Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a form of martial arts that was developed during the early 20th century from Judo. It relies more or less entirely on ground fighting and uses techniques developed in Kodokan Judo, intended to eliminate the size advantage of a bigger opponent.
The story behind Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was developed by the Gracie brothers under the training of Mitsuyo Maeda during the early part of the 20th century. Maeda started out as a Sumo wrestler but did not have the build for it, so he switched to Judo and soon became an expert in the field. He left Japan in 1904 and traveled all over the world participating in various fighting competitions and winning over 2000 of them during his lifetime earning the title “Count Combat”. By the 1900’s the popularity of Judo spread to The United States and Europe. This caused the Japanese Legation in the USA to invite many Judo teachers including Maeda to the US. He eventually moved to Brazil in 1914 where he established his Judo academy. In 1917, a 14 year old Carlos Gracie who had been impressed with Maeda’s performances approached him and was accepted as a student. He then passed on the knowledge to his brother Helio Gracie who went on to develop Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
What makes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu superior to other styles?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu borrows heavily from Judo and involves a wide variety of techniques. The most important aspect is taking an attacker to the ground, making it easier to defend one self against a larger attacker using techniques such as grappling, chokes, escapes, counters and take downs. This form of martial art causes extreme injuries to the attacker without the use of much energy. This technique however, can be used only while dealing with a single attacker for obvious reasons.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a sport
The international Brazilian Jiu Jitsu foundation hosted the first World Jiu Jitsu Championship in 1996. Since then the popularity of this championship has increased tremendously as has the number of participants. The tournament also attracts a large number of skilled athletes from all over the world. In 2007, the tournament was relocated outside of Brazil for the first time leading to a dramatic increase in the participation. This championship includes various events for men and women and is considered to be one of the most prestigious events of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Apart from this, various other tournaments are held all over the world. In recent years, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has also been highlighted in Mixed Martial Arts tournaments, such as UFC, due to its effectiveness in ground combat.
If Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sounds like a martial art you would be interested in, find a Jiu Jitsu School near you. Or discuss Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on the forums.