Satori Jiu-Jitsu
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Satori-Jitsu

Philosophy

"I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not in the different decorative branches, flowers or leaves. It is futile to argue as to which single leaf, which design of branches or which attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all of it's blossoming."

Bruce Lee

Satori-Jitsu is an eclectic form of combat (martial) arts that was conceived in 1986.. It is a work in progress.

Satori-Jitsu is not a style of martial arts but it is a training philosophy and an organization that promotes the practice of crosstraining in martial arts.

To best understand Satori-Jitsu it helps to look at the name. The name is derived from two Japanese words which pay tribute to the culture which the majority of the techniques were developed.

Satori - Is associated with Zen Buddhism and can be translated to seeing things as they really are or enlightenment.

Jitsu - Is a term that relates to combat or having to do with combat.

When you put the two words together it means "seeing combat as it really is".

As a combat philosophy, Satori-Jitsu believes that while striking has a very definite place in combat, it is far more preferable to control your opponent when possible using the leverage based techniques of Jiu Jitsu and wrestling. We use strikes primarily to cause a reaction from our opponent. Using strikes to knock our opponent out is an alternate means of surviving an assault but sometimes the preferred method depending on the individual situation. We would like to make them move into a position in which we can either control them totally or submit them with joint manipulations or carotid chokes which will knock them out in a safe manner. This is the second highest skill in combat. The first highest skill of combat is to diffuse a hostile situation before violence ever occurs. This is the skill of verbal Judo.

The Satori-Jitsu logo

  The upside down hammer you see on many of these pages is known as a "Thors Hammer". Thor is the Norse God of Thunder. 

Over the years I have searched for the perfect symbol to represent Satori-Jitsu. The old standby symbols of dragons, tigers and Yin & Yang have been way over done. I have used such things as Kanji, a torch and even a bulldog but was never really happy with them. 

The Thors Hammer represents the European ancestry of those of us who have developed this art. Myself and Chris Williams are Scotch Irish and Tim is Italian. Contrary to popular belief, not all martial arts where developed in the Orient. The Europeans had there share of native combat arts which are still evident in the martial arts of today. Satori-Jitsu recognizes this and encourages others to recognize it as well. 

Training

When describing Satori-Jitsu to the layman, I often break the martial arts down into two very broad categories. 

1. Combat Martial Arts - Those who practice full contact training in a No Holds Barred setting. These practitioners enjoy the confidence of there experience. The other category....

2. Theoretical Martial Artists  - These practitioners  do not apply there techniques in realistic settings and rely on others theory regarding what really works and what doesn't. They can never really have true confidence in there techniques or abilities because they have never experienced the reality of what they do.

Satori-Jitsu is a combat martial art to those who choose to experience it to the fullest. To the students who are unwilling or unable to experience Satori-Jitsu in a full contact environment, then it is a theoretical art based on the experience of those of us who have.

While Satori-Jitsu is eclectic in nature, it is not without guidelines. In order to be considered Satori-Jitsu, the training must follow these few guidelines.

1. Self-defense exists in four ranges. All attacks occur in either long, medium, short or grappling range. They may not stay in the same range they started out in for long and they may be announced attacks or un-announced attacks. Training needs to be balanced to include all of these ranges as well as transition to and from each range.

2. Martial art technique must evolve and fit the individual. Technique must evolve to fit the needs of society and it must also be true to the nature of the individual.

3. Traditional discipline must be retained. While technique must evolve, traditional martial arts values such as honor, discipline and respect must remain. These traits build character. Adherence to rules and a code of conduct are a must.

4. Advanced students should be able to react to a self-defense situation within the realm of self-defense law. Regardless of what people might think, the street may resemble a battlefield but it is not. You will be held accountable for your actions in court. You can’t kill them all and let God sort’um.

5. You will react the way that you train. If you train half heartedly with techniques which are difficult to apply or train according to the rules of a limiting type of competition such as point tournaments, expect to react that way in a self defense situation. In a stressful situation, training takes over.

6. All techniques must be simple, direct, effective easy to apply and have practical self-defense value when performed at full speed. For example; techniques which call for you to capture your opponents hand when he punches at you are not very realistic. Nobody, when punching, leaves there hand out there long enough for you to latch on to it.

7. Combat is not static. Self-defense is a matter of motion. While learning a new technique it is common to practice while in a fixed ready position. However, once the technique is basically learned, it is important to immediately begin practicing out of motion, never going back to doing it statically.

8. A students base art must be strong and correct. The basics of the ready position, footwork, distance control, balance, kicking and hand strikes are the core of just about everything else you do. Once the basics are honed to a point where they can be done correctly and without thought, then the mind is free to consider strategy.

9. The number of techniques in a system should not be excessive. To many options and complicated maneuvers can lead to what I call the "oops, what do I do now syndrome". A few techniques mastered are better than a thousand sampled. Take a few techniques at each range and hone them. Practicing the same techniques in a variety of applications. For example, a side kick. It can be done offensively or defensively, back leg or lead leg, it can be thrown to the head or the knee. All of this in addition to using it strategically such as a feint to cover distance. Do not limit yourself with only a single application of a versatile technique, tactic or strategy.

10. In advanced stages of training, full contact sparring in a no holds barred format is imperative for realistic training.. You can never have true confidence in your abilities or the effectiveness of your technique unless you have applied them at full speed in a realistic scenario in a variety of situations against a variety of styles of attacks. Proper safety gear and protective measures have to be observed. You can not learn to swim unless you get in the water. Absence of realistic or full contact training is for the theoretical martial artists.

11. Recognize the individual student. You can not train 20 unique individuals all in exactly the same way, nor do you want to make them clones of yourself. Every student differs in ability, attributes, personality, likes and dislikes. All of this fits into their way of martial art. Some people are built better for grappling, some are built better to stand and fight. This does not mean that you ignore their weaknesses, just that they will have strengths that should be respected.

12. Search for the truth should be emphasized. Everyone's "truth" in the martial arts will be different. Advanced students of Satori-Jitsu should be on a path of sincere and unprejudiced search for their own truth. As an instructor it is your job to set them on that path. As a minimum, this search should take into account individuals strengths and weaknesses as well as their own realistic capabilities and a sincere look at what really happens in assault situations.

 

Everyone's truth in self-defense or combat will be different. As an instructor it is important to put the student on the right path to finding that truth. You can share your personal truth with them but do not expect them to totally accept it as their own.

  How did I arrive at Satori-Jitsu?

Satori-Jitsu is my personal truth or my personal way of martial art. It is not Jeet Kune Do but was created using the same method Bruce Lee used to create Jeet Kune Do.. This method is simple and follows this format.

1.        Seek the truth

2.        Become aware of the truth

3.        Perceive the truth

4.        Experience the truth

5.        Master the truth

6.        Forget the truth and the carrier of the truth

7.        Repose in the nothing

This is the path to becoming your own teacher and finding personal truth in Martial Arts!