WHAT IS JUJITSU?

Jujitsu “joo-jit-sue” (also known as Jujutsu and Jiu-jitsu) is an ancient Japanese martial art which is often described as the mother of all Japanese martial arts as many other systems originated from Jujitsu, e.g. the founder of Judo (Jigoro Kano) was a Jujitsu master who saw the potential for a sport in Jujitsu and came up with Kodokan Judo. Aikido also stemmed from an old Jujitsu school.

Although Jujitsu has older roots, it is most commonly associated with the methods of unarmed combat which the Samurai would use in feudal Japan when they were disarmed in battle. To someone with no experience of Jujitsu it is best described as an “all round” martial art as it has everything that a lot of other arts have and much more – punching, kicking, throws, locks and joint manipulation, chokes, grappling and groundwork are all practiced in the art of Jujitsu.

IS JUJITSU GOOD FOR SELF-DEFENCE?

There are few arts which are as good for practical self-defence as Jujitsu. Many arts will teach a lot of complicated strikes and high kicks which would be impossible to actually use if one was attacked on the street. In Jujitsu, students are taught defences against a wide variety of realistic situations – defence from rear attacks, holds, weapons, punches, kicks, attacks on the ground and many more. Another reason most people find it useful is the fact that size and strength is not a major factor and because of this Jujitsu is commonly taught in self-defence courses to different people, in particular women.

DO YOU TEACH TRADITIONAL JUJITSU, BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU, OR SOME OTHER FORM?

At Shockwave Jujitsu, we grade all of our students in combat Jujitsu. We don’t believe in doing boring Kata’s – we believe in one-on-one training, getting stuck in, and helping you figure what will really work. You want to learn a lot of moves with your own shadow? Go learn ballet!

But what really separates us from the rest is that our instructors have backgrounds in Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing, MMA, and various other fighting styles. We incorporate these into our training to ensure you really get to learn from a variety of perspectives, and not just one narrow selection of techniques that might lose their edge in any given scenario.

DO YOU USE WEAPONS IN JUJITSU?

As students progress to higher grades they will begin to learn a variety of defence techniques against assailants with different weapons, including clubs, knives and even guns.

WILL I GET BEATEN UP?

No! We’re hyperconscious of preventing injuries. Injuries take us out from training, and that’s no good. Plus, bullies and hotheads don’t tend to last more than a session in the few times they’ve graced us lesser beings with their presence. How they fail is an instructive lesson, so don’t be too pleased that we meet them so infrequently! None of us who train are trying to impress each other – or really even ourselves; we’re solely focused on putting in the work so that we’re more readily prepared to protect ourselves and our loved ones when the need arises.

HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO TRAIN?

Ideally, students should train as often as possible so that they get the most benefit out of their training. We realise that this isn’t always possible as a lot of people work late or their shift patterns change, etc, but students should remember that the more you put in, the more you will get out.

In every session we drill the basics, so even if you do miss a session, you’ll never get left behind.

WHAT EXPERIENCE DO I NEED?

No prior experience in martial arts is needed; most people who join our classes have never done a martial art before.

DO I NEED TO BRING SOMEONE TO TRAIN WITH?

There will always be someone in the class who new students can train with, so it is fine for students to come along on their own. You will make many new friends at our Jujitsu classes!

WHAT DO I NEED TO WEAR?

New students should just turn up in loose clothing (a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt). Specialised footwear is not required – indoor trainers are perfectly fine – though over time you may want to purchase some boxing boots along with your own boxing and/or MMA gloves and leg pads. Once you’ve become an established member, you might also want to purchase a Shockwave T-shirt.

WHEN WILL I BE READY FOR MY FIRST BELT?

Based on training every week students should be ready for their first belt in approximately 3 months, although this can vary depending on the students abilities and the effort put in. The time between each belt typically increases as you progress towards higher belts.

WILL PRACTISING JUJITSU MAKE ME FIT?

Although a high level of fitness is not initially important in Jujitsu training a large number of people join as a way of improving their cardiovascular fitness and learning something useful in the process.

IF I HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION CAN I STILL TRAIN?

As long as the instructors are made fully aware of your condition, and both you and the instructors know how much (if at all) it limits your training, then you will be fine. Any medication needed, e.g. inhalers, insulin, etc, should be brought to each training session. In some special cases, a doctors note may be required to show you are fit to train.

WHEN CAN I START?

New students are welcome to start at any time as our classes run all year round. All you have to do is turn up, fill in a short induction form and then have a go.

So, are you ready to get started?

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