We teach self-defense. What does that entail?

Jujitsu (The usual American spelling, is sometimes spelled Jiu-jitsu as the standard British transliteration, but technically it should be spelled Ju-jutsu) is a martial art of Japanese origin, part of the ancient Samurai tradition. There are woodcuts of Jujitsu dating as far back as ~2,000 years, and written records as far back as the 8th Century. Jujitsu is functionally a superset of Judo [throws, pins & mat-work], Aikido [avoidance of confrontation through mind-control, leverage, redirected-momentum, pressure points & joint locks] and Karate [direct assault through strikes & kicks], which evolved from it. It is an extremely effective self-defense system, and is similar to Korean Hapkido. Classical Jujitsu also includes training in non-blade (for example, traditional Okinawan) weapons such as Jutte (and its evolutionary daughters the Taibo and the modern police ASP baton), Jo- and Bo-Staff, Kubotan, Shuriken, Manriki-Gusari, Sai, Tonfa, etc. It is the oldest Martial Art, evolved and preserved by several Japanese clans for nearly 2,000 years, from which Karate (1860), Judo (1880), and Aikido (1930) evolved. These all were spun off from Jujitsu as art-forms, where the dangerous aspects of practicing them with partners at full speed have been largely removed. We teach Full-Spectrum Jujitsu. This retains numerous powerful and dangerous techniques no longer seen in these evolved arts; for this reason, most reputable Sensei teach it in the framework of a purely self-defense art. Also, STRINGENT safety protocols are integral to our training.  

Wynn Sensei holds a 2nd-Degree Blackbelt equivalent in Combat Sombo, Rokudan (6th degree) rank in Taiho-Jutsu, the police arresting art (see below), and Hachidan (8th degree) rank in Japanese Jujitsu, and Shihan (Master Teacher), awarded by the Board of Directors of the American Jujitsu Association in 2023.

Click here to see a comparison chart of jujitsu and the other arts.

Taiho-Jutsu is the formal Japanese Police version of traditional Jujitsu. It is sort of Jujitsu on steroids. During the Edo period in Japan (1603 AD until 1868 AD), Japanese police officers trained in self-defense and arresting techniques based on the unarmed fighting styles of jujitsu. They also developed and perfected the use of a variety of non-lethal weapons for capturing and restraining suspects.  Think of a drunk Samurai wandering the streets, or invading palaces, while swinging his Katana at passersby (a wooden ladder is a perhaps surprising solution). Many traditional Japanese martial arts schools once included elements of Taiho-Jutsu (arresting arts), although most have since been lost to history. A number of Taiho-Jutsu techniques have survived, though, and are still taught and practiced in their original forms by specialists in Jujutsu as well as Kenjutsu and Iaido (swordsmanship).  Some Taiho-Jutsu techniques have been adapted and modified for more contemporary law enforcement applications. Based on martial art styles from the Japanese feudal era, modern elements of Taiho-Jutsu are an essential part of training programs for many police agencies today. Law enforcement officers in countries around the world often rely on modern Taiho-Jutsu to safely arrest and detain suspects.  Wynn Sensei holds a Rokudan (6th Dan) black belt in Taiho-Jutsu and teaches it to the advanced students of the VISD.  

Goshin-Ryu (the Kanji characters in the upper left side of our school emblem) is an origin style of JuJitsu that we derive some of our training from: the root words reflect its origin (“body-defense style”: literally, self-defense). This technique tool-kit will allow you to have absolute, non-injurious control over your attacker[s] in a wide variety of situations, including those involving weapons. All techniques are taught for self-defense situations with a partner; there are no katas or “forms” practice in which you are dealing with an imaginary enemy – it’s very much hands-on practical learning. As you progress you learn the subtle intricacies of the art – leverage, physiology, psychology of unbalancing an opponent, and nerve-network peculiarities – and why techniques work as astonishingly well as they do. You will learn how a woman weighing 115 lbs can control a man weighing 215 lbs (you’d be amazed what an inner-thigh pinch can do ;-). You will come to understand how to apply leverage against strength; Ki against disorder; counter-intuitive disruptive behavior against linear confrontation; experience, surprise, and flexibility against aggression to unravel your attacker and unbalance him: to achieve Kuzushi.  Learning is truly open-ended: students at the black belt level learn new techniques and new subtleties all the time – the learning-curve doesn’t flatten out much. Not only will you acquire technical expertise but you will also develop a sound theoretical and philosophical background in the art – a new way to think. You will also gain a firm foundation in legal issues of self-defense, subtleties (like “court-speak”) necessary for defending yourself in our highly litigious society. Finally, you will learn the joint and movement dynamics, the kinetic inter-plays, and the wiring of the human body – and learn to “play the human piano” when you need to.

With all of this comes a steadily increasing degree of confidence – and inner tranquility.