Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art [Paperback]

George Kirby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1983

Some of the basic history, theory, and philosophy of jujitsu, along with an explanation of ki and how it's used is explained in this book. It outlines the circle theory, the use of ki as an essential element, the basic mechanics of jujitsu, how techniques should be practiced and executed, what attitude should be maintained, and how theory should be applied to the learning of techniques. It's true of jujitsu that what appears to be simple on the surface becomes more complex as one probes deeper. As one's knowledge increases, the serious student will find more than meets the casual eye.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Kirby is a jujitsu pioneer and an internationally recognized martial arts instructor. He holds a 10th-degree black belt in jujitsu and has been teaching the art for more than 40 years. He is the author of Advanced Jujitsu, Jujitsu Figure-4 Locks, and Jujitsu Nerve Techniques. He lives in Santa Clarita, California.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Black Belt Communications (April 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897500881
• ISBN-13: 978-0897500883
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction to Stand-up Jujitsu, May 23, 2002

By 

"randmeister" (Chillicothe, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art (Paperback)

This book does not teach Brazilian jujitsu. Understand that from the start. What it does teach is a variety of stand-up oriented holds, locks, and throws. While it does cover a little groundwork, the bulk of the book deals with self-defense situations which might typically occur on the street. It has been said that 95% of all streetfights end up on the ground. I think that it's safe to say that 100% of all streetfights start out standing up. The techniques in this book represent possible responses to that initial encounter. The text is clear, the photos are good, and the techniques are sound. While this is not the end-all of self-defense texts, it is a good place to start.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Primer on Jujitsu for self-defense, May 12, 2003

By 

michael hobson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art (Paperback)

If you're looking for ufc style grappling, you may want to look elsewhere. This book features traditional (read "stand-up") jujitsu techniques.

I'd recommend Basic Techniques to students of jujitsu (obviously), hapkido, judo, aikido, or sambo. It is a good step by step dictionary of (mostly) standing techniques, clearly photographed and well explained. I don't know how useful this book would be to beginning individuals who don't have a partner with whom to practice, or someone who can guide them through the many nuances of the techniques, which, while subtle, are essential to proper and safe execution.

On the other hand, if you do have experience with judo or a grappling art, you should be able to acquire new techniques and/or variations of what you are already practicing, and use this book as a source of new ideas.

A last caveat: although blocking, striking and kicking are aspects of jujitsu, these are not covered in Basic Techniques. A hip throw can be a good finish, but blocking/parrying the attack and counterstriking to unbalance the opponent and set up that sweet hip throw may be the difference between failure and success. Don't despair though, just about any hard art can be successfully grafted to these core jujitsu techniques to create countless variations and allow flexibility of response.

For price (bang for buck), practicality of techniques, and clarity of both photography and explanations, the book merits five stars.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I feel this book was a good introduction to Jujitsu, May 22, 1998

By 

Ronnie Kissire ([e-mail]) (Hot Springs, Arkansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art (Paperback)

While I am not an authority on Jujitsu, or martial art books, I found this to exactly what the title promised. Kirby does a good job explaining the basics of each technique and the pictures are of good quality. The variety of throws shown are simple enough for the beginner to follow and execute if the have a good sense of balance. The techniques for the most part are also very practical for use in a variety of situations.Some of the locks are difficult to see but the book would have to be much larger for those type of pictures to really prove useful. I feel for the person who is interested in learning basic throws and submission locks, this is an excellent starting point.