Jūjutsu

Whether a result of deadlock or sought voluntarily, the transition from kenjutsu to jūjutsu begins when the opponents close to jūjutsu fighting range (maai), usually with their weapons meeting hand guard (tsuba) to hand guard, in what bugei jargon terms the gasshō (“praying hands”) or tsubazeri (“vying tsuba to tsuba”) position.

The art of fighting with truncheon-like weapons was based on jūjutsu, but admittedly it could also make certain jūjutsu-like techniques more feasible, especially in peacetime, when killing an opponent was forbidden.

Hidemi is seen in the famous photo of the jūjutsu conclave at the Nihon Butokukai, in which various jūjutsu instructors gathered together for several purposes: 1) to include themselves as participants in the new competitive form of grappling, judō 2) to add input to judō’s curriculum 3) to attempt to ensure their own survival as members of the Butokukai.