jujitsu

See also: ju-jitsu

English

Alternative forms

• ju-jitsu, jiu-jitsu, jiujitsu, jujutsu, ju-jutsu

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling "jitsu" (instead of less popular "jiutsu" or "jutsu") could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mention in Japan Weekly Mail (1877, 133 page) before the widespread use of the Hepburn system.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

jujitsu (countable and uncountable, plural jujitsus)

1. A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly opposing it with force, and using a wide variety of holds, throws, and defensive techniques.
2. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a related art, derived from judo.
3. (figuratively) Strategic maneuvering, especially with the aim of using the strength of one's opponent against them in an unexpected or counterintuitive way.

Related terms

• Brazilian jiu-jitsu
• judo
• jujitsuka

Translations

method of self-defence established in Japan

• Bengali: জুজুৎসু (bn) (jujutśu)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 柔術／柔术 (zh) (róushù)

• Czech: džiu-džitsu n
• Danish: jiu-jitsu c
• Esperanto: ĵuĵicuo
• Finnish: jujutsu (fi)
• French: jujitsu (fr) m
• Georgian: ჯიუ-ჯიტსუ (ǯiu-ǯiṭsu)
• German: Jiu-Jitsu (de) n
• Hungarian: dzsiudzsicu (hu)
• Indonesian: jujitsu (id)
• Japanese: 柔術 (ja) (じゅうじゅつ, jūjutsu)
• Khmer: គុនអាវុធ (kun aavut), គុនឥតអាវុធ (kun et aavut)
• Korean: 유술(柔術) (ko) (yusul)
• Malay: jujitsu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: jiu-jitsu m

  Nynorsk: jiu-jitsu m

• Portuguese: jiu-jitsu (pt) m
• Russian: джиу-джи́тсу (ru) n (džiu-džítsu), дзюдзю́цу n (dzjudzjúcu)
• Slovak: džiu-džitsu n
• Spanish: ju-jutsu m
• Vietnamese: nhu thuật (柔術)
• Welsh: jw-jitsw m

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

• Danish: brasiliansk jiu-jitsu c
• Esperanto: brazila ĵuĵicuo
• Portuguese: jiu-jitsu (pt) m

Verb

jujitsu (third-person singular simple present jujitsu's, present participle jujitsu'ing or jujitsu-ing, simple past and past participle jujitsu'ed or jujitsu-ed)

1. (transitive, intransitive, figuratively) To attack (someone) or overcome (a challenge) with strategic maneuvering.
   • 2008, “Go on the Offensive and Shape the Message”, in William J. Holstein, Manage the Media (Don't Let the Media Manage You), Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press, →ISBN, page 60:

     He could never have developed GE’s reputation in that sector if he were still fighting the image of stonewalling on Hudson River cleanup efforts. “They've completely jujitsu-ed that,” notes PR executive Richard Edelman. “They've set a new standard. It's not just corporate social responsibility (CSR) as philanthropy. It's CSR that makes money.”

   • 2016 November 7, Peter Bradshaw, “Allied: what happens when a film gets eclipsed by gossip”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Mischievous bloggers and tweeters are jujitsu-ing the Allied publicity machine with gags about how it’s Ange who is going to come on to whack Marion. Allied might be upstaged by the gossip, and become best known for something other than itself.

   • 2022 August 18, Bruce W. Jentleson, “Who’s Winning the Sanctions War?”, in Foreign Policy‎^[2]:

     Your economy will face “devast[at]ing” consequences, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the sanctions the United States and its allies would impose if Russia invaded Ukraine. When Putin invaded Ukraine anyway, the sanctions did hit hard. Yet Putin hasn’t withdrawn. And he’s jiujitsu-ed with Russia’s own countersanctions.

Anagrams

• jujuist

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʒu.dʒɪt.su/
• Hyphenation: ju‧jit‧su

Noun

jujitsu (first-person possessive jujitsuku, second-person possessive jujitsumu, third-person possessive jujitsunya)

1. Alternative spelling of jujutsu.