Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that emphasizes ground grappling, with free sparring being an important training method. The aim is generally to use a variety of grappling holds to advance in positioning, and to finally obtain a submission hold. Referred to as "Position before Submission". Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is usually practiced in a gi very similar or identical to a judogi, but non-gi training is also part of the training regimen in many BJJ schools, and is sometimes referred to as 'submission wrestling'. It is well known for its effectiveness in mixed martial arts/no holds barred fighting. It was made famous by Royce Gracie in the 1993 Ultimate Fighting Championship. It also has realistic self-defence application. The term Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ) is sometimes used interchangeably with Brazilian "jiu-jitsu", but is trademarked by Rorion Gracie, and specifically refers to the style of Brazilian jiu-jitsu taught by him and other selected teachers. Of course, his system and the other BJJ systems are similar, except for a few theories.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is an orthogonal development of pre-1925 Kodokan Judo. It arrived in Brazil when Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese Judoka first introduced it during his visit to Brazil with the hopes of establishing a Japanese colony/community in the country. It was further developed by the Gracie family during the mid-20th century. The most important difference of Brazilian jiu-jitsu compared to Judo and Japanese Jujitsu is that BJJ is much more focused on ground fighting. While Japanese Jujitsu and Judo does have extensive training in ground fighting (newaza), with some schools favoring ground techniques over throwing, the only Japanese school to put so much emphasis on ground techniques as is done in BJJ was Kosen judo. Some (if not the majority of) BJJ schools reach a point of overlooking throwing techniques entirely. Such training regime is responsible for the great advances in ground fighting introduced by Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In addition, like Judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu encourages "randori" or free sparring against a live, resisting opponent. Thus, students have an opportunity to test their skills and develop them under realistic conditions, with minimal risk of injury.

Overall, although most if not all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques can be traced back to Judo and their predecessors, the major difference is that BJJ stresses the importance of gaining a dominant position over an opponent before attempting a submission; most BJJ schools teach "position before submission".

Techniques Used In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes ground fighting techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokeholds. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are largely negated if wrestling on the ground. BJJ includes many Judo techniques to throw or tackle opponents to the ground, these are notoriously difficult to resist even for people who are trained in their countermeasures. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into suitable position for the application of a submission hold. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate.

Submission holds can be grouped into two broad categories: joint locks and chokes. Joint locks typically involve isolating an opponent's limb and creating a lever with your own body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion. Pressure is increased in a controlled manner and if the opponent cannot escape the hold then they may signal defeat by submitting. The commonly accepted form of submission is to tap the opponent, gym mat, or even yourself, three times. Verbal submission is also acceptable but less common.

Alternatively, one could apply a choke hold, disrupting the blood supply to the brain, causing unconsciousness if the opponent refuses to tap out.

Most BJJ "chokes" involve constriction of the carotid artery (causing hypoxia). This differs from the more instinctive choking movements which generally involve constriction of the windpipe (causing asphyxia). Though this distinction may at first seem subtle it is in fact significant (commonly referred to as "blood" and "air" chokes respectively). Air chokes are highly inefficient and may result in damage to the opponent's trachea, sometimes even resulting in death. In contrast, blood chokes directly cut the flow of blood off to the opponent's brain causing a rapid shutdown of consciousness without damaging the internal structure. Being "choked-out" in this way is actually relatively safe as long as the choke is released soon after unconsciousness, letting blood (and therefore oxygen) back into the brain before the damages of oxygen deprivation begin.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis on joint locks and maneuvering rather than strikes means that one's technique can be practiced at full speed and almost full power, resembling the effort and technique used in a real fight. Training partners can resist and counter just as they would in an actual fight, providing valuable real-world experience should the techniques ever need to be applied in an actual fight. This practice of live training, officially called Randori but commonly known as "rolling" in BJJ circles, is considered by many BJJ practitioners to be the major factor differentiating combat sports (ex. BJJ, Judo, Boxing, Wrestling) from traditional martial arts (ex. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido).

While many joint locks are permitted, most competitions bar or restrict some or all joint locks involving the knees, ankles and spinal column. The reasoning behind this being that the angles of manipulation required to cause pain are nearly the same to cause serious damage. Joint locks that require a twisting motion of the knee (called twisting knee locks or twisting knee bars) are almost universally banned in competitions as successfully completing the move nearly always results in permanent damage that requires surgury in order to walk again. Similarly, joint manipulations of the spine are typically barred due to the inherent danger of death or paralysis from crushing or mis-aligning cervical vertebrae. In Brazil, certain locks involving the knees and ankles are only allowed in competition starting at the brown belt. Any competitor from white to purple belt who tries any of these locks will be disqualified.

However, most joint locks involving the wrist, elbow or shoulder are permitted as there is a great deal more flexibility in those joints and are very safe to use under tournament conditions. Finger locks are sometimes permitted but are generally frowned upon because a broken finger would not disable an attacker, thus preventing the fighter from definitively proving superiority. Also, in lower levels of competition, some fighters will practice moves whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon their opponent, in the hopes that they will tap out. This includes driving knuckles into pressure points, holding their opponent's head in order to tire out the neck (called the "can opener" or kubi-hishigi) and putting body weight on top of the sternum, floating ribs, or similarly sensitive bones. These moves are not true submission moves and are avoided or brutally countered in middle to upper levels of competition. Generally, they are used as distractions, although an unexperienced fighter may tap out, despite being in no real danger.

In modern times, many forms of sport fighting have come into vogue. During competition, these styles award points for attacking with certain techniques. For example, a competitor may be awarded 2 points for kicking his or her opponent in the body and 3 points for kicks delivered to the head. Coinciding with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's considerable surge in popularity, many tournaments now disallow striking in favor of grappling. The rules for these contests reward points to a competitor that has obtained a position considered to be advantageous. In the event that no combatant was submitted outright, the winner will be determined by these points.

The main emphasis in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is to dominate the opponent through skillful application of technique and force them to quit (submit). By using the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a smaller practitioner, male or female, can control much larger and stronger opponents and actually force the larger opponent to submit.