The Origins Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Where It All Began
Posted by admin, under UncategorizedBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that places primary emphasis on grappling and submission holds. The style actually originated in Japan at the dawn of the 20th century. In the early 1900′s, a Japanese man by the name of Mitsuyo Maeda immigrated to Brazil. A business man named Gastao Gracie helped Maeda integrate into Brazilian culture and customs. The two quickly became close friends and Maeda took Gracie’s two sons under his wing and taught them the art of Jiu-Jitsu.
One of the sons, Helio, passed the art to his children. His eldest son, Rorion, later settled to the United States and started a full contact fighting tournament known as the Ultimate Fighting championship. Rorion’s younger brother, Royce, was added as a participant. The goal was to prove to the world that Jiu-Jitsu was superior to other forms of martial arts, especially those that revolved purely around striking.
Royce Gracie was successful in winning the first few tournaments. He defeated opponents much larger than himself. This showed to the world that technique can triumph over size and strength. Soon after, the whole world knew what Jiu-Jitsu was all about, and it opened everyone’s eyes to the ground aspect of fighting. Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is highly sought after by martial arts enthusiasts interested in developing a well-rounded combat discipline.