Japanese Samurai did not use Judo but rather an early form of jujitsu. In fact, modern day martial arts styles like Judo, BJJ, Iaido and Aikido can all trace their roots back to these ancient Samurai combat techniques.

What did the Japanese Samurai use to defend themselves?

Well, they used swords, duh! All kidding aside, Samurai actually invented a martial art of their own. And believe it or not, it’s a not-so-distant relative of judo! This discipline was called jiu-jitsu, which, roughly translated into English means “the gentle art”. Which is probably ironic, because it is rougher than you could possibly believe.

Japanese Jiu-jitsu is a martial art designed to serve the Samurai on the battlefield. Especially during hand-to-hand combat, when their katanas were no longer available. Even though it’s not really talked about, katanas often broke or were lost during a scramble, leaving Samurai to either use a back-up sword or their own fists to defend themselves.

Jiu-jitsu is a martial art that doesn’t rely on kicks and punches. It’s all about grappling - throws and joint-locks. You might think this wouldn’t put anyone away - especially if they are fighting to the death. But a well-executed throw can actually kill you if you are wearing heavy armor. A joint-lock, such as an armbar or a shoulder-lock, does not kill you but renders you unable to continue fighting for good.

That’s what made jiu-jitsu so effective on the ancient Japanese battlefield - so, don’t try it at home, friend!

When and why was judo created?

Judo was created during the late 19th century. It was way after Samurai ceased to exist. But even though the Samurai way of living was outlawed, a lot of people continued to practice jiu-jitsu, as a way to keep traditions alive. But here’s the thing: jiu-jitsu was created to kill your opponent. It was not a friendly martial art - and it wasn’t something most Japanese men wanted to practice, because it was considered barbaric.

Japanese rejection of jiu-jitsu and their need to keep traditions alive set the stage for something amazing to happen - and that’s judo. During the second part of the 19th century, a truly remarkable man called Jigoro Kano thought jiu-jitsu needed a second chance - because, don’t we all?

By removing the most lethal throws and the life-threatening locks, Mr. Kano designed a new martial art. One that was safe to practice and, most importantly, was not looked down upon as jiu-jitsu was. That’s how judo was born.

And there’s a funny anecdote in all of this. Even though judo was less lethal than its distant relative, judo practitioners defeated most jiu-jitsu practitioners in sanctioned battles. After that, jiu-jitsu became a part of Japanese history, and judo became the new national sport.

What’s the purpose of judo?

Jigoro Kano designed judo as a way to simulate ancient Japanese combat. Even though heavy armor is no longer used, this modern martial art heavily relies on throws and joint-locks. In a judo match, whoever throws its opponent with a clean throw, wins. Sounds easy, right? But you know, you have to try to throw someone who is actively trying to throw you!

By removing its most lethal aspects, Kano managed to create both a martial art and a sport anyone can practice. It has the discipline aspects of most martial arts and the competitive non-deadly characteristics of a sport. Kano, an educator, conceived judo not only as a sport but as a way to teach character to the Japanese youth.

Because of its positive elements, judo was included in the Olympics a few decades after its creation - something Japanese jiu-jitsu would’ve never managed to accomplish. And, truth be told, it’s better that way, isn’t it? My guess is nobody would practice a sport if you might die after the match - especially if you have to wear heavy, uncomfortable armor, no matter how cool it looks.

Is jiu-jitsu still practiced today?

Yes, but not in the way you think! Back in the early judo days, Jigoro Kano sent his best students out to travel the world and teach judo to anyone who would want to learn it. A Japanese fighter called Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil during the first part of the 20th century and taught it to several people. That’s how Brazilian jiu-jitsu began.

Oh, by the way, in its early days (when Maeda traveled to Brazil), judo was called Kano’s jiu-jitsu, that’s why Brazilian jiu-jitsu isn’t called Brazilian judo!

If you ask me, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the modern’s man Japanese jiu-jitsu. It was designed in a similar way to traditional jiu-jitsu. People actually went out to the street and brawled their way into creating a new martial art, far different from judo. They took what Maeda taught and shaped it to better fit the gritty reality of Brazilian streets. Brazilians, quite literally, punched their way into a new martial art!

So, long story short, judo wasn’t used by Samurai and jiu-jitsu is still practiced today. But it’s not the same jiu-jitsu the Samurai used.

If you want to, you can either learn the Olympic sports variant called judo or the martial art combat-variant called Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I’ve done both, and truth be told, they are both really fun.

If you want to be a complete warrior, you should dedicate your time to learn both - that’s what a true Samurai would’ve done!

There are many ins and outs in mastering small circle jiu-jitsu. Small circle jiu-jitsu has many principles that-when learned-will make you a better fighter. So what are the 10 principles?  If you're eager to learn what they are, stay with me..

Balance

Balance is a principle that is important not only to small circle jiu-jitsu but to other martial arts as well. In a simple sense, balance is about standing your ground. Balance is important in small circle jiu-jitsu because it enables you to go back to your original position or transition from one stance to another after attempting an attack.

In small scale jiu-jitsu, one way to practice balance is to maintain good posture when executing kicks, punches, etc. Learn to have a good sense of balance and you will harness the maximum power available when defending or attacking. With good balance, you'll be able to deliver more powerful blows and evade or defend against attacks directed at you.

In contrast, it will be handy if you know ways to render your opponent off balance. You can do this by tripping his feet using kicks, foot locks, or making him dizzy. When you're opponent is off-balance, it will be easier for you to find openings and dominate the match completely.

