Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Romulo Barral attempting a triangle choke on Gabriel Vella at the 2009 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | |
| Also known as | BJJ, Gracie jiu-jitsu, gi jiu-jitsu, no-gi jiu-jitsu, submission grappling Portuguese name: Jiu-jitsu brasileiro Japanese name: Burajirian jūjutsu (ブラジリアン柔術) |
|---|---|
| Focus | Ground fighting, grappling |
| Hardness | Full contact |
| Country of origin | Brazil |
| Creator | Senjuro Kataoka (Kanaya), Mataemon Tanabe, Taro Miyake, Yukio Tani, Sada Miyako, Geo Omori, Mitsuyo Maeda, Takeo Yano, Soshihiro Satake, Tokugoro Ito, Jacyntho Ferro, Donato Pires dos Reis, Hélio Gracie, Carlos Gracie, George Gracie, Oswaldo Gracie, Luiz França, Oswaldo Fadda |
| Famous practitioners | See full list |
| Parenthood | Jujutsu, Kodokan judo, Catch wrestling |
| Descendant arts | Submission wrestling, 10th planet jiu-jitsu |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Portuguese: jiu-jitsu brasileiro [ʒiw ˈʒitsu bɾaziˈlejɾu, ʒu -]), often abbreviated to BJJ, is a self-defense system, martial art, and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. It is primarily a ground-based fighting style and involves taking one's opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and then using a number of techniques to force them into submission such as joint locks, chokeholds, or compression locks.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu was first developed by the Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., and Hélio Gracie around 1925, after Carlos was taught jujutsu and catch wrestling in 1917 by either Mitsuyo Maeda, a travelling Japanese judoka, or one of Maeda's students Jacyntho Ferro. Later, the Gracie family developed their own self-defense system that they named Gracie jiu-jitsu. BJJ eventually became a distinct combat sport of its own through innovations and practices, and is considered essential for modern mixed martial arts.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is based on the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger opponent by using leverage and weight distribution. The focus is on 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 play a significant role in training. In contrast to some other martial arts BJJ can be practiced using a gi or without it, also called 'no-gi', for this purpose rash guards are used. BJJ can also be used for physical fitness, building character or as a way of life.