jujitsu

American  

[joo-jit-soo] / dʒuˈdʒɪt su /

Also jujutsu, or jiujitsu

noun

1. a method developed in Japan of defending oneself without the use of weapons by using the strength and weight of an adversary to disable him.

2. the use of an opponent's strengths or one's own weaknesses to accomplish one's goals.

   That was a kind of intellectual jujitsu, the way she handily won the debate.

   The town of Vacaville, in a prime example of touristic jujitsu, turned its isolation into an attraction in itself.

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verb (used with object)

1. to turn (a situation) to one's advantage by exploiting one's own weaknesses or another's strengths, as in a social or political relationship.

   He deftly jujitsued the conversation to make my knowledge of the subject seem pretentious.

jujitsu British  

/ dʒuːˈdʒɪtsuː /

noun

1. the traditional Japanese system of unarmed self-defence perfected by the samurai See also judo

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Etymology

Origin of jujitsu

First recorded in 1870–75; from Japanese jūjitsu, earlier jūjutsu, equivalent to jū “soft” ( see judo) + -jut(u) “technique,” from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese shù

Explanation

Jujitsu is a Japanese martial art that involves defending oneself by hand with holds, throws, and blows. The practice of jujitsu dates to the 17th century, when samurai warriors used it to augment their swords. Jujitsu is from the Japanese jujutsu, which comes from ju, "softness," and jutsu, "art." While some forms of jujitsu involve very small weapons, most don't. In this style of close combat, a practitioner tries to redirect an opponent's attack against them, rather than aggressively countering that force. Today, some people learn jujitsu in order to practice a graceful, powerful martial art, and others use it for self defense.

Example Sentences

Ver is clean-cut and fit — he has a black belt in Brazilian jujitsu.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

He’s a charming Aussie surfer who plays videogames and has a black belt in jujitsu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025

Over the weekend, he posted a long message complaining that the New York Times was planning to report that he’d gotten roughed up, injuring his shoulder, in a sparring match with an agency jujitsu instructor.

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2025

Then, I think about if I’m going to be in a jujitsu class, or if I’m going to be shopping or if I’m going to be on set.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2024

He said, “Do you have dreams of becoming a jujitsu master?”

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Related Words

• judo
• karate
• wrestling