 Romulo Barral attempting a triangle choke on Gabriel Vella at the 2009 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | |
| Also known as | BJJ, Gracie jiu-jitsu, gi/nogi jiu-jitsu, submission grappling Portuguese name: Jiu-jitsu brasileiro Japanese name: Burajirian jūjutsu (ブラジリアン柔術) |
|---|---|
| Focus | Ground fighting, submission grappling |
| Hardness | Full contact |
| Country of origin | Brazil |
| Creator | Mataemon Tanabe, Senjuro Kataoka, Taro Miyake, Yukio Tani, Sada Miyako, Geo Omori, Mitsuyo Maeda, Takeo Yano, Soshihiro Satake, Tokugoro Ito, Jacintho Ferro,[1] Donato Pires dos Reis,[1] Hélio Gracie, Carlos Gracie, George Gracie, Oswaldo Gracie, Luiz França,[2] Oswaldo Fadda |
| Famous practitioners | See full list |
| Parenthood | Kodokan Judo, Jujutsu, Freestyle Wrestling, Catch Wrestling |
| Descendant arts | Submission grappling, 10th planet jiu-jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Official website | https://ibjjf.com/ |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Portuguese: jiu-jitsu brasileiro [ʒiw ˈʒitsu bɾaziˈlejɾu, ʒu -]), often abbreviated to BJJ, is a self-defense martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. It is primarily a ground-based fighting style and focuses on taking one's opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission via joint locks, chokeholds, or compression locks.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu was first developed around 1925 by Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., and Hélio Gracie, after Carlos was taught Kodokan judo by a travelling Japanese judoka, Mitsuyo Maeda, in 1917. Later on the Gracie family developed their own self-defense system which they named Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ eventually came to be its own defined combat sport through the innovations, practices, and adaptation of Gracie jiu-jitsu and judo, and has become one of the essential martial arts for modern MMA.
BJJ revolves around the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger opponent by using leverage and weight distribution, taking the fight to the ground and using a number of holds and submissions to defeat them. Sparring, commonly referred to as "rolling" within the BJJ community, and live drilling plays a major role in the practitioner's development. In contrast to some other martial arts BJJ can be practiced both using a gi uniform or not which is known as 'no-gi BJJ', for this purpose rash guards are used. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is the main governing body of the martial art, establishing the rules and general guidelines, as well as promoting competitions and training of referees. BJJ can also be used as a method of promoting physical fitness, building character, and as a way of life.[3][4]
- ^ a b "Who was Oscar Gracie and who taught him jiu-jitsu". Global-training-report.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Luiz Franca". bjjheroes.com. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ Virgílio, Stanlei (2002). Conde Koma – O invencível yondan da história (in Portuguese). Editora Átomo. pp. 22–25. ISBN 85-87585-24-X.
- ^ For more on this, see judo and Kano Jigoro.