Taijutsu

The Taijutsu (体術) which one also finds under name " Taijitsu ", " Tai-jitsu " or " Tai Jitsu ", etc, is a Japanese martial art of origin. It is about an old generic name to the methods of combat with naked hands (formerly called Koshi No mawari) from which the concept of Jujutsu left (Technique of the Flexibility). Taijutsu, just like Jujutsu, were often associated with Yawara.

The Taijutsu term

The Taijutsu term is composed of 2 Kanji. According to the method of romanisation of Japanese the most spread, the Method Hepburn, these kanji should be defined as follows:

体 " Tai " : body;
術 " Jutsu " : art, means, technique;

The Taijutsu thus results in " the art of the body " or " technique of body ".

Unfortunately, " is rather often found; The art of the corps" written in an erroneous way, that is to say: " Taijitsu " or " Tai-jitsu ". This error is often with a bad pronunciation of Japanese by the Westerners. It is even made by large high experts graded in these same arts of engagements, which does not remove of anything, to the competence of these experts. Always according to the Hepburn method, the translation of " Taijitsu " would be defined as follows:

体 " Tai " : body;
実 " Jitsu " : truth, reality, sincerity;

It is noticed here that the writing of the kanji " Jutsu" (術) is very different from the writing of the kanji " Jitsu" (実). The Taijitsu would thus be translated in the following way: " the truth of the body " , " the reality of the body " or " the sincerity of the body ". What is very far from the method of combat which is the " Taijutsu ". Confusion and the bad pronunciation between " Jutsu" and " Jitsu" , goes back to the first exchanges of the Westerners with the Japaneses towards the end of XIX^e century. For all kinds of reasons, often political, correction with the romanisation brought forever. On the other hand, all use the goods kanji with the Japanese writing of the Taijutsu .

Another characteristic is to be noted about the Hepburn method: it does not use a " features of unions" (-), nor of space, to bind two particles spelling-books or two kanji of same words. We write " thus; Karate " and not " Karate " or " Kara t-piece " , " Judo " and not " Judo " or " Ju C " just as we write " Taijutsu " and not " Tai-jutsu " or " Tai jutsu ".

Techniques

The techniques are divided mainly into two great groups:

Dakentaijutsu : techniques containing blockings (Uke waza) and of blows struck (Atemi waza) the points vital of the human body, osseous (Koppojutsu), muscular (Koshijutsu) or interns (Kyusho).
Jutaijutsu : techniques of Projections (Stroke waza), of seizures, escape, key and Luxations (Katame waza).

Taijutsu and Jujutsu are two names currently being employed indifferently to cover the systems of combat without weapons.

Currents

Currently, several currents of Taijutsu exist:

1) Taijutsu: in France, affiliated at the F.F.K.D.A - French federation of Karate and Associated Disciplines, in the past F.F.K.A.M.A). This affiliation with the federation of karate was accompanied by a modification by the technical corpus by the " Tai-jitsu ", directing it more worms of the coil defense by integrating a greater number of techniques resulting from karate. This style is also sometimes called Karaté Jutsu.

2) " ''Nihon Tai-Jitsu''": style of the Master Roland Hernaez 9^e daN (cofounder of the " Tai-Jitsu " modern in France with beginning of the year 70), this style is also affiliated at the F.F.K.D.A

3) " Tai-Jitsu C " : style rested by Daniel Dubois 7^e daN (cofounder of the " Tai-Jitsu " modern in France with beginning of the year 70), this discipline is affiliated at the F.E.K.A.M.T (European Federation of Karate and Martial arts Traditional). The " Tai-Jitsu C " intends to find the spirit original of Article

4) In Switzerland, the leader of the " tai-jitsu " is Mr. Jean-Pierre Clément. Formed in particular at the basic school of the judo, the " tai-jitsu " of Daniel Dubois and seikido of Maxime Mazaltarim, it founds at the end of the years '80 its school of " tai-jitsu " /" seiki-jitsu " on the edges of the lake Léman. As of the years '90, he will teach in Moudon (VD). Currently reached in his health, Mr. Clément passes the torch to Mr. Alexandre Boulgak, one of his more former student.

5) There exists a section of Taijutsu to Motobu Ryu. Created in 1961 by Seikichi Uehara 10^e daN in the honor of Choyu Motobu and its family. Taijutsu of Karate Motobu Ryu, was a secret method of combat jealously kept by the Royal family of the Islands Ryukyu, the " Motobu". It was a method included in a style of Ryukyu Kenpo, known today under the name of Motobu Ryu. It is a style of very complete combat which carries part of its teaching on Taijutsu, and is also supplemented by a technical program of Kobujutsu (handling of weapons) like Bo, Tanto, Sai, Kama, Yari, Nunchaku, etc

6) Taijutsu is also the principal method of combat with naked hands which one finds in the Ninjutsu (Ninpo). The following schools teach this method of combat: Bujinkan de Masaaki Hatsumi, Genbukan de Shoto Tanemura and Jinenkan Unsui Manaka. Taijutsu taught in these schools is subdivided between Dakentaijutsu (including/understanding Kosshijutsu and Koppojutsu) and Jutaijutsu (very similar to Jujutsu). Since these schools teach Taijutsu with the typically Japanese roots, it is not false to refer there as Nihon Taijutsu (Taijutsu Japanese), but it is found more souvant under generic name of " Ninpo Taijutsu". These is probably the schools which preserve the oldest roots of Taijutsu still taught today.

Fund

For the neophyte, one can compare the taijutsu or " tai-jitsu " with an original form of jujutsu. It is however difficult to define this very open and evolutionary martial art precisely. Indeed, Japanese coil-defense par excellence, these techniques were let influence with the passing of years by its practitioners and there really does not exist of technical booklet or methodology.

The " tai-jitsu " practiced in France is distinguished from that worked in Switzerland, for example: in Switzerland, there do not exist competitions and the " tai-jitsu " is practiced without rules, following the example techniques of street battle like the krav-maga. In addition, in Switzerland always, there is no recognized Swiss federation.

It is very important to differentiate the " taijutsu" " taihojutsu". They are two martial arts completely different one from the other and not resting, neither on the same bases, nor on the same origins. The Taihojutsu is methods of intervention created for the specific needs of the Japanese police force and the kidotai.

See too

Budo
Jujutsu
Sambo
Sogobudo
Nihon Taijutsu
Ninjutsu
Taihojutsu

External bonds

History of Taijutsu
Club of Sarlat (24)
The seikido.com site
The site of tai-jitsu.net: techniques, Katas, vidéos…
Karate Tai Jitsu Club of Leers (59)

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