As a Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu practitioner, you will have the opportunity to learn about a number of different components that are used within the Martial Arts, including striking, locking, grappling, throwing, weapons defense and eventually, classical weapons use.

The focus of Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu is to provide an environment for you to grow. Within the Dojo, you’ll learn to expand your abilities, face fears, push yourself and develop an attitude that will help you in all aspects of your life. Learning is both exciting and challenging, especially if Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu is the first Martial Art you’re trying out.

The instructors of this style will base your activity around your personal level of fitness and athletic ability, but generally speaking, these are the types of things you’ll be doing:

Break-Falling

Learning to hit the ground is the first thing you’ll need. Jiu Jitsu is a physical Martial Art and it involves falling to the ground, being thrown and throwing others. We train on Japanese Tatami style mats, which require some practice to be able to fall on.This involves landing in such a way that spreads the impact out and guards your more vulnerable areas.

In addition to hitting the ground safely, break falling practice allows you to become more agile and aware of the way your body can move. You will also learn to roll in different directions and a variety of styles as well as experiment with hand-stands and other challenges at advanced levels.

Throwing Techniques

Jiu Jitsu often involves using the force that is applied against you. One way to do that is by taking the balance of one’s opponent and redirecting it, usually toward the ground. This can be as simple as simply pushing someone in a direction they’re not expecting, or can involve more complex movements, such as dropping one’s own body weight below that of the attacker.

To begin, practitioners will learn how the throwing techniques function, and will get to use them in isolated training exercises that familiarize those training with what it feels like to throw, and to be thrown. At more advanced levels, throws become more complicated, use more challenging balance breaking and begin to incorporate resistance.

Locking Techniques

Arm and wrist-locks can be incredibly powerful tools for self-defense. Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu practitioners use locking techniques as a way to restrain opponents, as a way to move them and as a way to apply pain when necessary. Beginners are exposed to a few different locks that involve both stood-up and ground-fighting scenarios. At this level, classes focus on a technical understanding of how locking techniques function.

At more advanced levels, Jiu Jitsu involves using locking techniques in combination with throwing and striking techniques for effective self-defense. To effectively use locks, Jiu Jitsu practitioners must be very quick, very precise and apply leverage in the right directions. For this reason, effective locking is likely the most challenging aspect of learning Jiu Jitsu.

Ground-Grappling

In addition to stood-up techniques, Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu practitioners learn a variety of hold-downs and techniques for use on the ground. At beginner levels, these consist largely of maintaining good defensive form and shutting down an opponent’s opportunities to do damage. At more advanced levels, locking and choking techniques are added and used while on the ground.

Ground-grappling is a very fun and physically demanding activity. It helps to build a great amount of strength in one’s arms and core and builds an individual’s co-ordination and will to survive.

Randori (Free-Style Practice)

Beginner students will spend their time learning skills that allow them to train safely. Alongside that knowledge comes an understanding of how technique functions and why they’re effective. After one is comfortable with those concepts, the real challenge of learning Jiu Jitsu comes. Randori, which is the Japanese word for “free-style practice” is used in Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu to test abilities under pressure, practice against a “live” opponent and also, have a lot of fun.

As someone progresses through the style’s ranks, their exposure to Randori will increase. At the beginner levels, it is practiced at a slow speed, and with limited techniques. At more advanced levels, the severity and number of techniques available increases, as does the resistance of the attacker and defender. Eventually, you will be pushing your limits by defending against multiple attackers at the same time.

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