Copyright 2007 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
20th Century armies were fascinated with jujitsu as a system of unarmed combat. Jujitsu techniques were also adopted by police departments. The techniques provided a means to subdue an opponent safely. Pictured here is a demonstration by American military police during World War II. The techniques are standard jujitsu tricks. As in many such demonstrations, spectacular stunts such as disarming weapons are included. (Anyone who knowns brawling knows that it usually is not that easy to get a weapon off an armed man!)
The 1942 U.S. manual of hand to hand combat is a veritable course in jujitsu. It uses classic jujitsu against everything from unarmed attacks to a sword-wielding adversary.
Demonstrations were often staged for the media and important visitors. They were intended to impress rather than instruct. While disarms look effective, in fact an armed man always has the advantage. Since medieval times, disarms were taught as a last resort. These techniques were meant to give the fighter something that might help. It was better than nothing at all.
By the way, military police do moo than provide law enforcement within the military community. They also have the task of handling prisoners of war. Military police move prisoners, sort them, interrogate and contain them in prison camps.
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Here the defender reacts to being held at gunpoint. He sweeps the attacker's arm aside. |
Next he applies an arm bar |
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A twist of the wrist and his enemy's gun is on the ground. A typical disarm tactic based on Jujitsu |
Defense against a club |
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Two holds for walking a prisoner |
Technique for searching prisoners |
Below are knife disarms shown in the 1943 US Bayonet Manual
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Defender has side-stepped his enemy's thrust. He catches the wrist and applies pressure to the elbow. |
Defender rolls enemy into an arm bar. |
Here the defender has stopped an overhead strike by blocking and placing the enemy in an arm lock. |
