Over four centuries ago in northern India, Buddhist monks were busy going about the dangerous work of trying to spread the word of ‘Buddha’ in a world that wasn’t always kind to roaming peoples. In order to defend themselves from attacks that happened along the way, they developed a form of grappling that allowed them to subdue opponents without killing them. Eventually this style of fighting made its way to Japan where it was improved upon and called jujutsu or jiu jitsu. Judo is a derivative of jiu- jitsu. The Japanese sought to hide jujutsu and its derivatives from the western world, but nothing lasts forever. In 1914, Kodokan Judo master Mitsuyo Maeda (1878-1941) came to stay at the household of Brazil’s Gastao Gracie. Gracie helped Maeda with business in the area and in appreciation of this, Maeda taught Gastao’s eldest son, Carlos, the art of judo. In turn, Carlos taught the other children in the family what he knew, including the smallest and youngest of his brothers, Helio. Helio often felt at a disadvantage when practicing with his brothers because many of the moves in judo favored the stronger and larger fighter. Thus, he developed an offshoot of Maeda’s teachings that favored leverage over brute strength and refined the formula for fighting from one’s back on the ground. Today the art that Helio refined is called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an art based in ground fighting. Along with this, it teaches takedowns, takedown defense, ground control, and especially submissions. Submissions refer to holds that either cut off an opponent’s air supply (chokes) or look to take advantage of a joint (such as armbars). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters tend to feel very comfortable fighting from a position called the guard, if need be. The guard position– in essence, wrapping one’s legs around an opponent to limit their movement– is what allows them to fight from their backs so effectively, and is also something that separates their art from most other grappling styles.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters look to take their opponents to the ground. When on top they generally hope to escape their opponents’ guard and move to either side control (positioned across an opponents’ chest) or the mount position (sitting over their ribs or chest). From there, depending on the situation, they may choose to continually strike their opponent or set up a submission hold. When on their backs, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters are very dangerous. From the guard various submission holds can be employed. They may also seek to turn their opponent over in an attempt to reverse their fortunes.
The practice of Jiu-Jitsu transcends the execution of chokes, joint locks, immobilizations, throws, and strikes. A true understanding of the Jiu-Jitsu philosophy prepares men, women, and children for life, showing them paths to a healthier life and the most efficient use of physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
“Eating well is Jiu-Jitsu; taking care of your body is Jiu-Jitsu; saying no to cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs is Jiu-Jitsu, and keeping a close bond with relatives and friends is Jiu-Jitsu. Grand Masters Carlos and Hélio Gracie propagated this way of life for almost a century.”
Maximum Effectiveness with Minimum Energy. Jiu-Jitsu is the way to the most effective use of physical, mental, and spiritual strength. By teaching you attacks and defenses it refines your body, your mind, and your soul and helps you make the spiritual essence of Jiu-Jitsu a part of your very being. In this way you are able to perfect yourself and contribute something of value to the world. The principle of maximum efficient-use of mind and body is the fundamental principle governing all the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu. This principal can also be applied to the improvement of the human body making it strong, healthy, and useful, and so constitute physical education. It can also be applied to the improvement of intellectual and moral power, and this case constitutes mental and moral education. It can be applied to the improvement of diet, clothing, housing, social interaction, and methods of business, therefore constituting a study in living.
Jiu-Jitsu, in its fuller sense, is a study and a method of training in mind, body, and spirit as well as in the regulation of life and affairs. Jiu-Jitsu expresses the philosophy of yielding to an opponent’s force rather than trying to oppose force with force. Manipulating an opponent’s attack by using his force and direction allows a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner to control the balance of their opponent and hence prevent the opponent from resisting the counter attack. The philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu describes the states of mind that a warrior should be able to adopt in combat to facilitate victory. These include an all-encompassing awareness, zanshin (literally “remaining spirit”), in which the practitioner is ready for anything at any time; the spontaneity of mushin (literally “no mind”) which allows immediate action without conscious thought; and a state of composure or imperturbability known as fudoshin (literally “immovable mind”).
