The Philosophy and Ethics of Ju-Jitsu.

The power to heal or the power to hurt is an ethical question often pondered. This a role often played by the early transmitters of martial arts was that of physician or healer. From early time martial arts have always been synonymous with the skills of healing: “ the hand that takes life also gives it”. It is an important point because without the knowledge of anatomy and physiology, the skills of striking and locking and the vital areas for stabbing and thrusting could not be exploited to their full potential.

The fact that the early martial arts exponent was able both to injure and heal makes him quite distinct from his Western counterparts. The ancient Ju-Jitsu masters studied  katsu and kappo, which were forms of healing and resuscitation, and there is a memorable tale from the early days of Judo in Japan, which illustrates this dual role. In a rough area near the Kodokan (Judo headquarters), many unsuspecting members of the public were being robbed and beaten up. So a number of high-grade Judo exponents decided to hide in the shadows of the dark and narrow roads in this notorious area. Then they sent the weakest looking exponent along the street. Inevitably, when a gang of thugs set about him, all the other exponents joined in the melee. Limbs were dislocated and the thugs fled for their lives. The next day the thugs went to the Kodokan to have their joints set, not knowing that the therapists were also the instigators of their injuries. The Judo exponents had fun restoring their victims to health and inspecting their previous day’s handiwork at the same time.  Any reliable modern Ju-Jitsu school must endeavor to always teach the healing aspects as well as the injuring aspects. To do otherwise would be a huge insult to the long history of ethical integrity that belongs to Ju-Jitsu.

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