Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Encyclopedia
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art, combat sport
, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling
and especially ground fighting
. The art was derived from the Japanese martial art of Kodokan
judo
in the early 20th century.
It teaches that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique—most notably by applying joint-locks and chokehold
s to defeat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi
and no-gi) and mixed martial arts
(MMA) competition or self defense. Sparring
(commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live
drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system
.
(aka Conde Koma, or Count Coma in English), a member of the then-recently-founded Kodokan
. Maeda was one of five of Judo's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro
sent overseas to demonstrate and spread his art 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.
Jiu-jitsu is known as more than just a system of fighting. Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of judo was separated from older systems of Japanese jujutsu by an important difference that was passed on to BJJ: it is not solely a martial art: it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way (Do
) of life.
Maeda had trained first in sumo
as a teenager, and after the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time, he changed from sumo to judo, becoming a student of Kano's Kodokan judo. He was promoted to 7th dan in Kodokan judo the day before he died in 1941.
Gastão Gracie was a business partner of the American Circus in Belém
. In 1916, Italian Argentine
circus
Queirolo Brothers staged shows there and presented Maeda. In 1917, Carlos Gracie
, the eldest son of Gastão Gracie, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Da Paz Theatre
and decided to learn judo. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student and Carlos learned for a few years, eventually passing his knowledge on to his brothers.
At age fourteen, Hélio Gracie
, the youngest of the brothers, moved in with his older brothers who lived and taught Jiu-Jitsu in a house in Botafogo, a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Following a doctor's recommendations, Hélio would spend the next few years being limited to watching his brothers teach as he was naturally frail.
One day, when Hélio Gracie was 16 years old, a student showed up for class when Carlos was not around. Hélio, who had memorized all the techniques from watching his brothers teach, offered to start the class. When the class was over, Carlos showed up and apologized for his delay. The student asked that Hélio continue being his instructor. Over time, Hélio Gracie gradually developed Gracie Jiu Jitsu as an adaptation from Judo, as he was unable to perform many Judo moves.
Hélio Gracie
also held the rank of 6th dan
in judo
.
Although Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is largely identified with the Gracie family, there is also another prominent lineage from Maeda via another Brazilian disciple, Luis França. This lineage had been represented particularly by Oswaldo Fadda
. Fadda and his students were famous for influential use of footlocks and the lineage still survives through Fadda's links with today's teams such as Nova União
and Grappling Fight Team.
was still often referred to as "Kano Jiu-Jitsu", or, even more generically, simply as "Jiu-Jitsu." Higashi, the co-author of "Kano Jiu-Jitsu" wrote in the foreword:
Outside Japan, however, this distinction was noted even less. Thus, when Maeda and Satake arrived in Brazil in 1914, every newspaper announced their art as being "jiu-jitsu" despite both men being Kodokan judoka.
It was not until 1925 that the Japanese government itself officially mandated that the correct name for the martial art taught in the Japanese public schools should be "judo" rather than "jujutsu." In Brazil, the art is still called "Jiu-Jitsu". When the Gracies went to the United States to spread their art, they used the terms "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" to differentiate from the already present styles using similar-sounding names. "Jiu-jitsu" is an older romanization that was the original spelling of the art in the West, and it is still in common use, whereas the modern Hepburn romanization
is "jūjutsu."
The art is sometimes referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ), this name was trademarked by Rorion Gracie
, but after a legal dispute with his cousin Carley Gracie
, his trademark to the name was voided. Other members of the Gracie family often call their style by personalized names, such as Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and similarly, the Machado family
call their style Machado Jiu-Jitsu (MJJ). While each style and its instructors have their own unique aspects, they are all basic variations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Today there are four major branches of BJJ from Brazil
: Gracie Humaita
, Gracie Barra
, Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
and Alliance Jiu Jitsu
. Each branch can trace its roots back to Mitsuyo Maeda
and the Gracie family
.
More recently, the name "jitz" for the art has been gaining currency as a casual layman's term, especially in the USA.
, whose surname the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Hélio. The Gracie family
continued to develop the system throughout the 20th century, often fighting vale tudo
matches (precursors to modern MMA
), during which it increased its focus on ground fighting and refined its techniques.
Today, the main differences between the BJJ styles is between traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis on self-defense, and Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's orientation towards competition. There is a large commonality of techniques between the two. Also, there is a wide variety of ideals in training in different schools in terms of the utilization of pure or yielding technique versus skillful application of pressure to overcome an opponent.
, second
and fourth
Ultimate Fighting Championship
s, which at the time were single elimination
martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing
, shoot-fighting, karate
, judo
and tae kwon do. It has since become a staple art for many MMA
fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread 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 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
.
Brazillian Jiu Jitsu is gaining fast popularity in many parts of the world and is looking to be one of the most popular martial arts around.
techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokehold
s. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are somewhat negated when grappling on the ground.
