Jiu Jitsu: American Method, or New Tricks in Self Defence

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elf defence written on a booklet published in USA?? Hmmm.. I always kind of thought that this was the English way of spelling the term? Well, maybe both spellings are (or used to be) accepted, since both are being used within this publication? Strange...

Another strange thing is this, dear I say, rather sporty claim from the preface: "Jiu Jitsu. This is the Japanese name for the American Art of Self Defence." All right! Glad finally someone told me the truth :-)! And there is more.. Let me introduce tehnique number 20 (a fireman's lift): "No. 20-Rescuing a person from a fire, or helping a person who has collapsed in the street, also how to carry a dying person to safety alone." Is the person just partially dying (like in brain-dead), or maybe temporarily dying? Either way, sort of odd...

In the booklet you will find a picture of "Professor" Henry W. Titus, a bodybuilder and "strongman" who had a considerable success with his post-order businesss in New York during the 1920s. Titus awarded a bronze-medallion to everyone who completed his course and sent him a photo as a proof of their progress.

There is also a picture of W. Harry Titus, Jr. (probably a relative): "A prize winner in the contest of Prof. H. W. Titus for Building Better Bodies. He is a well trained athlete with a magnificent development."

Let us go directly on to the prize winning question: Why are these two gentlemen featured here? Beats me! From what I can see, they are not mentioned anywhere throughout the text, and the author is one Frank Feldman, "Formerly member of New York Police Department, Formerly member of New York Police Reserve. Lieut." Maybe Titus was some sort of a sponsor? Maybe Feldman simply had a knack for muscular guys..? Anyhow, there is an advertisement for Titus' course ("You're Next") in the back pages of the booklet.

And what have we got here? Titus (looks like jr) is "the bad guy", wearing the light colored suit in the shots. Feldman on the other hand (our hero, remember?) is dressed in black. Somehow i thought it was the other way around?

Apart from this. there is really not much to say about the techniques. It is all really basic stuff. The booklet seems to be originating from the 30s or 40s. And Mr. Feldmann was obviously very busy with bringing other males to safety... :-) "No 2-Arm Lock. Used in Securing a Person So As to Make Him Powerless and Being Able to Remove Him Alone to a Safe Place." Noughty boy - you noughty, noughty boy!

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