A brief summary of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling form of Martial Arts that has long been one of the most effective ground fighting and self-defense. Created in Brazil as an offshoot of Judo, BJJ has become a phenomenon around the world, largely due to the success of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the UFC and MMA in general.
With BJJ you learn to use technique over strength, which makes it great for a smaller person, as they can use the proper technique and leverage to defeat a larger opponent. Not only that, but you learn many chokes and joint locks that can be used to submit an opponent. It’s also a great workout, as you will develop strong core muscles and strength across your whole body.
The great thing about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it can be used by all ages and body types. BJJ isn’t just for competitors or athletes. People from all walks of life train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and for many different reasons. One of the most common reasons is self-defense. BJJ is known as one of the most effective forms of self-defense in one-on-one situations. By training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you can learn to block punches, take an attacker down, and neutralize or submit them.
The history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also commonly referred to as BJJ is a Martial Art, combat sport, and form of ground fighting. It was derived from a form of Judo, after Mitsuyo Maeda aka Count Koma, came over to Brazil from Japan in 1914. It was in Brazil where Maeda met Carlos Gracie Sr. Gracie had seen a Judo demonstration at the De Paz Theater in Belen, Brazil. He immediately wanted to try the sport, and Maeda decided to accept him as a student.
Carlos Gracie learned the sport of Judo for a few years, eventually passing down his knowledge of what he learned to his younger brothers. It was his youngest brother Helio who developed Judo into what is now known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Helio was the weaker one of the Gracie brothers, and at the time couldn’t perform a lot of the Judo moves, so he turned it into more of a ground style that was suited to his body frame. This is the form that is now used today by many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.
Over the years Helio helped build the Gracie Family name by taking on all challengers and showing why technique and skill could defeat even the biggest and strongest opponents. He would often compete in submission-based competitions showing how superior Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in general, were to other forms of grappling.
It wasn’t until the early 1990′s that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu got the world-wide recognition it deserved. That’s when one of Helio’s sons, Royce would make his debut in the upstart Mixed Martial Arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The idea of the UFC was proposed to Rorion Gracie, who was an older brother of Royce. The idea was to pit different styles of Martial Arts together to see which was the Ultimate Martial Art.
Royce didn’t disappoint in his debut, eventually winning the entire tournament and defeating many fighters that were, bigger, stronger, and faster. Royce Gracie would eventually become a three-time UFC champion and would help elevate the Gracie Family name and the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to elite status.
A great place to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in your area
If you are in Oxnard, California or surrounding areas such as Newberry Park, Moorpark, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Camarillo you should definitely check out Gracie Morumbi Martial Arts & Fitness. Come in and experience why we’ve been voted best Martial Arts studio in Ventura County three consecutive years. Our outstanding staff and world class instructors will leave you at ease, as we provide a family-type atmosphere that is second to none.
At Gracie Morumbi Martial Arts & Fitness we do our best to accommodate everybody with our various programs. We offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class for kids, juniors, teens and adults. For all levels from beginners to advanced. Not only do we offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but we have an amazing Kickboxing program. We are the only Martial Arts studio in the area that offers a full Kettlebells program schedule as well.
