What are Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido practiced by Rahul Gandhi

On the occasion of National Sports Day, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, took to X to share an eight-minute video of himself practicing the martial art of Jiu-Jitsu with a few other martial arts students. In his post, he wrote that during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ earlier this year, he had ‘made a daily routine of practicing Jiu-jitsu “every evening” at the campsite with martial arts students from the region he was traveling through.
The message read: ‘Our goal was to introduce these young minds to the beauty of the ‘soft art’ – a harmonious blend of meditation, Jiu-Jitsu, Aikidoand techniques for nonviolent conflict resolution. We wanted to teach them the value of transforming violence into gentleness, and give them the tools to build a more compassionate and safe society.” Rahul Gandhi is a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu and a black belt in Aikido.
But what are these martial arts that Rahul Gandhi seems to be so adept at, as seen in the video? Let’s take a brief look at the origins, traditions and significance of these martial arts.
Jiu-jitsu
Also known as Jiu-Jitsu, there has been much debate over its origins. Some believe it originated in India and was practiced by Buddhist monks to protect themselves from bandits, while others say it originated in ancient Greece.
The art form was used by samurai warriors, who were skilled in fighting. This martial art came in handy when the warrior was unarmored and on foot in a battlefield. In Japan, it is famously called the “Soft Art” or “the Art of Flexibility.” It teaches flexible body movements to fight against violence. The art includes throws, locks, chokes, strikes, and wrestling. While physical dominance is a part of this martial art, it also teaches how to counter a strong opponent by using the opponent’s energy against him.
The first recorded mention of the name ‘Jiu-Jitsu’ can be found in 1532 when Takenouchi Hisamori founded the first school of Jiu-Jitsu. It later reached South America via the Japanese diplomat Mitsyuo Maeda, who taught the secrets of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu to the Gracie family’s eldest son, Carlos Gracie.
Aikido
This Japanese martial art was created in the 20th century by Morihei Ueshiba, a martial artist. Aikido means “the way to harmonize energy” and is considered an offshoot of Jiu-Jitsu. Of the nine official martial arts of Japan, Aikido has its place. The movements in this art form are largely Ueshiba’s innovations.
The creator’s goal was to develop a martial art that not only specializes in fighting, but also represents his philosophy of universal peace and reconciliation. The goal is not to emerge victorious from battle; rather, it emphasizes self-defense and self-growth. There are no competitions in traditional Aikido, only demonstrations by practitioners to teach the mind to become one with the body.