What is Jiu-jitsu?
1.
Literally translate to "Gentle Arts" in Japanese. In theory created more than 2000 years before Christ in India, by a monk who did not have a weapon to defeat themselves from barbarian attacks. The influences spread to China and eventually had taken root to Japan. The arts were elaborated and used in the Samurai Era to be the first martial arts ever known in Japan. This traditional arts involved in striking, throwing, or grappling. Hence the disciple of karate, judo, and aikido.
Arguably the most influential person in history of jiu-jitsu is Mitsuyo "Esai" Maeda
2.
A form of martial arts, one of several that a guy I know says he can do but I highly doubt it."
"I'll whoop your azz with my tai-kwan-do and jiu-jitsu! And karate! And Pro-Am boxing!"
3.
Mostly a name for modern practical self-defense systems, which are founded after WWII in western countries as a combination of Judo, Karate and Aikido, specialized to use it against modern day attacks. Synonymous words like Jujitsu, Ju-Jitsu or Ju-Jutsu are widely used.
Also name of a combination of western boxing and wrestling with self-defense "tricks", brought from Japan to Europe and the US around 1900 to 1920. In later years often practiced as a companion to judo or as "judo self-defense" until the modern systems were founded. This Jiu-Jitsu often was presented in film, e.g. in the Mr. Moto movies (starring Peter Lorre).
Self-defense arts called Jiu-Jitsu should not be mistaken with ancient Japanese Jujutsu styles, which are traditional, classical bujutsu (martial skills) of the Japanese warriors (samurai) and are in fact koryu (ancient budo). They have not much in common with the Jiu-Jitsu we know.
See
