Ancient form of self-defense, empty-handed or using also a small stick. Mostly part of a comprehensive school of martial skills (bujutsu) and warfare (heiho). The name Yawara was synonymously used for Jujutsu.
In Europe and the US, the name Yawara was also used synonymously for the Jiu-Jitsu practiced from ca. 1900 to the 1960’s (see Jiu-Jitsu).