So, what is BJJ anyway?

Brazilian Jiu jitsu, or BJJ for short, is a ground-based grappling style of martial art that revolves around use of leverage and body positioning to overcome larger, stronger opponents.  There is no punching or kicking involved, but rather an emphasis on closing distance so that one can take the aggressor to the ground where joint locks and chokes are utilised from a control position.  Joint locks are used in order to stop the opponent through pain compliance, whereas chokes are used to end the fight by rendering them unconscious.  

BJJ, as the name suggests, is a Brazilian form of martial art, however its origins lie in Japan with traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Judo, both also highly effective forms of self-defence.  BJJ was first developed and refined in 1926 by Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Hélio Gracie after Carlos was taught Jiu jitsu by Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese Judoka master who had travelled to Europe.  

In the earliest days of its inception, BJJ was almost indistinguishable from the styles it was derived from, but after much innovation from the Gracie family drawing from a host of difference styles of grappling, it came to be recognised as its own combat sport.  It has since become the foundation and arguably most essential element of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a modern combat style largely seen in the Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC).  

Practiced worldwide with a singular governing body, BJJ has become universally recognised as one of, if not the single most effective martial art on the planet.   

So, what is BJJ anyway?

Brazilian Jiu jitsu, or BJJ for short, is a ground-based grappling style of martial art that revolves around use of leverage and body positioning to overcome larger, stronger opponents.  There is no punching or kicking involved, but rather an emphasis on closing distance so that one can take the aggressor to the ground where joint locks and chokes are utilised from a control position.  Joint locks are used in order to stop the opponent through pain compliance, whereas chokes are used to end the fight by rendering them unconscious. 

BJJ, as the name suggests, is a Brazilian form of martial art, however its origins lie in Japan with traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Judo, both also highly effective forms of self-defence.  BJJ was first developed and refined in 1926 by Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Hélio Gracie after Carlos was taught Jiu jitsu by Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese Judoka master who had travelled to Europe. 

In the earliest days of its inception, BJJ was almost indistinguishable from the styles it was derived from, but after much innovation from the Gracie family drawing from a host of different styles of grappling, it came to be recognised as its own combat sport.  It has since become the foundation and arguably most essential element of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a modern combat style largely seen in the Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC). 

Practiced worldwide with a singular governing body, BJJ has become universally recognised as one of, if not the single most effective martial art on the planet.  

Written by Professor Joshua Cooksley @ greywolfbjj.com.au