Avoiding Head-On Collision Forces

In small circle jiu-jitsu, it is important that you learn how to avoid your opponent's attacks effectively. Avoiding attacks will help you prevent critical damage while fighting. It also gives you the opportunity to launch a counter-attack if you're opponent is not very agile or mobile. In small circle jiu-jitsu, this is practiced by avoiding head-on collision force.

So how do you avoid head-on collision force? You can do this by deflecting, blending, evading or redirecting. Deflecting attacks means that you move the force of the attack away from you. Blending, on the other hand, means that you incorporate the force of the incoming attack in your body. Evading means that you render the incoming attack useless by not letting it contact you physically. Lastly, redirecting means you guide the force of the incoming attack toward another location or target

Additionally, you need to remember that avoiding head-on collision force is done differently in small circle jiu-jitsu compared to other martial arts. In small circle jiu-jitsu, you do not avoid by pivoting in towards your opponent. You should move away from him instead. Masters recommend that you do this by doing a 45 or 90 degrees movement going to the right or left.

Mental Resistance and Distraction

"A martial artist has more than physical aspects", says Claire Bouchard on a TEDx talk given at Columbia University in New York City in November 2012. This is one statement that small circle jiu-jitsu agrees without any arguments. Fighting is more than just brawns, it should also include brains- small circle jiu-jitsu recognizes this.

Every human being has the ability to resist pain. Scientists call this pain tolerance. Various people have different degrees of pain tolerance. You may control the pain you're feeling using the right exercises. For example, when an opponent has managed to give you a wristlock, stop resisting and relax your mind instead. Think about the point where the pain is felt and picture the agonizing sensation starting to disappear.

After doing this, you'll be surprised that you feel lighter and lesser pain is felt. This might be hard to do at first, but keep practicing and you'll see that it really works.

Distraction, on the other hand, plays a vital role when launching an offense or counter-attack. Distract your opponent by using feints or attacking the weak areas of his body. Doing this successfully will enable you to escape from a lock, find an opening or deal greater damage to your opponent. 

Focusing on The Smallest Point Possible

It is important that you attack by focusing on the smallest point possible. You can do this by having precision and clear intent to lethally damage your opponent when doing chokeholds, locks, punches, kicks, etc. Quickly assess which part of your opponent's body is weakest. After you know which is which, attack without holding back and let it land without fail on your intended target.

By focusing the smallest point possible, the force of your attack will have lesser spread and will deal more damage to your opponent. Trust me, attacks that don't have focus and precision are ineffective and are a waste of stamina.

Energy Transfer

Energy transfer means applying force from one area to the next. Personally, Learn to place your attacks on different parts of your opponent's body to follow or observe the principle of energy transfer. Punching or kicking your opponent in the head or abdomen and then following it with a joint lock is a good example of energy transfer. Doing a counterattack after evading or blending the attack of your opponent is another example.

Energy transfer is useful for finding openings, rendering your opponent defenseless, and dominating the fight completely. Always attempt to hit various parts of your opponent's body with focus and precision for you to do this.

Creating A Base

Sometimes, your opponent will manage to lock your wrist, legs, arms, etc. During these situations, you wouldn't want your opponent to dominate you completely and restrict your movements. This is where the principle of creating a base becomes useful. It will help you recover from being locked or held by your opponent.

The purpose of creating a base is to prevent your opponent from executing further techniques while he has you locked. A base is anything that can provide you support while you're trying to break free from him. Table, floor, mat, and even your body can be used as a base.

Control and Sensitivity

Evading and attacking is useless if you don't have control and sensitivity. Control means that you stick to your opponent. Follow your opponent wherever he goes inside the mat and always be alert of his actions. By doing this you'll be able to land kicks, punches. locks, and holds one after another. Your control depends on focus and mobility. After all, how will you keep up with your opponent if you're distracted and is slower than him?

Sensitivity, on the other hand, means that you learn to predict the movements of your opponent. It relies on your reflexes and instinct. It is easier for you to execute spur-of-the-moment attacks and evade if your instincts and reflexes are sharp. Sensitivity ensures that you will not be caught off-guard when fighting. Also, sensitivity helps you to keep up with your opponent's movements.

Transitional Flow

Transitional flow is all about the smoothness of the execution of one attack to another. You can think of it as the efficiency of the combination of various attacks available in small circle jiu-jitsu. Transitional flow makes it possible for you to efficiently use punches, kicks, holds, and locks in perfect combination with one another.

In practice, there are existing combinations that masters teach to their students. For example, after evading an attack and finding an opening, it is best that a punch or lock follows this movement. After breaking free from a lock, it's recommended to move away from the opponent to recover balance or launch a counter-attack. Joint locks can also be used one after another to incapacitate opponents.

Wrapping It Up: Are the 10 Principles Equally Important?

An absolute "yes" is my answer to this question. The 10 principles discussed here make the foundation of successful training in small circle jiu-jitsu. Without these principles, it is just a plain martial art with no significant difference with other fighting styles. To put it simply, these 10 principles make small scale jiu-jitsu unique and each of these works hand in hand with one another.

Learn these 1o principles beforehand and small scale jiu-jitsu training will be easier to understand. They will give you the fundamental knowledge that will help you grasp techniques on small scale jiu-jitsu. Learn them and fight like a grandmaster!