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Home » BJJ History » Is it spelled jiu-jitsu or jujutsu?
1

Is it spelled jiu-jitsu or jujutsu?

- John Q. Whitebelt

Posted by John Q. Whitebelt in BJJ History | 1 comment

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  1. This solution has been deemed correct by the post author

    76
    7-23-13
    Aesopian says:

    Many different spellings exist, and you may run across any one of these:

    • Jujitsu
    • Ju Jitsu
    • Jiujitsu
    • Jiu Jitsu
    • Jiujutsu
    • Jujutsu
    • Jujitso
    • Ju-jitsu
    • Jiujuiutsu
    • Jiu-jitsu

    Why so many? That’s a matter of Japanese-English transliteration and historical context.

    Several Romanization systems exist for changing Japanese kanji into Latin-based letters and words. Different interpretations and pronunciations have resulted in various spellings. The most widely accepted modern spelling is jujutsu, with jujitsu and ju-jitsu also being common.

    Then why does BJJ continue to use jiu-jitsu? Old habits are hard to change. Back in the 1910’s when Mitsuyo Maeda moved to Brazil, his art of judo was still often referred to as jiujitsu, jiu-jitsu, or even “Kano jiujitsu,” after its founder, Kanō Jigorō. Many of the founding members of the Kodokan, the original judo dojo, were students of older jujutsu schools. Newspapers and books used the jiu-jitsu spelling back then. The Gracies kept the “Jiu-Jitsu” name (usually with capital J’s), and it has stuck ever since. 

    No one spelling is the “right” one at this point. Practitioners of other martial arts may refer to it as Brazilian jujutsu or Brazilian jujitsu. Some even argue that given its history, the proper name is Brazilian judo, though it differs significantly from modern judo.

    To learn more about BJJ’s connection to the other arts, check out:

    • What’s the difference between Japanese jujitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
    • What’s the difference between judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
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