Jujutsu, also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponents. The word "Jū" can be translated as "gentle, soft, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding", and "jutsu" can be translated as "art or technique". "Jujutsu" thus has the meaning of "yielding-art", as its core philosophy is to manipulate the opponents force against themselves rather than confronting it with ones own force.

Jujitsu is thought to have begun among Buddhist monks as a non-lethal form of self-defense that did not involve the use of weapons, despite the fact that it was used on the battlefield by samurai. It developed to combat the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no form of weapon, or only a short weapon. Basic methods of attack include hitting or striking, thrusting or punching, kicking, throwing, pinning or immobilizing, strangling, and joint locking.

Jujitsu is often confused with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), which is a predominantly ground-based martial art that uses the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, as well as knowledge of the human anatomy, in order to achieve a non-violent submission of one’s opponent. Jujitsu, on the other hand, is a centuries-old combat martial art derived from sumo and other traditional Japanese fighting techniques.

In summary, Jujutsu is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponents. It is based on manipulating the opponents force against themselves rather than confronting it with ones own force.