BJJ permits a wide variety of techniques to take the fight to the ground after taking a grip. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into a suitable position for the application of a submission technique. Achieving a dominant position on the ground is one of the hallmarks of the BJJ style, and includes effective use of the guard
position to defend oneself from bottom, and passing the guard to dominate from top position with side control
, mount
, and back mount
positions. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate in the sport, reflecting a disadvantage which would be extremely difficult to overcome in a fight (such as a dislocated joint or unconsciousness).
Renzo Gracie wrote in his book Mastering Jiu-jitsu:
The book details Maeda's theory as arguing that physical combat could be broken down into distinct phases, such as the striking phase, the grappling phase, the ground phase, etc. Thus, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the fight located in the phase of combat that best suited to his own strengths. Renzo Gracie stated that this was a fundamental influence on the Gracie approach to combat, these strategies were further developed over time by the Gracies and others, and became prominent in contemporary MMA.
Along with BJJ's great strengths on the ground comes its relative underemphasis of standing techniques, such as striking. To remedy this comparative lack, there is an increasing amount of cross-training between the sports of BJJ and wrestling, Judo, or Sambo, as well as striking based arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing.
while training allows practitioners to practice at full speed and with full power, resembling the effort used in a real competition. Training methods include technique drills in which techniques are practiced against a non-resisting partner; isolation sparring, commonly referred to as positional drilling, where only a certain technique or sets of techniques are used, and full sparring in which each opponent tries to submit their opponent using any legal technique. Physical conditioning is also an important part of training at many clubs.
The three main types of guard are Open, Closed, and Half. In closed guard, the bottom grappler has their legs around the opponent's trunk and has their ankles closed together to provide control and a barrier to escaping the position. In the open guard, the legs are not hooked together and the bottom grappler uses their legs or feet to push or pull in a more dynamic fashion. In the half guard, one of the top grappler's legs is being controlled by the bottom grappler's legs.
s and chokes
. Joint locks typically involve isolating an opponent's limb and creating a lever with the body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion. Pressure is increased in a controlled manner and released if the opponent cannot escape the hold and signals defeat by submitting. Opponents can indicate submission verbally or they can tap out (i.e. tap the opponent, the mat several times. Tapping one's own body is dangerous because the opponent may not be able to tell if his or her opponent is tapping.) A choke hold, disrupting the blood supply to the brain
, can cause unconsciousness if the opponent does not submit soon enough.
A less common type of submission hold is a compression lock
, where the muscle of an opponent is compressed against a hard, large bone (commonly the shin or wrist), causing significant pain to the opponent. These types of locks are not usually allowed in competition due to the high risk of tearing muscle tissue. This type of lock often also hyper-extends the joint in the opposite direction, pulling it apart.
. Leglocks are allowed in varying degrees depending on skill level, with straight ankle locks being the only leglocks allowed in the beginner division, or white belt level, straight kneebars being allowed in the intermediate division, or blue belt level and toeholds with the pressure applied inwards are allowed in the advanced division (purple, brown, black). Some competitions also ban submissions involving the crushing or compression of muscle tissue.
However, most joint locks involving the wrist, elbow, shoulder or ankle are permitted as there is a great deal more flexibility in those joints and those locks are safe to use under tournament conditions. Also, some fighters practice moves whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon their opponent, in the hope that they will tap out. This includes driving knuckles into pressure points, holding their opponent's head in order to tire out the neck (called the "can opener" or kubi-hishigi) and putting body weight on top of the sternum, floating ribs, or similarly sensitive bones. These moves are not true submission moves; they are generally only used as distractions mostly in lower levels of competition. They are avoided or aggressively countered in middle to upper levels of competition.
and strangles
(commonly referred to as "air chokes" and "blood chokes") are a common forms of submission. In BJJ, the chokes that are used put pressure on the carotid arteries, but do not block the blood flow. Instead it presses on a nerve cluster (baroreceptors), which tricks the brain into thinking the blood pressure is higher, causing the arteries to dilate in response, resulting in much lower blood pressure and a lack of blood to the brain. This kind of "choke" is very fast acting (if done properly) with victims typically losing consciousness in around 3-5 seconds. In contrast, an air choke (involving constriction of the windpipe) can take up to two minutes, depending on how long the person can hold their breath, and may cause serious damage to the throat, whereas people subjected to baroreceptor chokes for 3-5 seconds will not.
, but often with tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket. This allows the practitioner to benefit from a closer fit, providing less material for an opponent to manipulate, although there is a significant overlap in the standards that allows for a carefully selected Gi to be legal for competition in both styles. Traditionally, to be promoted
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the wearing of the Gi while training is a requirement. Recently with the growing popularity of "no gi" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the practice of giving out belts to no gi practitioners (e.g., Rolles Gracie awarding Rashad Evans
a black belt) has become more common.
The term kimono is sometimes used to describe the outfit, especially in Brazil.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system awards a practitioner different coloured belts to signify increasing levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. While the system's structure shares its origins with the judo ranking system and the origins of all coloured belts, it now contains many of its own unique aspects and themes. Some of these differences are relatively minor, such as the division between youth and adult belts and the stripe/degree system. Others are quite distinct and have become synonymous with the art, such as a marked informality in promotional criteria, including as a focus on a competitive demonstration of skill, and a conservative approach to promotion in general.
