Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

3 points

The Gracie family developed Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ)
during the early 20th century, after Japanese-born judoka
and wrestler Maeda Mitsuyo taught them Judo and Jujutsu.
Maeda and the Gracies created a style that emphasized
ground fighting and technique over brute strength. The
Gracies first exhibited their skills as part of a circus
wrestling team, taking on fairground challengers. Over the
decades, the Gracies stripped away techniques that they
deemed inefficient and sharpened their focus on ne waza, or
ground techniques.
The Gracies became famous by issuing challenges to all
comers, including world-champion boxers (none of whom
accepted). They fought no-holds-barred matches called vale
tudo (Portuguese for “anything goes”) to demonstrate their
skills. In the early 1990s, an American form of vale tudo
emerged – the “Ultimate Fighting Championship” – which
gave the Gracies a venue in which to fight. They did well,
with Royce Gracie capturing the first two titles and
grappling-trained fighters dominating the UFC ever since.
For more on no-holds-barred fighting, see Tournament
Combat (pp. 134-135) and Mixed Martial Arts (p. 189).
The Gracies – and their relatives, the Machado family –
formed the core of BJJ. They later exported it to the U.S. and
beyond. Other instructors have expanded the style, but at its
heart it remains the ground fighting-heavy style of the
Gracie family.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu’s philosophy is that most fights end up
on the ground, so you might as well go there immediately
and control the action once you hit the ground. BJJ stylists
wait for an opening, and then “shoot” in and grapple (typi-
cally an Attack or Committed Attack). They follow up with
a takedown and then an Arm Lock, Choke Hold, or Leg
Lock to force a submission. In a life-or-death struggle, a BJJ
fighter would use a quick choke or a broken limb or two to
disable his assailant.
Some BJJ fighters like to set up submissions from the
bottom, using the “guard” (lying face-up, with the adversary
on top and usually between their legs). Others seek the
“mount” (kneeling or crouching on an opponent who’s
prone or lying face-up), fighting from the top and passing
their rival’s guard. Stylists learn locks, chokes, and defenses
for use in either situation. A few forms of BJJ add strikes, but
it’s more common for BJJ practitioners to cross-train in
another style if they desire striking skills. BJJ stylists are
famously patient, often pinning a foe and slowly working
into position for a fight-winning lock.