What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is one of the most revolutionary martial arts of our time. There are three main reasons why this art has rapidly gained recognition as one of the most practical and effective methods of self-defense today:
First, BJJ focuses primarily on grappling, both on the ground and standing up. Most physical confrontations occur at such a close range that the attacker and would-be victim ultimately become entangled in a clinch type position, and face a high probability of falling to the ground. Grappling, both standing and on the ground, is the primary strength of the BJJ practitioner.
Secondly, BJJ makes effective use of techniques that use leverage rather than strength to attack the weak areas of an opponent. These techniques include various forms of joint locks applied to shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, and knees. The BJJ student is also taught various choking techniques that can render even very powerful attackers harmless or even unconscious.
The biggest strength of this style is the practitioner can make a choice as to how much force to apply in order to end a confrontation. This has the benefit of reducing the risk of lawsuits due to injuries that could be caused by striking alone.
Finally, unlike other arts that proclaim their self-defense techniques are too "dangerous" to practice in a realistic manner, the art of BJJ is safely practiced, and has been for decades, against fully resisting opponents through "randori", or free training. This gives the BJJ practitioner a very high degree of confidence in their technique because if it works in a training situation then it will most likely work in a real-life scenario.
History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a martial art that has its foundations in traditional Jiu-Jitsu/Judo. It is believed to have evolved into a distinct form about 75 years ago. Back in 1914, a Japanese count, Mitsuyo Maeda (in Brazil known as Conde Koma, literally "The Count of Combat") immigrated to Brazil. While there, he was assisted by a Brazilian politician named Gustão Gracie who helped him establish a Japanese colony. To repay all the favors that Gustão granted him, Mitsuyo promised to teach Carlos Gracie (Gustão's son) the secrets of Jiu-Jitsu.
When Carlos Gracie mastered the art, he started to experiment with his new abilities. Not only did he train with his master, but he also used what he learned in the streets to defend himself.
In life and death situations, Carlos Gracie Sr. began to modify the traditional Japanese art into a reliable method of defeating any opponent. The over-riding problem that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu evolved to answer was: "What is the best way to defeat a stronger and larger opponent without having to rely on brute strength?" The answer was, and still is, leverage. With leverage and technique, a modestly sized person is able to control and defeat opponents who are much larger and stronger. With this realization, Carlos Gracie Sr. started evolving the traditional methods of self defense into a practical, effective art which could be applied in the mean streets of Brazil.
The History of Gracie Barra
Professor Carlos Gracie Jr. is the founder and head instructor of the Gracie Barra Academy, the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in the world, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The son of Carlos Gracie, the pioneer of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie Jr., has produced well over 200 black belts in his tenure, which today includes numerous world class instructors and athlete
At the heart of the Gracie Barra mission statement is the goal of training both the body and spirit, going beyond the 'winning-losing' or 'contest' philosophy present in other martial arts. Instead, Professor Carlos Gracie Jr. emphasizes the fundamental principle of Jiu-Jitsu: "Minimum effort for maximum efficiency," a method of utilizing strength through gentleness, an expression exemplifying both the mental and physical aspects of Jiu-Jitsu. In Professor Carlos' mind, Jiu-Jitsu was in fact a method of education, which could be used to foster one's personal development. Professor Carlos considered the goals of Jiu-Jitsu to revolve around three aspects: physical education, personal achievement, and ethical growth. In other words, through the practice of Jiu-Jitsu, one would complete their personal development through the training of body and mind, becoming a person better able to contribute to society and the world.
Recognizing the never-ending quest for self-perfection, even today Professor Carlos continues to study these techniques and principles with his students. The constant development of techniques demonstrates Professor Carlos' adherence to these principles, continuously striving for further progress and knowledge.
In spreading the values of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Professor Carlos is also the head of the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) the largest international organization for overseeing the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The IBJJF is the organizer of the largest competition tournaments in the world including the World Championships of Jiu-Jitsu ("Mundials"), held in Rio every July, the Pan-American Championships held in Dominguez Hills, California, the European Championships held in Portugal, also held annually.
