How long does it take to get a black belt ... ?
Do I have to be fit ... ?
Does it matter how old I am ... ?
Is Ju Jitsu suitable for Women...?
Are there competitions ... ?
Do people get injured ... ?
Who / What is Dan ... ?
Do I need to Speak Japanese...?
Glossary

How long does it take to get a black belt ... ?

The black belt recognises the fact that as an individual you have reached a certain standard in Ju Jitsu. The time taken to reach that standard will vary from person to person. Even committed students are unlikely to achieve the rank of 1st Dan within four years, many taking six or seven years.

" The Martial Arts is a lifetime study. It is not a matter of months or years. It is for life" - Takahara Shinun Sho

Do I have to be fit ... ?

Provided there are no obvious medical reasons why you should not train, fitness should be no barrier to starting to study Ju Jitsu. As you progress in your training your fitness level and more importantly you suppleness and flexibility for studying in martial arts will increase.

Does it matter how old I am ... ?

Provided there are no obvious medical reasons why you should not train, age should be no barrier to starting to study Ju Jitsu. The only restriction we place on age is  for Juniors and this is a minimum of 8 years.

Is Ju Jitsu suitable for Women...?

Ju Jitsu is an ideal martial art for women. It's techniques are designed to utilise differences in strength and size against an attacker.

Are there competitions ... ?

Ju Jitsu is a martial art, it is not a sport. As such the techniques can be deadly. There are competitions run by the BJJA(GB) which have set formats. Ronin do not include these "sport" formats in any syllabus.

Do people get injured ... ?

Ju Jitsu is a martial art and the techniques are designed to cause injury. Strict guidelines are adhered to at all times while in the Dojo to ensure the risk of injury is minimised. Because Ronin consistently reviews safety of techniques and dojo practices no student has suffered a serious injury.

Who / What is Dan ... ?

Dan is a Japanese word meaning grade or degree indicated by wearing a Black belt. 1st Dan is awarded when the student passes the criteria to be awarded black belt. There are a possible 10 dan's. At one point in the early 20th century Dr Jigaro Kano founder of Judo and usually credited as the inventor of the ranking system had included 11th and 12th Dan rankings after he had been awarded 10th Dan, he said "There can never be an end to learning, when you reach the top of one mountain there is always another one to climb".

Do I need to Speak Japanese...?

The simple answer is no. The vast majority of the techniques have English translations of their original Japanese names. We do use some words of Japanese, but not many and you will pick these up as you go. Check out the Glossary for a list of useful Martial arts terms.

© 2006 West Midlands Ju Jitsu