History

There’s been much controversy about how Martial Arts passed from China to Japan. The most plausible theory, based on historical evidence, is that eastern, unarmed combat arts derive from Greece.

Six centuries before the earliest Japanese records of unarmed combat, a similar sport, technically very similar to nowadays Tai-Jitsu, existed in Greece: the so called Pankreato, or Pancrase, meaning the “all- powerful art”. It was first introduced in the Greek Olympic Games in 648 B.C., and was practiced in this nation until 400 A.D. There are contemporary paintings, vases and sculptures depicting the techniques of this art. It’s not the goal of this work to present a historical study on the subject, which should be treated in a specific article or otherwise left to historians or scholars on the subject.

Tai-Jitsu as we know it today was, to a great extent, compiled by Master Minoru Mochizuki, who collected the techniques taught by Master Sokaku Takeda to Morihei Ueshiba (creator of Aikido). Master Mochizuki was sent by Master Kano (creator of Judo) to study and train the Daito Ryu techniques with Master Ueshiba, as Master Kano knew Ueshiba was a direct student of Sokaku Takeda. Mochizuki obtained a Master degree. Master Ueshiba asked Master Mochizuki to be his successor, but Mochizuki declined because he didn’t share the new direction he was following, apart from the martial concept and into what would later be known as Aikido. Master Mochizuki recovered a great number of techniques, especially from Tai-Jitsu, as well as very old Kata relative to this type of unarmed work. It must be taken into account that Tai-Jitsu was another discipline, another subject, within the teachings of the Samurai academies, which also worked on the use of long and short sword, tanto, etc.

In a trip to France in 1951, Master Mochizuki imparted classes to a group of Martial Arts students. Master Jim Alcheik was among them. He trained with Master Mochizuki for 3 years and then moved to Japan to follow his teachings for three more. Upon his return to France, in 1956, he taught Tai-Jitsu classes, taking Master Roland Hernáez as student and assistant. Master Jim Alcheik died in a terrorist attack in Algeria, where he acted as a secret agent for the French government. After his death, Master Roland Hernáez decided to continue the work initiated by his Master and travelled to Japan to train with Master Minoru Mochizuki. Master Roland Hernáez developed a work and training methodology of Tai-Jitsu adapted to the western didactical mindset, but scrupulously keeping the pedagogical aspect and Japanese BUDO spirit. This methodology was approved by Master M. Mochizuki, who adopted it as the official method for the teaching of Tai-Jitsu.

In Spain Tai-Jitsu is introduced in 1977-78 by Mr. Carlos Vidal de Castro, who registers it into the Spanish Karate Federation, where he was Secretary, as associated discipline. Since then, this is the organization recognized by the Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) as the official Federation in charge of the teaching, promotion and regulation of Tai-Jitsu in Spain, as reflected in its Statutes.