Traditionally, the concept of competitive skill demonstration as a quickened and earned route of promotion holds true.
Some schools have placed a green belt for adults between the white and blue belt ranks due to the long periods between advancement. The amount of time it takes to achieve the rank of black belt varies between the individual but the average time frame is between 8 and 10 years with a consistent training schedule of 3 to 4 times per week.
Click HERE for a collection of videos with BJJ being used in the street for self defense
s, security guards
and similar professionals' interest in BJJ has grown. Many security-related professions have emphasized the training in grappling and ground fighting techniques, especially in BJJ, to guarantee success in situations that demand hand-to-hand combat.
starring (Chiwetel Ejiofor
), (Emily Mortimer
) and (Tim Allen
) featured Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's sporting and self-defense aspects.
Hong Kong Martial Artist and Actor, Donnie Yen
, who is a purple belt in BJJ, has managed to incorporate many MMA and BJJ moves into his recent movies. This is especially noticeable in movies which he choreographed such as SPL: Sha Po Lang
and Flash Point
, where he won Best Action Choreography awards at the annual Hong Kong film festival. Yen has said on numerous occasions that he is a big fan of BJJ.
In the 2011 MMA film, titled "Warrior" starring Joel Edgerton
and Tom Hardy
, Brazilain Jiu Jitsu Elements are evident in the various fight scenes
, and the Mundials
.
, impetigo
, herpes
, and staph infection
. Proper hygiene practices (including regular cleaning of classroom mats, showering immediately after class with an antibacterial soap
, disinfecting and covering any open wounds, thorough cleaning of any gi/rashguard/headgear used before the next class, not sharing used towels/uniforms, and using a barrier cream
) greatly reduces the chance of contracting a disease. The problem has become so common place that products like Defense soap
have been created specifically for grappling.
). The use of wrestling style headgear
is commonly used for prevention of this condition.
usage is not tested in IBJJF tournaments. The practice of taking steroids has become common place enough in tournaments to have sparked letters and public statements by some of Jiu Jitsu's top competitors regarding the matter. Some of the best known people involved in BJJ, including Royce Gracie have been caught using steroids in competition.
Combat sport
A Combat sport, also known as a Fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement , typically with the aim of simulating parts of real hand to hand combat...
, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
and especially ground fighting
Ground fighting
Ground fighting is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground, generally involving grappling...
. The art was derived from the Japanese martial art of Kodokan
Kodokan
, or the Kodokan Institute, is the headquarters of the worldwide judo community. Literally, kō means "to lecture" or "to spread information," dō means "the way," and kan is "a public building or hall," together translating roughly as "a place for the study or promotion of the way." The Kodokan was...
judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
in the early 20th century.
It teaches that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique—most notably by applying joint-locks and chokehold
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
s to defeat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi
The gi used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was adapted from the uniform commonly used in Japanese martial arts. It is typically composed of a heavy cotton jacket and reinforced trousers. A cloth belt is worn over the gi, both to keep the jacket closed, and as a signifier of the skill/rank of the...
and no-gi) and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) competition or self defense. Sparring
Sparring
Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to make injuries unlikely...
(commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live
Aliveness (martial arts)
Aliveness, also referred to as Alive training describes martial arts training methods that are spontaneous, non-scripted, and dynamic. Alive training is performed with the intent to challenge or defeat rather than to demonstrate...
drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system awards a practitioner different colored belts to signify increasing levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. While the system’s structure shares its origins with the Judo ranking system and the origins of all colored belts, it now contains many of...
.
Origin
The art began with Mitsuyo MaedaMitsuyo Maeda
,a Brazilian naturalized as Otávio Maeda,was a Japanese judōka and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was also known as Count Combat or Conde Koma in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, a nickname he picked up in Spain in 1908...
(aka Conde Koma, or Count Coma in English), a member of the then-recently-founded Kodokan
Kodokan
, or the Kodokan Institute, is the headquarters of the worldwide judo community. Literally, kō means "to lecture" or "to spread information," dō means "the way," and kan is "a public building or hall," together translating roughly as "a place for the study or promotion of the way." The Kodokan was...
. Maeda was one of five of Judo's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro
Kano Jigoro
was the founder of judo. Judo was the first Japanese martial art to gain widespread international recognition, and the first to become an official Olympic sport. Pedagogical innovations attributed to Kanō include the use of black and white belts, and the introduction of dan ranking to show the...
sent overseas to demonstrate and spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, boxers
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, savate
Savate
Savate , also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay...
fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on November 14, 1914.
Jiu-jitsu is known as more than just a system of fighting. Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of judo was separated from older systems of Japanese jujutsu by an important difference that was passed on to BJJ: it is not solely a martial art: it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way (Do
Do (Way)
A Dō is any one of a number of spiritual, martial, or aesthetic disciplines that evolved in Japan and Korea. The term "Dō" is borrowed from the Chinese philosophical concept of Tao , a word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
) of life.
