JUJUTSU is a Japanese martial art. It began as the empty handed defense of the Samurai to back up their primary method of fighting with weapons of the battlefield. 

The culture and politics of Japan brought many societal changes over the years which affected the evolution of jujutsu. Jujutsu moved from a battlefield necessity in feudal Japan, to a flourishing art studied in relative peace during the Edo period (1603-1868), to a skill that was looked down upon by the mid 19th century as an activity of ruffians and bullies. 

Modern jujutsu owes much to Kano Jigoro, the founder of Kodokan Judo. It was his desire to preserve jujutsu that led to the development of judo. Kano recognized the value jujutsu afforded its practitioners and placed emphasis on practical training methods and character development . Kano's jujutsu (judo) is the basis for most of today's various modern jujutsu styles. 

Jujutsu has evolved into an art of self defense appropriate for people from all walks of life and any age. At Arkansas Goshinkan we stress not only the physical techniques of jujutsu but also the philosophies and moral tenets of both jujutsu and judo.  Our jujutsu is based on the goshin waza (self defense techniques) of Kodokan judo and draws heavily from other modern jujutsu styles such as Danzan Ryu and aikijitsu.