Nihon Tai-Jitsu
In 2001, Dave Birdsall took over the university Ju-Jitsu class and began teaching something calling itself Nihon Tai-Jitsu (New Unarmed Combat System, as near as I can translate), which was basically a JJ system emphasising Tai Sabaki, i.e. body movement and evasion.
A lot of Ju-Jitsu as taught in the UK today is more like a bolting-together of Judo and Karate, and is very different from the system introduced to Britain in the 1880s. NTJ was something of a throwback (and that’s a good thing) to early Aiki-Jutsu systems; more fluid and less stylised.
I benefited a lot from my NTJ training, sometimes in ways that weren’t apparent at the time. For example, I know how not to be smashed into bits by a Catch Wrestling style Cross-Buttock throw, because I encountered something similar in NTJ. My formal education, so to speak, in highly technical NTJ gave me a good grounding to apply technique for the purpose of hurting people. Because in the end, that’s what it’s for.
I learned NTJ from Dave Birdsall. I don’t know who taught him – I never thought to ask. As far as I’m aware there were no connections to other NTJ groups, so I suppose the term is as generic as Ju-Jitsu or Karate. It’s academic now; I don’t train in NTJ any more, though I do use its concepts and techniques as part of my current martial art and self-defence system.
For me, NTJ is something of a closed book; a chapter in my life that’s now past. It may be that others are still training. I know that Ian Earl made a credible effort to restart his class, but I don’t know what the current status is.
A lot of Ju-Jitsu as taught in the UK today is more like a bolting-together of Judo and Karate, and is very different from the system introduced to Britain in the 1880s. NTJ was something of a throwback (and that’s a good thing) to early Aiki-Jutsu systems; more fluid and less stylised.
I benefited a lot from my NTJ training, sometimes in ways that weren’t apparent at the time. For example, I know how not to be smashed into bits by a Catch Wrestling style Cross-Buttock throw, because I encountered something similar in NTJ. My formal education, so to speak, in highly technical NTJ gave me a good grounding to apply technique for the purpose of hurting people. Because in the end, that’s what it’s for.
I learned NTJ from Dave Birdsall. I don’t know who taught him – I never thought to ask. As far as I’m aware there were no connections to other NTJ groups, so I suppose the term is as generic as Ju-Jitsu or Karate. It’s academic now; I don’t train in NTJ any more, though I do use its concepts and techniques as part of my current martial art and self-defence system.
For me, NTJ is something of a closed book; a chapter in my life that’s now past. It may be that others are still training. I know that Ian Earl made a credible effort to restart his class, but I don’t know what the current status is.
However, here’s an overview of NTJ as I trained in it.
The system was geared to modern-day self-defence or ‘practical martial arts’ and included a wide range of grappling and striking techniques. All Tai Jitsu techniques were intended to be "universal" and accessible to people of any size or level of strength. In practice, this varied somewhat – some techniques are more universal than others, but the principle was an important one.
The most important aspect of Tai-Jitsu training was the knowledge and use of body movement and the body mechanics of the opponent, i.e. Tai Sabaki. Techniques include counters to grabs and holds plus throws and locks, strangles, chokes, restraints, kicks, punches, evasion, parries/blocks and a number of unclassifiable (and in some cases, rather unpleasant!) techniques for use in a close-quarters struggle.
The system was geared to modern-day self-defence or ‘practical martial arts’ and included a wide range of grappling and striking techniques. All Tai Jitsu techniques were intended to be "universal" and accessible to people of any size or level of strength. In practice, this varied somewhat – some techniques are more universal than others, but the principle was an important one.
The most important aspect of Tai-Jitsu training was the knowledge and use of body movement and the body mechanics of the opponent, i.e. Tai Sabaki. Techniques include counters to grabs and holds plus throws and locks, strangles, chokes, restraints, kicks, punches, evasion, parries/blocks and a number of unclassifiable (and in some cases, rather unpleasant!) techniques for use in a close-quarters struggle.
Tai-Jitsu drew the main body of its techniques from Ju Jitsu, emphasizing the close-in strikes, throws, takedowns and grappling techniques that are most commonly needed in self-defence situations. Other techniques were taken from wherever they could be found – though that was more something I did that an official NTJ policy. NTJ as taught by Dave Birdsall and the instructors he produced was recognisably a Ju-Jitsu system.
A typical class included a general-class teaching segment whose content tended to vary considerably, followed by syllabus work through the belt system. With students at various different stages of their training, regular partners were a necessity, and pairs or small groups tended to work through the belts together.
I learned a lot during my time with the NTJ class. Despite its limitations and various other factors, there was a solid martial art to be learned, and I also benefited from some excellent training partners.
A typical class included a general-class teaching segment whose content tended to vary considerably, followed by syllabus work through the belt system. With students at various different stages of their training, regular partners were a necessity, and pairs or small groups tended to work through the belts together.
I learned a lot during my time with the NTJ class. Despite its limitations and various other factors, there was a solid martial art to be learned, and I also benefited from some excellent training partners.
