Martial arts in Japan date back to the time of the samurai, while some myths point to Bodhidharma as their precursor. Sumo, roughly 1500 years old, still fascinates the world with its religious ceremony. Jujitsu, of similar age, is the father of the modern arts.

Some Japanese martial arts are practiced as sports, such as judo, karate and kendo. Others, such as yabusame, remain tied to ancient customs.

Modern Japanese martial arts forge the body and the mind together. Broadly, they transmit both ethical values and martial techniques. Self-control, or self-defense technique? Choose your path and let your sensei guide you.

Many people confuse Japanese, Chinese and Western martial arts. You will not make that mistake now.

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