So good:
via Boing Boing. Thanks to Sam for the link.
Jujitsu for the Weaker Sex
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Nice! Hehehe, ya gotta love the chirpily bemused expression on Ms. Whitley’s face, and she certainly does demonstrate some fundamental and nicely executed jointlocks, trips, and throws, though the biomechanical details could probably use a bit more explanation. I wonder who she studied with. You know, today’s ostensible practitioners of jujitsu could actually pick up an important lesson from these clips, which is that the point is to remain on your feet while putting your opponent heavily to the ground, as opposed to slithering around on the ground for 5 minutes working your way into an arm bar while lying on your back. *sigh* Anyway. Thanks for posting! That’s some vintage white-people martial arts.
Kai, I assume when you refer to “ostensible practitioners of jujitsu” who slither around working for an armbar, you’re talking about Brazilian jiujitsu. Brazilian jiujitsu developed as an offshoot of classical jiujitsu when a small jiujitsu student, Helio Gracie, began looking for techniques that were effective against larger opponents. He found that ground fighting helped to negate larger folks’ reach and strength. His strategies allow one to effectively defend oneself even when pinned by a larger attacker.
Because I think “the point” of martial arts is to effectively defend oneself, not merely throwing one’s opponent to ground, I disagree with your sentiment that brazilian jiujitsu practitioners are missing that point.
Thanks for the lesson, Sam.
Sorry, Jill, I shouldn’t have baited anyone into sidetracking this light-hearted arcana with juvenile factionalism. I think the clips are great.
The “point” of martial arts depends on the martial artist. Some folks practice their styles as an exercise in culture, some for their beauty, some for sport, some for self defense, some for physical fitness and some for spiritual development. A mixed martial artist may study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to sharpen the ground aspect of zir game; a white collar professional may study Krav Maga for self defense and fitness, and a Chinese-American may study Wing Tsun for heritage reasons. When we describe the “point” of martial arts as a whole, we’re imposing a subjective preference.
If we’re interposing subjective preferences, I’d like to see Lyoto Machida win the UFC light-heavyweight title and curb the growing dominance of wrestlers over grapplers and strikers. I’d also like to see more and better women in MMA.
It’s Ms. Whitley, the Vampire Slayer!
One interesting point to notice, is that (particularly on the slow-motion at the end of the second clip) you can also see some pretty good technique for falling, if one finds oneself thrown. After all, the ability to get back up again and be relatively fit to fight back or run away, is also pretty useful when attacked.
I think in terms of practical demonstration, those clips were pretty good. Because of the very simple explanations (and the very precise speech patterns used by Pathe back in the day) it is easy to understand what to do and how, and to recognise what’s happening when the full-speed demonstration takes place.
Finally, on the question of the “point” of martial arts: I think I agree with both sides of the debate. While it is undoubtedly true that most martial arts originated as practical self-defence techniques, the reasons for studying and practising them today are many and varied; and as I understand it, the origin story of martial artistry, going back to the fabled Shao Lin Temple, is that the forms were originally taught to the Shao Lin monks specifically for the purposes of physical toning and fitness, and not as combat methods. The martial arts forms that developed from them across China were later adaptations. (I’m not expert, but I think I’m right in saying that Chinese martial arts pre-date most others)
SDE, antecedents of Wushu predate the Shaolin by centuries. Also, martial arts in general are not a tree from a common root in China. Grappling and wrestling developed independently almost everywhere, notably Mesopotamia where they are recounted in the epic of Gilgamesh. Striking styles developed independently in several places — boxing and Muay Thai, for example, share no common ancestor. Many martial arts are literally martial, meaning military — Jiu Jitsu was what an unhorsed and disarmed warrior used and the Okinawan styles were a response to occupation. Others were fighting sports, known the world over. Nor has their development ended: Krav Maga, MCMAP and Systema are, again, literally martial arts, developed for soldiers, while I would argue that mixed martial arts is becoming a thing of its own, a hybrid increasingly decoupled from its antecedents and focused on a sport with known rules and identifiable strategies.
maybe the post section needs a “geek minutiae” trigger warning? ;)
LOL. I love the “Weaker Sex (sayest thou!)” in the opening of the second clip. I think I’ve found a new rejoinder!
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