Jit, Jit-Jit, Jit....A Detroit Original......!

blksoul_x · July-25-09, 11:19 PM

I know that this subject has been discussed from time to time on the forum. I wanted to give props to the brothas' on this video,[[courtesy of Jitting for Jesus, non-profit fundraiser).....but first, for those who don't know, here is a bit of background of this Detroit underground original, called the Jit or Jit'n....

The word Jit'n is based upon a street-style call 'Jit' that originated in the 'hoods' [[metaphor for Black areas) of Detroit. Jit'n has evolved into a dance style rooted from the streets of Detroit. Jit'n has been around since the early 70's and was fashioned after street-gang swagger that was promoted to show a gangs particular gait. The hipper the strut, the more power one possessed. Many different foot movements, as well as hand movements emerged from the practice of strutting a gait. Jit'n emerged during the 70s and still is practiced today.

Not to neglect its more broader African roots, the term Jittin is rooted within the culture of African dance music. Jittin is a popular musical style based in Zimbabwe, full of drums and high volume rhythm and performed within celebratory occasions. The Zimbabwean dance music style was popularized in the early 70's.

Jit'n is performed to an uptempo beat [[usually 130 to 145 bpm) of Detroit Ghetto-Tech music. Ghetto-Tech [[another Motor-City original) combines, Funk, Techno, Electro, New-Wave and Miami Bass.

Combined with Ghetto-Tech, Jit'n involves brisk flowing full body movements, especially the feet. Many Jit moves encompass the feet, the legs, the arms, the head and often encourages snake like movements while standing or lying on the ground. Dance styles that are often incorporated into a Jit session are, The 'Rambisco' [[or Bisco), The 'Errol Flynn', The 'Linwood', The 'Get Paid', and The 'Funkateer'.

Anyway, enough of the small talk, let's get down to Jit'n....enjoy!

click on below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHfbGrW1_JA

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

diver1369 · July-26-09, 06:30 AM

that was sweet

**Ed Golick** · July-26-09, 07:36 AM

blksoul_x,
Being a "basic white person," I never would have known that the 'hoods' was a metaphor for the "Black area of Detroit." You learn something new every day.
I enjoyed the video.

**gnome** · July-26-09, 08:21 AM

very nice, I didn't know that jit'n was male only. Is there such a thing as couple jit'n?

**Detroit Stylin** · July-26-09, 08:40 AM

Thayt was hot for real....

Sludgedaddy · July-26-09, 07:23 PM

...Yas...Yas...Deys alls be Jittin' Fo' Jesus, cuz dey alls be doin' dat dance inspired by St. Vitus.

**Bobl** · July-26-09, 07:46 PM

Sludgedaddy, control yourself.

Jittin' for Jesus sure beats Pumpin' for Jill.
Even better would be Pumpin' for Jesus or Jittin' for Jill....

Bx: Kind of makes the old Soul Train Dancers look European!

**RickBeall** · July-26-09, 10:19 PM

I do that every time I meet someone in the street. Every once in a while I go up to the corner store for milk and they have to bring me back in stretcher. ;-)

Fabulous dancing!

blksoul_x · July-27-09, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

very nice, I didn't know that jit'n was male only. Is there such a thing as couple jit'n?

Gnome, jit'n is predominantly male. I would speculate that its street gang origin promotes its male presence, as well as its physical and intense style. A female jitter is considered a rarity. Also, it is traditionally an individual based dance, perhaps do to it's improvisational nature.

Further, several neighborhood styles have developed throughout the years of jit'n. Notably, the Linwood jit, the 6mile smurf jit, the PA jit, as well as the, Mack Avenue slide jit are just to name a few. Each style is distinctive insofar as its subtle hand and footwork movements.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate.

**rb336** · July-27-09, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by blksoul_x

The hipper the strut, the more power one possessed. Many different foot movements, as well as hand movements emerged from the practice of strutting a gait. Jit'n emerged during the 70s and still is practiced today.

Sounds like The Ministry for Silly Walks to me

**Pam** · July-27-09, 10:04 AM

Many different foot movements, as well as hand movements emerged from the practice of strutting a gait

The Cakewalk from 1903:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKuvs5dd8bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZBtVkmqxvk

**ejames01** · July-27-09, 10:06 AM

You have to be in really good shape to dance like that.

blksoul_x · July-27-09, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

The Cakewalk from 1903:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZBtVkmqxvk

Pam, the 2nd video is an interesting juxtaposition, [[especially the modern day jit'). Thanx for the reference.

Here is an example below, [[not the best example, but nevertheless an example), of the classic Errol Flynn Jit', back in the day! If you closely examine some of the earlier, hand, leg, and footwork movements of the Jit' in the video below, you can clearly see the foundation of today's faster pace jit'n moves.

enjoy......[[click on below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxvzqbnT4Vk

blksoul-atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

**Patrick** · July-27-09, 02:41 PM

Hilarious. I loved how some dork made it rain about a minute into the video. It was probably all $1 bills anyways. What the fuck is it about making it rain and urban settings? Why do people toss up cash in the air at an event? Are you sure it isn't Monopoly money?

Keepin it real yo.

