(This is a lighthearted study - we were all novices once. Best read aloud in the voice of David Attenborough.)
Not such a rare and elusive creature as one would suppose. This timid animal is often discovered by an aggressive predator due to its inadequate camouflage. Its glaringly white colouring and loud creaking noises as it shuffles its way along the floor of a dojo, make it easy prey for the older and more ruthless members of its species.
This generally amicable young mammal is sadly lacking in the ability to understand and coordinate even the most simple of tasks. This usually results in the fierce sensei (the leader of this extraordinary pack of creatures) being compelled to enforce pointless and repetitive exercises on the dim-witted youngsters.
But, as time progresses they develop the skills necessary for survival (some more slowly than others). They learn not to violently impact their heads into the floor as the roll in play across the dojo. They become aware of the directions their wildly flailing limbs are travelling in. They lose their obvious and offensive colouring, either by adding a subtle "accidentally washed with a pair of blue pants" colouring or by adding liberal spots of rusty red/brown. But, most importantly of all, they learn how to spot yet newer novices and thereby transfer away all unwanted attention.
And, in time, the maturing jitsuka will leave the security of their own dojo to face the trials of the big wide world. And who knows, one day they may also claim a dojo of their own and miraculously spawn millions of baby jitsuka - one or two of which will almost certainly survive to adulthood.
Keren Curtis October 2000.