Maeda had trained first in sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
as a teenager, and after the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time, he changed from sumo to judo, becoming a student of Kano's Kodokan judo. He was promoted to 7th dan in Kodokan judo the day before he died in 1941.
Gastão Gracie was a business partner of the American Circus in Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
. In 1916, Italian Argentine
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
Queirolo Brothers staged shows there and presented Maeda. In 1917, Carlos Gracie
Carlos Gracie
Carlos Gracie was the first Gracie to learn Judo from Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda. Based on this judo training, Carlos and his brothers founded the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
, the eldest son of Gastão Gracie, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Da Paz Theatre
Da Paz Theatre
The Paz Theater was designed by the military engineer José Tibúrcio Pereira de Magalhães and was built between 1869 and 1878 in Belém do Pará, Brazil. Its neoclassical style façade is an acquiescence to the period of time when this style was in great account in Brazil. To some, Magalhães'...
and decided to learn judo. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student and Carlos learned for a few years, eventually passing his knowledge on to his brothers.
At age fourteen, Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, known internationally as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
, the youngest of the brothers, moved in with his older brothers who lived and taught Jiu-Jitsu in a house in Botafogo, a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Following a doctor's recommendations, Hélio would spend the next few years being limited to watching his brothers teach as he was naturally frail.
One day, when Hélio Gracie was 16 years old, a student showed up for class when Carlos was not around. Hélio, who had memorized all the techniques from watching his brothers teach, offered to start the class. When the class was over, Carlos showed up and apologized for his delay. The student asked that Hélio continue being his instructor. Over time, Hélio Gracie gradually developed Gracie Jiu Jitsu as an adaptation from Judo, as he was unable to perform many Judo moves.
Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, known internationally as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
also held the rank of 6th dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
.
Although Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is largely identified with the Gracie family, there is also another prominent lineage from Maeda via another Brazilian disciple, Luis França. This lineage had been represented particularly by Oswaldo Fadda
Oswaldo Fadda
Oswaldo Baptista Fadda was a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reaching the rank of "nono grau", a ninth grade red belt. He is known for being one of the highest ranked non-Gracie black belts and also for teaching students from the poorer areas of Rio de Janeiro, where jiu-jitsu was regarded as...
. Fadda and his students were famous for influential use of footlocks and the lineage still survives through Fadda's links with today's teams such as Nova União
Nova União (mixed martial arts)
Nova União is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy and mixed martial arts team located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their BJJ black belts have participated in BJJ, submission grappling and MMA competitions all over the world...
and Grappling Fight Team.
Name
When Maeda left Japan, judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
was still often referred to as "Kano Jiu-Jitsu", or, even more generically, simply as "Jiu-Jitsu." Higashi, the co-author of "Kano Jiu-Jitsu" wrote in the foreword:
Outside Japan, however, this distinction was noted even less. Thus, when Maeda and Satake arrived in Brazil in 1914, every newspaper announced their art as being "jiu-jitsu" despite both men being Kodokan judoka.
It was not until 1925 that the Japanese government itself officially mandated that the correct name for the martial art taught in the Japanese public schools should be "judo" rather than "jujutsu." In Brazil, the art is still called "Jiu-Jitsu". When the Gracies went to the United States to spread their art, they used the terms "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" to differentiate from the already present styles using similar-sounding names. "Jiu-jitsu" is an older romanization that was the original spelling of the art in the West, and it is still in common use, whereas the modern Hepburn romanization
Hepburn romanization
The is named after James Curtis Hepburn, who used it to transcribe the sounds of the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet in the third edition of his Japanese–English dictionary, published in 1887. The system was originally proposed by the in 1885...
is "jūjutsu."
The art is sometimes referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ), this name was trademarked by Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie
Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and instructor, a prominent member of the Gracie family, and a founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,...
, but after a legal dispute with his cousin Carley Gracie
Carley Gracie
Carley Gracie, nicknamed "The lion of the Gracie family", is a Brazilian-born martial artist and a prominent member of the Gracie family.- Biography :...
, his trademark to the name was voided. Other members of the Gracie family often call their style by personalized names, such as Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and similarly, the Machado family
Machado family
The Machado family refers to the lineage of Brazilian mixed martial artists and Grapplers. They are known for being the founders of RCJ Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
call their style Machado Jiu-Jitsu (MJJ). While each style and its instructors have their own unique aspects, they are all basic variations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Today there are four major branches of BJJ from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
: Gracie Humaita
Gracie Humaitá
Gracie Humaitá or Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu is a Jiu-Jitsu academy on Humaitá Street, in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, founded by Grandmaster Helio Gracie. The Academy offers classes in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, as originally taught by Grandmaster Helio Gracie.-History:The academy is located inside...
, Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra
Gracie Barra is one of the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu associations, with over 400 black belts and 150 schools or affiliates worldwide. It is headed by Carlos Gracie, Jr., son of Carlos Gracie the first Gracie to ever learn Jiu-Jitsu from Japanese emigrant to Brazil Otávio Mitsuyo Maeda.- History...
, Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie, Sr. was a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, founder of the system with his uncle Hélio Gracie, and learned the art from his uncle and his father. He was a member of the legendary Gracie family.- Biography :Carlson Gracie would later split...
and Alliance Jiu Jitsu
Alliance Jiu Jitsu
Alliance is one of the most prominent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu associations, and the current, defending World team champions, having won the team title at the World Championships in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. They also won the World Championships back to back in 1998 and 1999...
. Each branch can trace its roots back to Mitsuyo Maeda
Mitsuyo Maeda
,a Brazilian naturalized as Otávio Maeda,was a Japanese judōka and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was also known as Count Combat or Conde Koma in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, a nickname he picked up in Spain in 1908...
and the Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
.
More recently, the name "jitz" for the art has been gaining currency as a casual layman's term, especially in the USA.
Development
Hélio Gracie had competed in several submission-based competitions which mostly ended in him winning. One defeat (in Brazil in 1951) was by visiting Japanese judoka Masahiko KimuraMasahiko Kimura
was a Japanese judoka who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time. Kimura was born on September 10, 1917 in Kumamoto, Japan...
, whose surname the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Hélio. The Gracie family
Gracie family
The Gracie family is a prominent sporting family from Brazil known for their founding of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . They have been successful in combat sport competitions including mixed martial arts, vale tudo and submission wrestling events...
continued to develop the system throughout the 20th century, often fighting vale tudo
Vale tudo
Vale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers...
matches (precursors to modern MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
), during which it increased its focus on ground fighting and refined its techniques.
Today, the main differences between the BJJ styles is between traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis on self-defense, and Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's orientation towards competition. There is a large commonality of techniques between the two. Also, there is a wide variety of ideals in training in different schools in terms of the utilization of pure or yielding technique versus skillful application of pressure to overcome an opponent.
Prominence
Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the early 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the firstUFC 1
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship , held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993...
, second
UFC 2
UFC 2: No Way Out was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado...
and fourth
UFC 4
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.-History:UFC 4 used an eight-man tournament...
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
s, which at the time were single elimination
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, shoot-fighting, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and tae kwon do. It has since become a staple art for many MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread attention to the importance of ground fighting
Ground fighting
Ground fighting is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground, generally involving grappling...
. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
The ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship is a competition involving professional athletes who have been successful at the highest levels of jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, sambo, shooto and mixed martial arts...
.
Brazillian Jiu Jitsu is gaining fast popularity in many parts of the world and is looking to be one of the most popular martial arts around.
Style of fighting
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes getting an opponent to the ground in order to utilize ground fightingGround fighting
Ground fighting is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground, generally involving grappling...
techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokehold
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
s. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are somewhat negated when grappling on the ground.
BJJ permits a wide variety of techniques to take the fight to the ground after taking a grip. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into a suitable position for the application of a submission technique. Achieving a dominant position on the ground is one of the hallmarks of the BJJ style, and includes effective use of the guard
Guard (grappling)
The guard is a ground grappling position where one combatant has their back to the ground, while attempting to control the other combatant using the legs...
position to defend oneself from bottom, and passing the guard to dominate from top position with side control
Side control
Side control is a dominant ground grappling position where the top combatant is lying perpendicularly over the face-up bottom combatant in such a way that the legs are free and he or she exerts considerable control over the combatant on the bottom...
, mount
Mount (grappling)
The mount, or mounted position, is a dominant ground grappling position, where one combatant sits on the other combatants torso with the face pointing towards the opponent's head. This is very favourable for the top combatant in several ways...
, and back mount
Back mount
Back mount, or rear mount, is a dominant ground grappling position where one combatant is behind the other in such a way that he or she is controlling the combatant in front. Typically, the combatant in the inferior position is lying face-down, while the other combatant is sitting or lying on top...
positions. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate in the sport, reflecting a disadvantage which would be extremely difficult to overcome in a fight (such as a dislocated joint or unconsciousness).
Renzo Gracie wrote in his book Mastering Jiu-jitsu:
The book details Maeda's theory as arguing that physical combat could be broken down into distinct phases, such as the striking phase, the grappling phase, the ground phase, etc. Thus, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the fight located in the phase of combat that best suited to his own strengths. Renzo Gracie stated that this was a fundamental influence on the Gracie approach to combat, these strategies were further developed over time by the Gracies and others, and became prominent in contemporary MMA.
Ground fighting
BJJ is most strongly differentiated by its greater emphasis on groundwork than other martial arts. Commonly, striking-based styles spend almost no time on groundwork. Even other grappling martial arts tend to spend much more time on the standing phase. It is helpful to contrast its rules with judo's greater emphasis on throws, due to both its radically different point-scoring system, and the absence of most of the judo rules that cause the competitors to have to recommence in a standing position. This has led to greater time dedicated to training on the ground, resulting in enhancement and new research of groundwork techniques by BJJ practitioners.Along with BJJ's great strengths on the ground comes its relative underemphasis of standing techniques, such as striking. To remedy this comparative lack, there is an increasing amount of cross-training between the sports of BJJ and wrestling, Judo, or Sambo, as well as striking based arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing.
