Ask me about TJF aka "Jitsu"

**JudoA** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 12:08pm

"Jitsu" - a way of life.

Videos:

YouTube- Introduction to Jiu Jitsu

YouTube- The University of Reading Jitsu Club

YouTube- Jitsu Session 1

I've been waiting to do a thread like this for ages, and I think that it's time more was done about this organisation because to put it bluntly it teaches nothing but crap and I regret all the time, effort and energy I put into it over a course of 5 years instead of doing something better like Judo. Or even just some full on weight training - wouldn't have learned how to fight but I'd least I'd look pretty :)

Before I really start, I just want to say that I am in no way the authority on fighting. TJF was what got me into martial arts, when I quit I did a little bit of BJJ and wrestling, and now I aim to pick up BJJ again because I've been fortunate to find a club near me.

But I think after seeing the differences in the short amount of time I did BJJ and wrestling for, I think I'm qualified to say TJF sucks and that's why I'm posting this thread. Also think of it as a passive-aggressive way of getting revenge for all the time I wasted with them and the injuries I acquired doing their shitty breakfalling.

Why is "Jitsu" crap?

No aliveness in training. Heavy reliance on compliance (poetry!). Weapons training that's meant to work - do you really think you could fight two people with the methods in the video above? How about two attackers with bottles? Big chunky sticks? How about fucking knives. Also the usual teh deadly eyepokes.

The training is heavily reliant on throws and locks, mainly throws. You'd probably be expected to do at least half a session on throws.

And what did a 3rd dan once say in a lesson?
"If you get in a fight, don't rely on your joint locks or throws. It will be your strikes that end a fight. Use your elbows."
I didn't really know what to say to this, was all the training pointless then? SPOILER ALERT:

Spoiler:

Other problems with "Jitsu"

So you're a young eager purple belt in BJJ and you want people to roll with. Your purple belt is a symbol of your skill, I've rolled with purple belts and they're tough. I never win :D Best course of action: Start a BJJ club of course! Now you just need a number of people ideally quite young (about 18+) people to roll with. Universities should be the first place you go, right?

No.

You see, the bureaucratic way universities are run means that if there is a TJF club there, then there is already a "Jitsu" club and you won't be able to set up a club. They don't seem to differentiate between styles, though some places they make exceptions for karate. Oh, and chances are there is a TJF club there because they're everywhere.

They train people like in those videos. Apparently around green belt you should be able to look after yourself. Despite being a light blue belt I was unable to throw someone in Judo using my best throw. I could not look after myself.

So not only do they teach bad things, the way university systems work means that BJJ clubs can't be set up to teach good things.

So feel free Bullshido, to ask me questions because it's been a while since there has been a TJF thread.

**Chili Pepper** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 3:27pm

ugh, the video where people come running up, swinging weapons. I already know the answer, but why, oh why, do they always swing 'em as if they're aiming at someone standing behind the person defending?

**JudoA** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 3:44pm

Originally Posted by Chili Pepper

ugh, the video where people come running up, swinging weapons. I already know the answer, but why, oh why, do they always swing 'em as if they're aiming at someone standing behind the person defending?

They're too nice. And if you hit an instructor with a stick they can accuse you of "not attacking them properly".

Funny thing was knife attacks which were normally as wide as the stick attacks. The knife was probably the only weapon I ever used properly, I used to pretty much always get someone with my forward slash because I was aiming for the person. Used to annoy a lot of higher grades doing this. Of course, they took it out on my wrists :(

**ironhill** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 4:13pm

These frigging clubs are everywhere in Edinburgh. I always wondered why they dropped the Ju part? Anti-Semitism?

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 4:35pm

Yeah, TJF are pretty loltastic. They have this awesome poster though of this chick in a hakama with an absolutely serene look on her face as she throws some dude with a baseball bat. It's badass.

EDIT: It's this photo, only bigger.

**JudoA** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 4:36pm

Originally Posted by ironhill

These frigging clubs are everywhere in Edinburgh. I always wondered why they dropped the Ju part? Anti-Semitism?

Edinburgh produced a lot of brown belts at roughly the same time, and most wanted to be black belts. As the only way to become a black belt is to have your own club for a minimum of 2 years, they all opened clubs. Hence they're everywhere.

I never understood why they adopted an Orange style logo with just "Jitsu" on it, I preferred the two little dudes throwing each other.

**JudoA** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 4:55pm

Originally Posted by CrackFox

Yeah, TJF are pretty loltastic. They have this awesome poster though of this chick in a hakama with an absolutely serene look on her face as she throws some dude with a baseball bat. It's badass.

EDIT: It's this photo, only bigger.

To be honest if anyone attacks you with a baseball bat the way a Jitsu person does you don't need a martial art. Same goes for being attacked with a sword. Pointless, impractical, argh why did I do this for so long.

It was the initial description on a TJF website that got me hooked, a martial art that has been adapted for use against modern weapons like broken bottles, chains and baseball bats? Sounds good, doesn't it?

The defense against a chain works if the person attacking you let's you throw them. There are two defenses, two different throws, use the one the attacker isn't expecting and get an awkward scuffle followed by "Use the other throw, duh!" "Ok attack me again."

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 5:01pm

Originally Posted by JudoA

It was the initial description on a TJF website that got me hooked, a martial art that has been adapted for use against modern weapons like broken bottles, chains and baseball bats? Sounds good, doesn't it?

Hey a few years back, when I did kick-boxing and I still thought that all martial arts must be in some way legitimate (otherwise why would anyone bother with them) I listened to a blurb from some guy in TJF at my universities sports club recruitment day. It sounded so awesome, and it was only down to a timetable clash that I didn't join. This fucking close.

**CoffeeFan** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 5:21pm

Let me ask you, did they have any randori or free grappling at all? I honestly don't have a problem with traditional jiu jitsu as long as they are clear up front what what they are teaching and have SOME resistance training.

**JudoA** · Posted On: 8/13/2010 5:32pm

Originally Posted by CrackFox

Hey a few years back, when I did kick-boxing and I still thought that all martial arts must be in some way legitimate (otherwise why would anyone bother with them) I listened to a blurb from some guy in TJF at my universities sports club recruitment day. It sounded so awesome, and it was only down to a timetable clash that I didn't join. This fucking close.

Woah, you were very lucky! On the other hand you would have become an expert at throwing yourself all over the place.

Originally Posted by CoffeeFan

Let me ask you, did they have any randori or free grappling at all? I honestly don't have a problem with traditional jiu jitsu as long as they are clear up front what what they are teaching and have SOME resistance training.

"We progressively bring in resistance at higher levels" - TJF

Sadly, just not true. They do randori for the Judo nationals, which as the name shows, is just a judo competition. The randori will normally be done a couple of weeks before the judo nationals, and pretty much no other time. If you want to be good at judo, do judo! But if you want to win a street fight teh deadly...

Over the years more and more people took up judo to win the judo nationals. Which was more helpful than any of the jitsu taught. You might also be told that the whole thing is "just a bit of fun", but the amount of times I've overheard people saying how they were "psyching their opponent's out" the night before and **** is just terrible. It's not even that respectable of a competition to be honest. It's supposedly all about the drinking anyway :D

When practicing randori you can really annoy higher grades if you look so much like you're beating them, I managed to piss a brown belt *right* off when I beat him with some crappy lock I kinda made up on the spot (which had pretty much nothing to do with any of the jitsu I'd learned). Contrast with say, a BJJ club, or at least the one I used to train at, where even if I got stomped (and I did, trust me) I'd learn something, be given some constructive criticism, regardless of who the person I was rolling with was. I like BJJ :)