The Origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
The Origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is considered to be a 20th century creation, but in fact, it is actually a variation of a much older form of Japanese judo. In the early 20th century, this martial art was formed as a variation of Japanese Kodokan judo, which was actually developed in the 19th century through many schools that were offering training in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was actually created in the early 1900s by a man named Mitsuyo Maeda, who had come to Brazil from Japan while touring the world to demonstrations of this martial art.
How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Got Started
Mitsuyo Maeda was a Japanese prize fighter who would eventually go on to develop Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Initially, he trained in sumo wrestling, but soon discovered that he was not built for the sport, as he was quite small in stature. Because of the growing Japanese interest in judo and jiu-jitsu competitions, he switched to judo, and when he was 17, was sent to university in Tokyo, where he would become involved in Kodokan a year later.
Maeda would go on to tour the world giving demonstrations of Kodokan and taking offers of challenges from a number of boxers, wrestlers and other fighters. In 1914, he landed in Brazil, where he made a huge impact on the world of martial arts. Initially, a man named Gastao Gracie helped him to get established in the area, and as a way of saying thank you, Maeda provided training to Gracie's eldest son Carlos, who then trained all but one of his younger brothers. Helio was considered by his physician to be too small and frail to be able to take part in the training.
Helio Gracie
When Helio Gracie was 16 years old, he had spent a couple of years watching his brothers train and teach others. One day his brother was late to train his class, and Helio took over, being able to do so because he had memorized the techniques by watching his brothers. Once his brother did arrive, students requested that Helio continue training them. Eventually, because he was unable to do many judo moves, Helio went on to develop Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as it is commonly referred to as today, and he also held the rank of 6th dan in judo (dan is a ranking system in Japan for fine and martial arts), competing in and winning a number of events.
Modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is similar to the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. (Gracie is considered to be the father of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.) But the emphasis in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is focused more on competition rather than self defence. Many of the techniques are quite similar, although there are also a number of differences. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu incorporates a variety of ground fighting techniques, and is ideal for anyone who wants to learn self defence or who wants to go on to the competition level. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training is wonderful for building self esteem, and it is a good way to build teamwork skills, making it ideal for both children and adults. Check it out for yourseleves, at Pura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu located in Hamilton, Ontario.
PJ O'Sullivan is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and owner of Pura Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Hamilton, ON. Visit www.HamiltonBrazilianJiuJitsu.com for information on a 30 Day FREE trial and also pick up your 3 FREE Gifts which include an eBook on the Benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the Top 7 Questions you need to know before choosing a martial arts school and a FREE instructional video!
