The Reading Warehouse

Bushido: A Complete History of British Jujutsu reveals the untold stories behind the UK's martial arts. Jujutsu was brought to the UK in the 1890s, the era of Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes. It was adapted by men like EW Barton-Wright for the paranoid streets of London and the violent docks of Liverpool. It was then utilised by men who served in the trenches of the First World War and by the women who defended themselves in the Suffragette movement like Edith Garrud. After the Second World War British Jujutsu was pioneered by ex servicemen like Gerry Skyner, Jim Blundell and Vernon Bell. Bushido: A Complete History of British Jujutsu traces the lineages of Jujutsu's pioneers to the Samurai schools that their teachings came from. It traces right through to the present day governing bodies and the era of mixed martial arts. Historian Simon Keegan, author of the best-selling Karate Jutsu publishes contemporary records, photographs and cuttings that have never been published before.