Training methods
Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's focus on submissions without the use of strikesStrike (attack)
A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes...
while training allows practitioners to practice at full speed and with full power, resembling the effort used in a real competition. Training methods include technique drills in which techniques are practiced against a non-resisting partner; isolation sparring, commonly referred to as positional drilling, where only a certain technique or sets of techniques are used, and full sparring in which each opponent tries to submit their opponent using any legal technique. Physical conditioning is also an important part of training at many clubs.
Primary ground positions
During the ground phase of combat the BJJ practitioner strives to take a dominant or controlling position from which to apply submissions, these positions provide different options.Side control
In side control, the practitioner pins their opponent to the ground from the side of their body. The dominant grappler lays across the opponent with weight applied to the opponent's chest. The opponent may be further controlled by pressure on either side of their shoulders and hips from the practitioner's elbows, shoulders, and knees. A wide variety of submissions are initiated from side control.Full mount
In the mount position the practitioner sits astride the opponent's chest, controlling the opponent with their bodyweight and hips. In the strongest form of this position the practitioner works their knees up under into the arm pits to reduce arm movements, limiting their ability to move or counter the submission attempts. Full Mount is can be used to attack the arms (with arm and shoulder locks), apply choke holds, or to utilize the triangle.Back mount
When utilizing the back mount (often known in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the back grab or rear mount), the practitioner attaches to the back of the opponent by wrapping their legs around and hooking the opponent's thighs with their heels. Simultaneously, the upper body is controlled by wrapping the arms around the chest or neck of the opponent. Commonly the opponent will be pulled up on top of the attackers chest to execute this technique. This position is often used to apply chokeholds, and counters much of the benefit an opponent may have from greater size or strength.Guard
In the Guard, the practitioner is on their back controlling an opponent with their legs. The practitioner pushes and pulls with the legs or feet to upset the balance and limit the movements of their opponent. This position comes into play often when an opponent manages to place the practitioner upon his or her back and the practitioner seeks the best position possible to launch counter-attacks. This is a very versatile position from which the BJJ practitioner can attempt to sweep (reverse) the opponent, get back to the feet, or apply a variety of joint-locks as well as various chokes.The three main types of guard are Open, Closed, and Half. In closed guard, the bottom grappler has their legs around the opponent's trunk and has their ankles closed together to provide control and a barrier to escaping the position. In the open guard, the legs are not hooked together and the bottom grappler uses their legs or feet to push or pull in a more dynamic fashion. In the half guard, one of the top grappler's legs is being controlled by the bottom grappler's legs.
Submission
The majority of submission holds can be grouped into two broad categories: joint lockJoint lock
A Joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion....
s and chokes
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
. Joint locks typically involve isolating an opponent's limb and creating a lever with the body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion. Pressure is increased in a controlled manner and released if the opponent cannot escape the hold and signals defeat by submitting. Opponents can indicate submission verbally or they can tap out (i.e. tap the opponent, the mat several times. Tapping one's own body is dangerous because the opponent may not be able to tell if his or her opponent is tapping.) A choke hold, disrupting the blood supply to the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
, can cause unconsciousness if the opponent does not submit soon enough.
A less common type of submission hold is a compression lock
Compression lock
A compression lock, a muscle lock, muscle slicer or muscle crusher, is a grappling hold which causes severe pain by pressing a muscle into a bone. A compression lock can cause a joint lock in a nearby joint when it is applied by squeezing a limb over a fulcrum...
, where the muscle of an opponent is compressed against a hard, large bone (commonly the shin or wrist), causing significant pain to the opponent. These types of locks are not usually allowed in competition due to the high risk of tearing muscle tissue. This type of lock often also hyper-extends the joint in the opposite direction, pulling it apart.
Joint locks
While many joint locks are permitted, most competitions ban or restrict some or all joint locks involving the knees, ankles, and spine. The reason for this is that the angles of manipulation required to cause pain are nearly the same as those that would cause serious injury. Joint locks that require a twisting motion of the knee (called twisting knee locks or twisting knee bars, or techniques such as heel hooks, and toe holds) are usually banned in competitions because successfully completing the move nearly always results in permanent damage that requires surgery. Similarly, joint manipulations of the spine are typically barred due to the inherent danger of crushing or mis-aligning cervical vertebraeCervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
. Leglocks are allowed in varying degrees depending on skill level, with straight ankle locks being the only leglocks allowed in the beginner division, or white belt level, straight kneebars being allowed in the intermediate division, or blue belt level and toeholds with the pressure applied inwards are allowed in the advanced division (purple, brown, black). Some competitions also ban submissions involving the crushing or compression of muscle tissue.
However, most joint locks involving the wrist, elbow, shoulder or ankle are permitted as there is a great deal more flexibility in those joints and those locks are safe to use under tournament conditions. Also, some fighters practice moves whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon their opponent, in the hope that they will tap out. This includes driving knuckles into pressure points, holding their opponent's head in order to tire out the neck (called the "can opener" or kubi-hishigi) and putting body weight on top of the sternum, floating ribs, or similarly sensitive bones. These moves are not true submission moves; they are generally only used as distractions mostly in lower levels of competition. They are avoided or aggressively countered in middle to upper levels of competition.
