jiu-jitsu

Where does the word "jiu-jitsu" come from? It comes from Japanese jūjutsu, and was adopted directly into English (1870s-1900s).

Jiu-jitsu’s story begins in Japanese: jūjutsu meant “the gentle/yielding art of grappling.” Coined for the samurai art of unarmed combat, literally 'gentle technique'. It reached English by 1870s-1900s as jiu-jitsu. Borrowed as Western visitors and demonstrators popularized Japanese unarmed combat. Today, jiu-jitsu means a martial art and combat sport built around grappling, joint locks, and submissions.

1. Stage 1 · Japanese · 1600s-1800s jūjutsu "the gentle/yielding art of grappling", coined for the samurai art of unarmed combat, literally 'gentle technique'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1870s-1900s jiu-jitsu "a Japanese grappling-based martial art", borrowed as Western visitors and demonstrators popularized Japanese unarmed combat.