Even though the darkness and the cold pressed on, there were still 15 participants there this November who had found their way to Måløv to participate in the Ju-Jutsu 2 course.

The course is a link between Ju-Jutsu 1 and Ju-Jutsu 3, which deals with fall technique and floor fighting respectively. Ju-Jutsu 2 is all about throws and locks. When you are thrown, you are in a situation that is not really optimal. So in order to get out of this situation in one piece, it is a good idea that you can perform the fall technique in such a way that you do not hit yourself. This is where Ju-Jutsu 1 comes in. When you have "landed" after a throw, you can risk that a possible fight doesn't stop right away and you therefore end up fighting on the floor. This is where Ju-Jutsu 3 comes in.

To call Ju-Jutsu 2 the connecting link, there may not be many who can nod in recognition. But when you see how Kimu Sensei has built up the course and has linked it to ju-jutsu 1 and ju-jutsu 3, you understand the common thread and can see that the courses were built up by a Great Grandmaster.

All courses in Shindenkan are made up of a Ryugi part and a Ryuha part. That is a theoretical/philosophical part and a practical part. This belongs together as it gives understanding to each other. Can you do something practical without knowing the theory behind it, and how far do you get if you can't do the techniques practically but only know the theory?

Performing throws and locks is not something you just do. There are high technical skills behind it, and there are also some human skills behind it, both of which must be combined. Ju-Jutsu in its original form is animalistic and not polished as seen in many tournaments today. It's about being clear with yourself all the way, otherwise a lock, or for that matter a throw, cannot be executed effectively. There are also quite a few decisions to be made. What do you do if there are many opponents? what do you do if now there are weapons involved in the fight? What do you do if the opponent is smaller than you? etc. Many things that need to be decided on and maybe not after all. Because in reality it's about being clear with yourself. What can I do in a given situation? Would a throw be warranted and would a lock be in order?

In Shindenkan we train wholes. And through the Ju-jutsu courses, participants find out where the different parts belong in the whole. Therefore, it is not decisive whether it is called one or the other. What matters is whether it works in a given situation.

After Ryugi, it was time for the practical execution of Ju-Jutsu 2. After a short warm-up, it was time for a quick recap of Ju-Jutsu 1 – and then the participants were warm and ready to throw and lock 🙂

First throw is a Jodan throw. That is throw from shoulder height. But now you have to remember that, like everything else in Shindenkan, it all happens step by step. So shoulder height may well be close to the floor if the shoulder is part of a technique that involves searching down towards the floor and rolling up in the same way as if it were a forward roll fall. Yes, it may sound cryptic, but when you participate in Ju-Jutsu 2, you understand it all much better 🙂

Second throw is a hip throw. That is throw from hip height. Again it is done step by step and understanding gets the 7 points that are in throwing technique. This throw was performed by Honbu instructor Jens Hanshi-dai on one of the participants, who was in the +90 kg class, much to the concern of the participants, because there was a huge bang when the participant landed. This crash is not due to the contestant landing incorrectly, but rather because he landed correctly and hit the floor with his arm. Despite this blow, the participants threw themselves into the technique and gradually got a good handle on it.

The third throw is from the same height. That is a leg sweep. Step by step, the technique was shown and again to the great surprise of the participants. But as with the hip throw, they started with the technique, and there was a good leg sweep in that part of the course.

The last technique of the course was not a throw but rather an arm lock. It can, however, result in a throw if it goes fast or if the opponent doesn't quite follow 🙂

The principles in the lock were no different than in the throws, but it can be difficult to know and execute if you don't know exactly. However, there were quite a few participants who, despite the almost three-hour course and a dark winter time ahead, had understood the message and got the lock inserted correctly more than once on the same arm. There is no doubt that switching between the left and right arm is a good idea when performing locking techniques.

Even though it was in the month of November, there was a fantastic atmosphere on the course and all the participants went to work with an open mind and a really good attitude. And there should be no doubt that the course instructor is looking forward to seeing all the participants again when they are ready for the Ju-Jutsu 3 course - which takes the next step in the clarification process and the participants therefore also have something to look forward to 🙂