Chokes and strangles
ChokesChokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
and strangles
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
(commonly referred to as "air chokes" and "blood chokes") are a common forms of submission. In BJJ, the chokes that are used put pressure on the carotid arteries, but do not block the blood flow. Instead it presses on a nerve cluster (baroreceptors), which tricks the brain into thinking the blood pressure is higher, causing the arteries to dilate in response, resulting in much lower blood pressure and a lack of blood to the brain. This kind of "choke" is very fast acting (if done properly) with victims typically losing consciousness in around 3-5 seconds. In contrast, an air choke (involving constriction of the windpipe) can take up to two minutes, depending on how long the person can hold their breath, and may cause serious damage to the throat, whereas people subjected to baroreceptor chokes for 3-5 seconds will not.
Gi
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner's uniform is similar to a judogiJudogi
Judogi is the formal Japanese name for the traditional uniform used for Judo practice and competition. It is actually derived from traditional articles of Japanese clothing. Jigoro Kano derived the original judogi from the kimono and other Japanese garments around the turn of the 20th century, and...
, but often with tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket. This allows the practitioner to benefit from a closer fit, providing less material for an opponent to manipulate, although there is a significant overlap in the standards that allows for a carefully selected Gi to be legal for competition in both styles. Traditionally, to be promoted
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system awards a practitioner different colored belts to signify increasing levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. While the system’s structure shares its origins with the Judo ranking system and the origins of all colored belts, it now contains many of...
in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the wearing of the Gi while training is a requirement. Recently with the growing popularity of "no gi" Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the practice of giving out belts to no gi practitioners (e.g., Rolles Gracie awarding Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans
Rashad Anton Evans is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Evans won the heavyweight division of The Ultimate Fighter 2. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight...
a black belt) has become more common.
The term kimono is sometimes used to describe the outfit, especially in Brazil.
Grading
| 4–6 | pré-mirim |
| 7–9 | mirim |
| 10–12 | infantil |
| 13–16 | infanto-juvenil |
| 16–17 | juvenil |
| 18–29 | adulto |
| 30–35 | master |
| 36–40 | sênior I |
| 41–45 | sênior II |
| 46–50 | sênior III |
| 51–55 | sênior IV |
| 56+ | sênior V |
| White | |
| Yellow | |
| Orange | |
| Green |
| White | |
| Blue | |
| Purple | |
| Brown | |
| Black | |
| Black/Red | |
| Red |
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ranking system awards a practitioner different coloured belts to signify increasing levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. While the system's structure shares its origins with the judo ranking system and the origins of all coloured belts, it now contains many of its own unique aspects and themes. Some of these differences are relatively minor, such as the division between youth and adult belts and the stripe/degree system. Others are quite distinct and have become synonymous with the art, such as a marked informality in promotional criteria, including as a focus on a competitive demonstration of skill, and a conservative approach to promotion in general.
Traditionally, the concept of competitive skill demonstration as a quickened and earned route of promotion holds true.
Some schools have placed a green belt for adults between the white and blue belt ranks due to the long periods between advancement. The amount of time it takes to achieve the rank of black belt varies between the individual but the average time frame is between 8 and 10 years with a consistent training schedule of 3 to 4 times per week.
Legacy
Since Royce Gracie successfully used BJJ techniques in the UFC to defeat opponents of greater size and strength, Jiu-Jitsu has become more and more popular all over the world.In self defense
Since Jiu-Jitsu allows a small and weak person to submit bigger opponents with the use of proper techniques, especially when the aggressor has no ground fighting knowledge, its use as a self defense system has increased more recently.Click HERE for a collection of videos with BJJ being used in the street for self defense
In public security
Police officerPolice officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s, security guards
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
and similar professionals' interest in BJJ has grown. Many security-related professions have emphasized the training in grappling and ground fighting techniques, especially in BJJ, to guarantee success in situations that demand hand-to-hand combat.
In mixed martial arts
In MMA, proficiency in grappling and ground fighting has become a pre-requisite, and BJJ is, almost always, a favorite martial art in these moments.In popular culture
The movie RedbeltRedbelt
Redbelt is a 2008 martial arts film written and directed by David Mamet and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor. The film opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on May 9, 2008.-Plot:...
starring (Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetelu Umeadi "Chiwetel" Ejiofor, OBE is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received numerous acting awards and award nominations, including the 2006 BAFTA Awards Rising Star, three Golden Globe Awards' nominations, and the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his...
), (Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
) and (Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
) featured Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's sporting and self-defense aspects.
Hong Kong Martial Artist and Actor, Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
, who is a purple belt in BJJ, has managed to incorporate many MMA and BJJ moves into his recent movies. This is especially noticeable in movies which he choreographed such as SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang , , is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts and crime film written and directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Jing Wu...
and Flash Point
Flash Point (film)
Flash Point is a 2007 Hong Kong film directed by Wilson Yip, featuring fight choreography by the film's producer and star Donnie Yen. Yen portrays Ma Jun, a police sergeant who plants his friend and partner, Wilson, as a mole in a pursuit against a triad led by three Vietnamese brothers .Flash...
