Jujutsu, also known as kumiuchi, is in the basis of all martial arts. It is the fighting art with which one stops an opponent's attack without using weapons, and also includes counterattacks and methods to immobilize an opponent. Toward the end of the Sengoku period, it was considered proof of great skill to capture an opponent alive, and warriors who did this were appraised very highly by their superiors. Jujursu was therefore an essential skill for warriors on the battlefield. From the Edo period, jujutsu was used by the police to capture criminals, and it also became a method of self-defense for commoners. This highly skilled art has been preserved until today.