An early history of old school jiu-jitsu – Part 1
Over the next two days, I will write an article on the history of Japanese Jujitsu / Judo before WWII. I wasn’t sure where to start, but here I am, so let’s get started.
I’ll start with H. Irving Hancock, who in the early 1900s wrote several books on the history of Japanese physical training and jiu-jitsu. I will start with his book Japanese Physical Training written in 1903.
Later she studied in Nagasaki, with Inouye San, a Jiu-jitsu instructor at the Nagasaki police department. “
This was the first time I heard about Inouye. Now if we look at Hancock’s other book, Jiu-jitsu Combat Tricks, written a year later in 1904:
“The exponents of the Tenjin School of jiu-jitsu have developed in all possible perfection a style of stopping the boxer’s blow that cannot be surpassed by neatness of execution, efficiency and speed. It is a feat that applies only to stop a left punch hit by the boxer. “
Before leaving this book, the reason for the above two quotes is:
1.) The mention of Inouye, the jujitsu instructor of the Nagasaki Police Department.
2.) Mention of the “Tenjin / Tenshin” system
You’ll see where I’m going with this later.
Another very interesting quote.
“In Japan, the full course of jiu-jitsu requires four years.”
That seems very reasonable, since I have read that it takes about 15 years to receive a Menkyo Kaiden in Tenjin Shinyo Ryu today. The question is, why so long? I am not 15 years old to dedicate myself to an art.
At this point, I would like to bring another old book on jiu-jitsu, “THE YABE SCHOOL OF JIU JITSU”, written in 1904 by Yae Kichi Yabe. In Yabe’s book he mentions that the system is based on that of “Tenshin”. Also in this book is the “Vital Touches” phase used to describe Atemi or “Ate”!
Professor John J. O’Brien claims that he received his Jiu Jitsu diploma in 1905 from the Governor of Nagasaki. O’Brien spent ten years as a police inspector in Nagasaki. He was responsible for introducing President Teddy Roosevelt to Jiu Jitsu and instructing Colonel AJ Drexel Biddle.
Next, we turn to Col. Risher W. Thornberry. Thornberry wrote several books on jujitsu from 1905 to 1933. In his first jujitsu book written in 1905, the first page is very interesting. It shows a photo of Prof. Kishoku Inouye, “Nagasaki Police Instructor”. At the top of the page it reads, “Jiu-jitsu – As taught by Prof. Inouye to over 2,000 officers and soldiers now on the front line.” Reference to the Russian / Japanese war.
This book was written only a year or two after Hancock’s book. They both mention Inouye and Tenshin. A definite connection is beginning to develop.
An interesting quote from Thornberry’s book,
“Jiu-jitsu has a weapon in the form of” atemi, or vital keys, “that can be administered with the thumb, the clenched hand, the elbows, the towed, the edge of the hand or even with the head.” Again, the reason for mentioning this quote is the use of the word “Vital Keys”.
Research shows that Thornberry actively taught jiu-jitsu. One of Thornberry’s students was Samuel R. Linck. Linck published a book in 1943 called “COMBAT JIU JITSU”. An excellent book. Linck studied with Thornberry in Los Angeles for several years. Linck received a “Master Diploma” from Thornberry in “Tenshin Ryu” dated May 6, 1935.
In Linck’s book he offers a brief history of jiu-jitsu.
“These art forms were closely guarded and only taught to samurai or warriors, the group now known as the Black Dragon Society.”
Linck taught a man named George Tate. Linck and Tate taught a jiu-jitsu class in Los Angeles. Later, Tate succeeded Linck as an instructor and continued to teach and train in Jiu-jitsu. Tate became a jiu-jitsu instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department and later led a class at the LA Judo Club.
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