This word is a Japanese term, which refers to the martial art upon which the sport of judo is based.
The two kanji which make up this word are depicted below:
じゅう
,%%,
"%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
,,,, ,%%%"
"%%%,, ,%%""
"%%%%%%""
,%%%%" ,%%,
"%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
,%%%% %%%% ,%%%%%"
,%%%%" %%%% ,%%%"
,%%%%" %%%% ,%%""
,,%%%" %%%%
,%%%%"" "%%"
,,,%%%""" ,,
%%%%,
%%%%" ,%%,
"%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%% "%%,
%%%%%%%%% "%%,,
,%%%%" %%%% "%%%,,
,%%%%%" %%%% "%%%%,,
,%%%%"" %%%% "%%%%%%,,,,,,,
,,,%%%%"" %%%% "%%%%%%%%%%
,,,%%%""""" %%%% ""%%%%"
"%%"
The first character, which is read "JUU" (like Jew, but longer), happens to also be the first character in the word judo, means "tender", "weak", or "soft". It can also be read "yawara", which is another synonym for judo. Fans of anime may remember a series called Yawara: A Fashionable Judo Girl.
じゅつ
%%,, %%,,
%%%%%% "%%%%, ,%%,
,%%%%% %%%% %%%, "%%%%%%%%%
,%%%%" %%%% %%%%
,%%%%" %%%% "%"
,%%%" %%%%
%%"" ,%,, "%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%%%%% %%%%
,%%%%" %%%% ,%%,
%%%%" %%%% "%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%%%%" ,%,, %%%% %%%%
%%%%% "%%%%%%%%% %%%, %%%%
%%%%%% %%%%"%%%% "%%, %%%%
%%%"%%%% %%%% %%%% %%%, %%%%
%%"" %%%% %%% %%%% %%%% %%%%
%%%% ,%%" %%%% "%%% %%%%
%%%% ,%% %%%% %%% %%%%
%%%% %%" %%%% "%" %%%%
%%%% %%" %%%% %%%%
%%%% %%%% %%%%
%%%% %%%% %%%%
%%%% %%%% ,%%%%
%%%% "%%" "%%%%%%%%
"%%" "%%%%"
The second character, which is read "JUTSU" (like Jew-TSOO), means "art" or "skill", and shows up in many terms describing arts or skills. Some common examples are 忍術 nin-jutsu (art of the 忍者 nin-ja), and 美術 bi-jutsu (fine arts).
There seems to be a lot of confusion about how to spell this word. In my opinion, There are three appropriate ways to write this word with roman letters. Thankfully, e2 has standardized on one of them.
- jujitsu:
Not phonetically correct, but widely accepted, and listed in Webster's.
- jujutsu:
An alternate spelling, also listed in Webster's
- juujutsu:
The correct romanization using the Hepburn system. Speakers of English will tend to pronounce this spelling most like the actual Japanese word. Actually, this is not quite the Hepburn system. The real Hepburn system dictated that a circumflex should appear above long vowels, with the exception of 'i', which is doubled. This would be jûjutsu. In practice a macron is more commonly used (jūjutsu). However, it is also common to simply double all vowels, since vowels with macrons and circumflexes are not a part of the ASCII character set.