Welcome to the American Ju-Jitsu Association’s official website.

The American Ju-Jitsu Association (or AJA) is comprised of a wide range of different ryu (styles) of ju (or jiu, gentle or flexible) jitsu (art) . To see how wide our net is cast, just scroll through our Directory page (link above)! Each ryu brings its own unique character, and each contributes a positive influence to the martial arts community as a whole. Ju-jitsu (which is also transliterated as Jujitsu, Jujutsu, and Jiu-Jitsu) is the most ancient martial art, with evidence of its existence found as far back as 2000 years ago. It encompasses most elements of more recent break-off arts such as Karate, Judo, and Aikido, among others. Ju-jitsu is a superset of all of these and much more. The emphasis in Ju-jitsu is always extreme practicality: Does a technique work for you, for your particular training background, and for your physiology? If so, then it should be part of your self-defense tool-kit. If you wouldn’t be willing to bet your life on it, then focus on other techniques – but learning all of them makes you wiser and more capable.

Ju-jitsu is also highly adaptive. If you have an injury or a physical limitation, you are not excluded – you simply adapt the huge self-defense tool-kit available to you (Prof. Kirby lists over 800 separate techniques in his Big Book). A short person generally finds it easier to execute a koshi-nage (hip throw) on a taller person than the other way around, which might seem to be a disadvantage for tall people. Instead of viewing it as a limitation, however, a logical adaptation would be for a taller person to perfect an ippon-seio-nage, a one-arm hip-throw, or tai-otoshi, a basic drop-throw. Do you have an injured knee or other problem? Practicing the full range of techniques with that injury risks a cumulative injury – you could make the problem worse. Instead, ADAPT, and focus on techniques that work for YOU. There is even a wide range of techniques that can be used from a sitting position, including virtually all pressure-point attacks. Ju-jitsu is the self-defense system for almost everyone.

Under the Directory link (above and below), you will find a large and ever-growing number of schools in the USA and all over the world. The AJA’s instructors are dedicated professionals who have devoted much of their lives to the discipline of mind, body, and spirit. Their programs stimulate the student’s ability to learn and can enable you to develop all the skills necessary for real personal safety through awareness and self-defense.

If you hold a black belt in Ju-jitsu and find yourself searching for an organization to belong to, the AJA can help. We invite you to read further and to consider a membership in our family of dedicated teachers and trainers.

If you are a prospective student and find yourself interested in joining a Ju-jitsu training program, you may wish to check out our list of member schools.> Click Here < to see the list of AJA dojos worldwide.

If you find there are no schools near your location, you may wish to check out the benefits and available materials for members of the Budoshin Ju-Jitsu Yudanshakai, a virtual AJA dojo that is especially geared to help you learn and qualify for rank advancement under such conditions. > Click Here <if you want to find out more about the BJJY.