Ju Jitsu in Fermanagh has never been more popular. The local Martial Art club has been operating for twelve years within the county under the guidance of Lyle Gawley, but numbers are growing faster than ever as people flock to the sport as a way to build fitness, learn self-defence and take part in competitions.
The Japanese Martial Art uses a combination of strikes, blocks, holds, locks, chokes and throws to overcome an opponent. 
It is both an effective form of self-defence and a healthy activity for people of all ages. The club meets in Lisnaskea, Enniskillen and Omagh and Lyle has been delighted to witness its surge in popularity. “It’s pretty much the biggest martial art in Ireland at the minute, and especially within Northern Ireland,” he said. “It is something that has grown over the years, and we have a fantastic national coach who has helped develop the structure and help it expand. There are classes in all counties so it’s really accessible to everybody.”
Lyle takes his sport to young and old throughout the county, with children from as young as six right up to pensioners all being actively involved. Many have been attracted to the sport purely for the fitness benefits, with people at all fitness levels able to benefit. “Some people think you have to be super fit to get into it, but you can start at any level and can build up over time,” he said. “We have someone who started Ju Jitsu when he was 52 and he is about 70 now and still training. He has been training for a long time and has worked his way up through the levels and although he has poor health at the minute he can still put some of the young guys to shame. A lot of people don’t like going to the gym and team sports don’t suit everybody and want a more individual thing. I have a lot of people starting the class to get fit and they thought martial arts was a way of doing that, but then they really get into the martial arts side of it. Fitness just comes with it.”
Ju Jitsu is also recognised as an effective method of self-defence, with some people keen to develop their skills should they ever need them. “For years Ju Jitsu has been used by the police and the military as their self-defence technique so it has real world applications,” revealed Lyle. “It’s a self defence system where you use realistic defences against attacks from all situations. You are learning techniques to defend against pretty much everything. A lot of martial arts focus vary - some focus just on striking, some on grappling, some on the traditional types of things, but we put it all together so there is something for everyone. I enjoy doing the self-defence classes, and I had been doing those in the Collegiate. The girls are keen and they found it really useful. We take out the fitness and the traditional side and leave it pure self-defence. Hopefully they will never have to use it but I have chatted to a few girls on the courses that have had to. It’s a subject I particularly enjoy so it is great to teach it.”
For those looking a sport with a more competitive element there is also the option to take their Ju Jitsu into the sporting arena, with the grappling element of the martial art becoming more popular. “We are developing the grappling side of our Ju Jitsu because a lot of the coaches and students are interested in it, and we are putting a team together to develop grappling,” he said. “I was team leader for the group and we are putting courses together, adult competitions, then we brought in teams and earlier this year we brought in kids grappling competitions. People in the lower grades sometimes worry about going to competitions but there are plenty of different categories for beginners and intermediates and weight categories so there is an opportunity for all to compete.”
The local clubs have not only embraced the competitive element of the sport, but they have excelled in it. “We have been doing the competition for a few years now and we have been doing very well, winning gold silver and bronze medals, and it is great to see the skill level developing,” said Lyle. 
“As you go up the skill levels it becomes more challenging for people, and it is great to see them up their game. I had a group of 10 kids went up to the first competition in Ballymena in March and all ten came home with medals, which was good. There has also been the opportunity for some members of the club to travel even further afield. In June a group of 10 senior students travelled to Rome to train at the World Ju Jitsu Federation 40th Anniversary World Congress with the top Ju Jitsu instructors from 25 different countries including the world famous Rigan Machado. It was a great experience for the students to go over. Some of the lower grades came over as well and everyone had a great time.”
Anyone interested in joining the Ju Jitsu craze or finding out more about what is involved can find details on the local club’s website www.fermanaghjujitsu.com.