Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that focuses primarily on grappling, controlling an opponent without the use of striking. This is accomplished through the use of common locks and choke holds, although throws, trips, and sweeps are also common. While Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its own set of competition rules, many elements of the art can also be found in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions around the world.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its origins in Judo and Japanese Jujitsu, but unique aspects and shifts in focus have made it its own martial art. Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese martial artist who studied both judo and sumo, brought the arts with him to the Brazilian city of Belém in the early 20th century. There he taught his techniques to a teenager Carlos Gracie, who ended up moving with his family to Rio de Janeiro after a few years. In the 1920s, Carlos began teaching his family members and others what he had learned, and eventually opened his own martial arts school where he taught with his brothers. Helio, Carlos’ younger brother, became a student and then an instructor there.
Carlos and his brothers sought matches against other fighters in order to establish credibility for the Gracie style. They became a famous family of fighters, with the smaller Helio becoming one of the best known due to his matches against much larger opponents. Helio, with guidance from Carlos, was able to hone his fighting skills over years of competition and developed his knowledge of judo and jujitsu into a fighting system that allowed him to defeat much larger opponents in sanctioned competitions. and without restriction. The fighting system became known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with Carlos and Helio considered its co-founders.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rose to fame in North America through the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in the 1990s. The event was the brainchild of Art Davie and was developed by Hollywood insider John Milius and son d’Helio, Rorion Gracie. The eight-man tournament was broadcast throughout North America and other parts of the world on pay-per-view and had almost no rules. The event pitted fighters from different combat arts against each other. Royce Gracie, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and another son of Helio, won three of the first four UFCs, popularizing his art and giving him even more credibility.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu differs slightly from Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has become a term that encompasses all styles from the original teachings of Carlos and Helio. Most of these styles focus on grappling for athletic competitions and contain no striking. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, however, is the art passed down from Helio to his family and other appointed instructors. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu contains strikes and many self-defense techniques that are not applicable in competitive sports, but can be extremely useful in real-world situations.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also differs from Judo and Jujitsu. Judo tends to focus on bringing an opponent to the ground, while Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses primarily on ground combat. Judo practitioners are renowned for their throwing ability, while Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists are best known for their submission holds. Judo, Jujitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also have very different rules for competitions.
