Home  Schedule  Judo Basics DVD  Custom Made Judo Rings  Throwing Exercises  North Star Judo  Kubatons For Self Defense  Contact Me What is Street Judo? Street Judo is jujutsu with an emphasis on using the principles of physical judo to gain maximum efficiency through optimum use of one's efforts. Why not call it 'jujutsu' or 'jujitsu'? Today's popularity of Brazilian Jujitsu complicates the understanding of 'jujitsu', and people are often surprised to learn that 'jujitsu' is not a Brazilian word. They also envision it to be the 'ground game' of martial arts. This is true of Brazilian Jujitsu, but not of jujitsu itself. When Jigoro Kano created judo, he created it from a variety of jujutsu styles in which he himself had become highly skilled. He wanted to distinguish his system and its vital philosophies from other jujutsu / jujitsu schools, so he adopted the already existing term, "judo". Judo's original syllabus included joint locks of all types, striking techniques, chokes, grappling controls, and, of course, throwing. Judo is most notable then and now for its throwing techniques. If you were to take all of the content of judo and use it in defensive tactics and to win physical conflicts outside the training hall, you could very easily call it jujitsu. The term Street Judo is simply a reversal of Kano's original endeavors to give his new style a name that better described its intent and create a marketing differentiation. Why not call it Street Jujitsu? The Brazilian confusion still remains. Brazilian Jujitsu proponents also claim a strong self defense capability for their art. Military people are using it as a core of their current personal combat training. In Street Judo, there will be an emphasis on Kano's two judo principles. Maximum efficiency through minimum effort. Mutual benefit and welfare. A fundamental principle of Street Judo is "The person who goes to the ground best wins." Note that sometimes this means only the adversary goes to the ground. Consequently, the application of the elements of judo throws that accomplish this are strongly incorporated. "Practical" is the illusive criteria Confrontations / situations requiring personal defense (and, as deemed necessary, offense) present themselves on varying threat levels. Military combatants, law enforcement, and civilians are more likely to encounter specifically different levels on a "most likely" basis. All events contain a similar sequence of events. Encounter moment Response Controlling initiative Capturing initiative Finalization The degree of severity of response is relative 1. Avoidance by control of physical assault LEADING TO: On-Going control of adversary Escape Detain Dispatch The following premises dictate techniques The briefer the time between onset and completion, the better. Immediate if not sooner is best. The person who goes to the ground (or remains vertical) best, has a massive advantage. The simpler the technique, the better (fewest "parts"). The basic purpose of striking is to set something up or finish something off. If you cannot get hit and you cannot get grabbed, you are in winning mode. "Street" means "outside the school" and not in controlled competition Just as training in a "Competition Judo" session would be different from regular judo training, training for Street Judo is different. The focus is on what happens on asphalt and concrete. What does Street Judo consist of? A simple answer: JUJUTSU Note that this is spelled differently from "jujitsu". Jigoro Kano makes a distinction between these two terms in the book Mind Over Muscle. One need not put too fine a point on it. Let's call it "scientific fighting", consisting of all aspects of personal defense and attack.