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BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint locks and choke holds to force an opponent to submit. The art was based on early 20th century Kodokan Judo, which was itself then a recently developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese Jujutsu.

It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper techniques can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Training (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.

Beginnings

The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Combat in English), a Japanese expert judoka and member of the Kudokan. Maeda was one of five of the Kodukan's top groundwork experts that Kano sent overseas to spread his Judo to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914.

Since its inception, judo was separated from jujutsu in its goals, philosophy, and training regime. Although there was great rivalry amoung jujutsu teachers, this was more than just Kano Jigoro's ambition to clearly individualize his art. To Kano, judo wasn't solely an art: it was also a sport, a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people, and ultimately, a way (Tao) of life.

Spread

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the 1990's, when Brazilian Jiu-jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second, and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time where single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce against often much larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo, tae kwon do, and wrestling. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing wide spread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship.

Helio, Royce's father, competed in several submission judo competitions which mostly ended in a draw. One defeat came by Masahiko Kimura, whose name the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Helio. In a much later interview, Helio admitted that he was choked unconscious early in the fight but regained consciousness quickly and avoided losing early. There are many accounts of what transpired during their fight in 1951, ranging from Kimura mocking Helio to teach in Japan. Today, Helio teaches occasionally in Brazil and accompanies his sones during fights.

Helio Gracie Royce Gracie Mitsuyo Maeda Masahiko Kimura