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Authors: Wim Boersma and Mario den Edel Published by Elmar ISBN: 9038903545 Price: around 20 euros This is the standard book on jiu-jitsu in the Netherlands. |
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It says: udo-renmei-o literally: judo association o The last 'o' means 'oranda' or the Japanese name for Holland. (Japanese people like abbrevations). So: Judo Federation Netherlands |
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Our logo created by Walter! |
Take good care of injuries. Take you time to recover. Do not wait too long with getting professional help. Physiotherapy can offer a lot of help when recovering from injuries. Consult your GP before going to physiotherapy. We have excellent experiences with Sport Physiotherapy Erik van Putten. This is a physiotherapist that is associated with the Leiden University Sports Centre. Several Jiu Jitsuka have been successfully treated here!
How can Jiu Jitsu (Japanese pronunciation: ju-jitsu) be defined? Jiu Jitsu is generally translated as the 'soft art'(ju or jiu = soft, compliant; jitsu = art, skill). Although Jiu Jitsu doesn't come across as particularly soft when you observe a training or demonstration, there is a great deal of truth in this translation. A Jiu Jitsuka (practitioner of Jiu Jitsu) will want to go along with the movement of the attacker. A karateka, for example, will generally block an attack and counter. This is a rather hard type of defence. Jiu Jitsu focuses on using the energy of your opponent. If, for example, you are pushed then you can use the forward energy that is exerted on you to execute a hip throw that floors your attacker. Instead of blocking the movement of your attacker you follow that movement so you can control the situation with a throw, a lock or atemi (punches or kicks).
An all encompassing description of Jiu Jitsu is hard to define. Although Jiu Jitsu is mainly focussed on self defence, there are aspects that can be used for offensive purposes as well. The second dan exam, for example, requires you to show take-overs, where an attacker wins. Sometimes offence is the best defence (e.g. when defending against multiple attackers). Although we usually work unarmed, we also have to be able to defend ourselves against armed attackers (for example, a stick or knife). It's also smart to know how to work with these weapons. After all, you can use the stick that you just obtained after disarming one attacker against the others. Serge Mol gives a good description of traditional Jiu Jitsu in his book 'Classical fighting arts of Japan':
Yet sports competition is also an important part of modern day Jiu Jitsu. Traditionalists may object that competition-Jiu Jitsu is restrictive as the most dangerous (and often the most effective) techniques are prohibited in matches. Although that may be true, there is also a lot to be said for competitions. Success in sports often generates a lot of positive publicity which ensures that Jiu Jitsu's popularity increases.
Jiu Jitsu is one of the oldest martial arts still practised today. Jiu Jitsu was practised by the samurai class in the Japanese Middle Ages. The samurai can roughly be compared to knights who served a Japanese noble man (shogun). Their main purpose was to protect their lord and to fight wars for him the battlefield. This is why Jiu Jitsu is called a martial art. The samurai's main weapon was his sword (katana). But, if a samurai was disarmed in battle, he had no choice but to fight on. This is why Jiu Jitsu was developed and why defence against sword attacks is a major part of traditional Jiu Jitsu.
When modern-day warfare and fire arms were introduced in Japan the samurai became superfluous. A number of unemployed samurai started teaching martial arts to earn a living. This is how Jiu Jitsu was spread among civilians and how it also came to be used for police purposes. In the twentieth century Jiu Jitsu spread to Western countries. Now Jiu Jitsu is practised for a variety of reasons:
Like many popular Japanese martial arts the level of the practitioner of Jiu Jitsu is
indicated by the colour of the obi (belt). Everything below black belt is called a
kyu-degree. These coloured belts are usually graded by your own teacher.
Black belt and above are called dan-degrees. These exams are usually graded by three
or more teachers from outside your club (joseiki - jury). A lower number for a kyu-degree
means a higher level. With dan-degrees it's the other way around. In our style of
Jiu Jitsu the following ranks apply:
| Grade | Belt colour | Remarks |
| 6th kyu | white | beginner |
| 5th kyu | yellow | |
| 4th kyu | orange | |
| 3rd kyu | green | semi advanced |
| 2nd kyu | blue | |
| 1st kyu | brown | |
| 1st dan | black | exam on regional level |
| 2nd dan | black with two stripes | exam on regional level |
| 3rd dan | black with three stripes | exam on regional level |
| 4th dan | black with four stripes | exam on national level |
| 5th dan | black with five stripes | exam on national level |
| 6th dan | Red-white chequered belt/black with six stripes | earned on merits |
| 7th dan | Red-white chequered belt/black with seven stripes | earned on merits |
| 8th dan | Red-white chequered belt/black with eight stripes | earned on merits |
| 9th dan | red belt/black with nine stripes | earned on merits |
| 10th dan | red belt/black with ten stripes | earned on merits |
The highest graded person in the Netherlands was Wim Boersma (9th dan). Together with the only Dutch 8th dan, Mario den Edel, he developed the E-Bo-No-Kata (the kata of 'den Edel and ´Boersma´. This form consists of four series of five techniques and it´s a requirement for the Dutch black belt exam (and all further exams).
2. Forms of competition
Our style of Jiu Jitsu is associated with the Dutch Judo Federation (JBN). Judo is a well-known Olympic sport. Jiu Jitsu, on the other hand, is relatively unknown as a sport. Jiu Jitsu hasn't always been practised as a sport because many potentially lethal techniques could decimate the field of competitors. But thanks to the desire to find a competitive sports format and with a limited arsenal of Jiu Jitsu techniques two types of competition have been developed: Fighting System and Duo System.
Fighting System is a match between two Jiu Jitsukas which consists of three parts. The first part can be compared to a karate match where the competitors use kicks and punches. The second part is similar to a judo match where points can be scored by throwing an opponent on the ground (tachi-waza). The third part is a form of judo on the ground (ne-waza). You can score points with a hold, a strangulation or a lock. The winner of this type of competition is the one who scores a full ippon (one full point in every part of the match).
Duo System is a demonstration form where you and your partner execute a defensive technique of your own choice against prescribed attacks form the E-Bo-No-Kata. The entire technique is judged by a jury of five on a scale of one to ten. The highest and lowest points do not count for the total score. You and your partner compete against another couple. The couple that has the highest score at then end of the match wins, of course.