The terminology issue

In introducing the fourth chapter on Japanese wrestling, Norman says:

"Few people are so keen about wrestling as the Japanese, who have for centuries past practiced two distinct kinds -- sumō and jujutsu.  As regards the difference existing between the two, it is worth noting that this is something more than a mere difference of style as between two schools of the same art.  For while the votaries of sumō rely as much upon their personal strength and weight of body as upon any knowledge that they may possess of scientific grips and falls, those of jujutsu aimed solely at overthrowing an opponent by highly reasoned out yielding is of self, or as a Japanese would put it, "by yielding to strength."  And then again, while the sumōtori are essentially professional wrestlers, recruited mainly from the lower strata of Japanese society, among the devotees of jujutsu muster men of birth and education, and often, too, of high social position and standing."

Norman commences the section on jujutsu, by stating that jujutsu is quite different from the art of sumo and sets out its principles as follows:

"Its principles, like so many other things Japanese, were until lately handed down as a sort of esoteric secret from one great master of the art to another, and, unlike as in the case of sumo, there are many schools or styles of jujutsu.  It is essentially a military art, in feudal days instructions in it formed a no mean part in the education of young samurai.  For some time after the abolition of the feudal system it looked as if it was going to become one of the many lost arts, but happily for the future prospects of Japanese manhood a revival took place, and at present it is extremely popular among all classes of the Mikado's subjects."

He notes the decline in martial arts that occurred during the Meiji Restoration.  We immediately get into the issue of conflating judo and jujutsu which is a constant problem in these early publications.  Terminology is an issue.  Norman refers to "kenjutsu" and "jujutsu", however, more aptly the reference is to "kendo" and "judo".  Certainly today these pairings are not synonymous terms.  In the case of "jujutsu" and "judo", it can be argued that the source of the problem appears in the papers delivered to the Japan Society London by Kano and Lindsay (1888) and Shidachi (1892) and the promotion being given to Kano's judo.  Here is the start of "judo" as the term being used as a replacement for "jujutsu".  Once again, this confusion gets traction and persists.

Norman goes on to say:

"Jujutsu is known to the Japanese under various names, such as judo, yawara, taijutsu, kogusoku, kempo and hakuda, but judo, jujutsu and yawara are the terms most commonly used."

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