There are many different styles of ju jitsu (jiu-jitsu), each concentrating on a different aspect of the art. In its purest form ju jitsu comprises kicks, punches, nerve-centre pressure-point control, holds, joint locks, throws and grappling. Ju Jitsu is arguably the most well-rounded combat art for self-defense.
In Japanese, ju jitsu means "gentle (ju) art (jitsu)". The name refers not just to ju jitsu techniques, which are anything but "gentle", but rather to how you address a self-defense situation, including your state of being having reached a certain degree of proficiency.