**Pam** · July-27-09, 03:05 PM

Off topic, but this is a fun dance video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwlGNNqGf_g

**Jimaz** · July-27-09, 06:17 PM

"best female at jittin I ever seen"

Sludgedaddy · July-27-09, 06:56 PM

Wishing to delve deeper in research concerning this type of Urban Terpsicore, I concede to the fact that these type of movements were indeed inspired by the many old street gangs of Detroit.

Relating to the Coney-Oneys, The Earl [[sic) Flynns and the lesser known Johnny Weismullers, all evidence points to the fact that some of these "moves" resulted from inadvertedly placing one's penis in a 440 volt outlet or attempting to steal hubcaps or expensive "dubs" from a moving vehicle.

**Detroit Stylin** · July-28-09, 07:44 AM

typos

Originally Posted by Sludgedaddy

Wishing to delve deeper in research concerning this type of Urban Terpsicore, I concede to the fact that these type of movements were indeed inspired by the many old street gangs of Detroit.

Relating to the Coney-Oneys, The Earl [[sic) Flynns and the lesser known Johnny Weismullers, all evidence points to the fact that some of these "moves" resulted from inadvertedly placing one's penis in a 440 volt outlet or attempting to steal hubcaps or expensive "dubs" from a moving vehicle.

Hey Sludgepacker.....if you have nothing better to do than to mock a culture that is different from your own, please do us a favor and never post again...

TY in advance....

**ejames01** · July-28-09, 08:48 AM

Is that really necessary?

Originally Posted by Sludgedaddy

Wishing to delve deeper in research concerning this type of Urban Terpsicore, I concede to the fact that these type of movements were indeed inspired by the many old street gangs of Detroit.

Relating to the Coney-Oneys, The Earl [[sic) Flynns and the lesser known Johnny Weismullers, all evidence points to the fact that some of these "moves" resulted from inadvertedly placing one's penis in a 440 volt outlet or attempting to steal hubcaps or expensive "dubs" from a moving vehicle.

**rjlj** · July-28-09, 10:29 AM

"Jit" descends from the dance style "Jitterbug."
The Jit dance developed out of how the GQ kids [[West side, middle class) and the Jit kids [[East side, poorer) attempted to ditinguish themselves from each other. It came out of these Social Clubs between two different groups of people and not gang culture. From what I gather, the gang aspect was a later development.
You can get a a pretty good history in the book Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Detroiter Dan Sicko.
Also, Simon Reynolds briefly touches upon the subject in the book Generation Ecstasy : Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.
I am pretty sure it is not Zimbabwean dance unless a source can be provided that states otherwise.

I don't claim to be an expert, this is just what I have been told and learned.

blksoul_x · July-28-09, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by rjlj

"Jit" descends from the dance style "Jitterbug."

The Jit dance developed out of how the GQ kids [[West side, middle class) and the Jit kids [[East side, poorer) attempted to ditinguish themselves from each other. It came out of a party culture between two different groups of people and not gang culture. From what I gather, the gang aspect was a later development.

You can get a a pretty good history in the book Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk by Detroiter Dan Sicko.

Also, Simon Reynolds briefly touches upon the subject in the book Generation Ecstasy : Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.

I am pretty sure it is not Zimbabwean dance unless a source can be provided that states otherwise.

Actually, I was speaking on the 'term' 'Jit', [[not the dance), having its origins via a Zimbabwean music style. Below is an example of classic Zimbabwean 'Jit' music.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJKdm59Pvqk

Also, no disrespect, but your usage of GQ' kids, and Jit kids, Party Culture is perhaps foreign to most old-school katz that actually lived and survived the inner-city underground experience, or at-least, to whom I've ever talked to.

You are correct though, 'jit' is short for 'jitterbug'. However, your belief that the 'jit' came out of a 'part culture' is way off base. I'm pretty sure, the techno and rave books you suggested may well represent Detroit's 'party scene', but as for an accurate debate on Detroit's hood', it ought be told by the streets, and only the streets.

The origins of the dance is much more complexed than the story to which you offer. It's roots are heavily connected to Detroit's past gang/street history. As I stated, many of the movements were initially based upon complexed gang signatures [[signs), such has hand, and arm movements. The gaiting of the strut, was incorporated with the hand and arm signatures, [[perhaps accidentally), but nevertheless became essential in the overall individuality or uniqueness of each group.

If fact, I believe overall, Detroit's Black culture, [[attitudinally), is heavenly influenced by the style of our past gang culture.

blksoul_atcha!

The BJL, the color you love to hate.

**Hamtragedy** · July-28-09, 03:10 PM

I can't stop laughing at Sludgedaddy. He got the Earl Flynn part right so I'm not taking it with too much degradation. The hand motions in the Earl Flynn probably made it the easiest dance you could do sitting down. Oh, and don't forget the Schoolcraft, which was another variation. The footwork in all of these appears to be pretty frenetic, but to watch someone up-close pulling off these moves and barely breaking a sweat is nothing short of a thing of beauty.

As it appears to the Techno scene, the same footwork was common in the eary days, as a couple Funkateers [[google The Scene) would occasionally show up at the club. There were a couple guys known as "kickers" and you could watch the predictable pre-moves as they would get ready to kick the ceiling. I was driving by the enclosed bus stop at Mack & Woodward in January, and watched some kid with head phones run thru the same series of moves, feet moving, hands flying, and sure enough, launched into one of those patented Detroit kicks.

Thanks X