Sisters man teaches self defense

Tom "TJ" Jutte has a passion for self defense - and a system he believes offers ordinary citizens their best chance to avoid becoming a victim.

Jutte has launched new classes in Brazilian Jujutsu at Cascade Fitness in Sisters.

"It is wrestling with submission holds to neutralize your attacker," Jutte explained.

The big former wrestler also incorporates some serious striking capability into his instruction repertoire - strikes that would be illegal in competition.

That's because Jutte's focus is purely on self defense, not on competition or climbing a ladder of belts. By becoming proficient in some basic striking techniques - with hands, feet, elbows and knees - along with Brazilian Jujitsu, "you can neutralize an attacker so you can get away to safety. In my mind, there is no better self-defense system in the world than Brazilian Jujitsu with striking."

Jutte was a wrestler from an early age and gravitated like many other wrestlers to Brazilian Jujitsu because of the self defense potential. He's been a dedicated student of the art for over 15 years and he insists that he learns something from each session - even from a novice.

With a discipline that is as fluid and informal as Brazilian Jujitsu, there is an unlimited range of possible actions - and every individual reacts in slightly different ways.

"That's what I like about it," Jutte said. "You never, ever stop learning."

And anyone can learn.

"If you can walk and you can move your arms in a circular motion, you can do jujitsu. It's that simple," Jutte said. "You don't have to be athletic; you don't have to be strong."

While Jutte himself is a big man - about six feet tall and a solid 275 pounds - he focuses much of his effort on teaching much smaller people, particularly women.

Women are especially vulnerable to attack in our society and Jutte believes they need to know how to fend off an attack if they can't talk their way out of it or run. Brazilian Jujitsu with striking fills the bill, because the lethal strikes don't rely on main strength and the grappling techniques of Brazilian Jujitsu allow a small person to take down and neutralize a much bigger, stronger opponent through leverage.

To introduce women to the technique in a comfortable environment, Jutte offers a class on Monday from 1 to 2:15 p.m. that is for women only.

"I want them to feel comfortable and sometimes they're intimidated by men, until they learn the techniques and stuff," Jutte said. "Once they learn that size and strength don't matter, they're happy to interact with men."

Jutte's other classes are on Monday (5 to 6:15 p.m.), and Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Jutte's fee is $10 per session - much lower than many instructors. That's because teaching self defense is a calling for Jutte; he believes instruction should be accessible to everyone.

"It's not about the money to me," he said. "It's about self defense and safety."

While the training sessions have a serious purpose, Jutte emphasizes that Brazilian Jujitsu is a lot of fun and a great way to get into shape. He also emphasizes safety and respect.

"We are not there to hurt anybody," he said. "We're all about respect. We've all got to work the next day."

Jutte guarantees success - defined as learning something in every session, having fun, gaining fitness and confidence.

"I don't care if you've been doing this for 10 minutes or 10 years," he said. "You're going to walk away with more confidence than (you had) when you came in."

For more information, contact Jutte at 390-3070.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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