, where he won Best Action Choreography awards at the annual Hong Kong film festival. Yen has said on numerous occasions that he is a big fan of BJJ.
In the 2011 MMA film, titled "Warrior" starring Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton
Joel Edgerton is an Australian film and television actor.-Early life:Edgerton was born in Blacktown, Sydney, to a homemaker mother and a solicitor/property developer father, Michael. His brother, Nash Edgerton, is a stuntman and filmmaker...
and Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy
Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
, Brazilain Jiu Jitsu Elements are evident in the various fight scenes
Tournaments
While there are numerous local and regional tournaments administered regularly by private individuals and academies, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation annually hosts a number of major tournaments in geographically disparate regions. These include the Pan American Championship, European ChampionshipEuropean Championship (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)
The European Championship is the most prestigious and largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held in Europe by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.This championship has been held since 2004 in January, in Lisbon, Portugal.-See also:...
, and the Mundials
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship
The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship is the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world. They are hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The first Mundial tournament to be held outside of Brazil was in 2007 at the California State University in Long...
.
Skin health
Besides the normal strains and pulls associated with most martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners (along with Wrestlers, Judoka, and other grapplers ) are exposed to regular skin abrasions and potential unsanitary mat conditions. They are thus at higher risk for developing skin disease. Several commonly contracted skin diseases include ringwormDermatophytosis
Dermatophytosis or ringworm is a clinical condition caused by fungal infection of the skin in humans, pets such as cats, and domesticated animals such as sheep and cattle. The term "ringworm" is a misnomer, since the condition is caused by fungi of several different species and not by parasitic worms...
, impetigo
Impetigo
Impetigo is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection most common among pre-school children. People who play close contact sports such as rugby, American football and wrestling are also susceptible, regardless of age. Impetigo is not as common in adults. The name derives from the Latin impetere...
, herpes
Herpes simplex
Herpes simplex is a viral disease caused by both Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 . Infection with the herpes virus is categorized into one of several distinct disorders based on the site of infection. Oral herpes, the visible symptoms of which are colloquially called cold sores or fever...
, and staph infection
Staphylococcal infection
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria which includes several species that can cause a wide variety of infections in humans and other animals through either toxin production or invasion....
. Proper hygiene practices (including regular cleaning of classroom mats, showering immediately after class with an antibacterial soap
Antibacterial soap
Antibacterial soap is any cleaning product to which active antibacterial ingredients have been added. These chemicals kill bacteria and microbes, but are no more effective at deactivating viruses than any other kind of soap or detergent, and they also kill nonpathogenic bacteria.-Ingredients:Most...
, disinfecting and covering any open wounds, thorough cleaning of any gi/rashguard/headgear used before the next class, not sharing used towels/uniforms, and using a barrier cream
Barrier cream
A barrier cream is a topical formulation used in industrial and medical environments to place a physical barrier between the skin and contaminants which may irritate the skin and cause contact dermatitis or occupational dermatitis.- Medical application :...
) greatly reduces the chance of contracting a disease. The problem has become so common place that products like Defense soap
Defense Soap
Defense Soap is a brand of soap created by Guy Sako to prevent outbreaks of skin infection on his wrestling team. Since then the soap has been marketed to wrestlers, Judoka, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, and Mixed Martial Artists. The soap is made with tea tree oil and eucalyptus extract, and is...
have been created specifically for grappling.
Cauliflower ear
Due to the use of the head to maintain position and attack in jiu-jitsu, the ears can easily be damaged and begin to swell. Without immediate medical treatment the cartilage in a swollen ear will separate from the perichondrium that supplies its nutrients and will become permanently swollen/deformed (cauliflower earCauliflower ear
Cauliflower ear is a condition that occurs when the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, blood clot or other collection of fluid under the perichondrium...
). The use of wrestling style headgear
Wrestling headgear
Wrestling headgear is protection that a person wears over the ears and chin during wrestling matches.-Description:The main purpose of headgear is to protect the ears of the wrestler, not really the head as the name implies. Thus, wrestling headgear equipment are also simply called ear guards or ear...
is commonly used for prevention of this condition.
Steroid use
Anabolic steroidErgogenic use of anabolic steroids
Since their discovery, anabolic steroids have been widely used as an ergogenic aid to improve performance in sports, to improve one's physical appearance, as self-medication to recover from injury, and as an anti-aging aid....
usage is not tested in IBJJF tournaments. The practice of taking steroids has become common place enough in tournaments to have sparked letters and public statements by some of Jiu Jitsu's top competitors regarding the matter. Some of the best known people involved in BJJ, including Royce Gracie have been caught using steroids in competition.
External links
- Gastão and Hélio Gracie talk about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu - interviewed in 1997 for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Videos
- ibjjf.org International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu FederationInternational Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu FederationThe International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation is the major and most prestigious governing body for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that hosts several of the biggest tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship and European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship...
, Retrieved 2010-10-12. - http://www.bjj.org