History of Jiu-Jitsu (4 Thousand Years Ago to Now)
The term “Jiu-Jitsu” is a Japanese word which means “gentle art” and jiu-jitsu is popular in Brazil which is a country in South America so that’s why it’s called Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
Jiu-Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a type of martial arts and combat sport used for self-defense based on grappling and ground fighting. Instead of using a lot of strength, BJJ focuses on Submission holds such as chokeholds and joint locks techniques for taking an opponent down to the mat and controlling them there.
2000 BC (4024 Years ago from 2024):
Now come back to 2000 BC (4024 years ago from 2024). At that time the exact origin of Jiu-Jitsu was unclear. But many researchers believe that grappling techniques, which are the main part of Jiu-Jitsu, were used in many ancient cultures around the world.
In ancient Greece, a sport called Pankration included wrestling moves similar to BJJ.
In India, wrestling styles like Pehlwani and Malla-yuddha also used grappling techniques.
In ancient China, a martial art called Shuai Jiao focused on throwing and controlling opponents, which is a lot like Jiu-Jitsu.
The Romans practiced grappling as part of their training for gladiator fights. Even Native American tribes had their own grappling styles for self-defense and sport.
This shows that while Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is popular today, the techniques have been around for thousands of years in different places.
356 BC (2380 Years ago from 2024):
Now coming back in 356 BC (2380 years ago from 2024), Jiu-Jitsu started in India. When Buddhist monks (Buddhist religious teachers) in India are travelled long distances from India to China and Japan for trading and to spread their religion,
so at that time the Jiu-jitsu was spread to China and Japan, they were not safe on the journey from robbers.
Although they were dedicated to peace, love, and harmony, they preferred and learned Jiu-Jitsu for self-defence because this way, they could protect themselves without using much violence.
1400 – 1600 (First Jiu-Jitsu school):
In the 1400s, Japan began to shape Jiu-Jitsu into its modern form. Samurai warriors, who were skilled Japanese soldiers, started using Jiu-Jitsu in war when they were without weapons. It became popular because it allowed them to save energy by using their opponent’s strength against them.
In 1532, a man named Hisamori Takenouchi started the first recorded Jiu-Jitsu school in Japan.
This school aimed to teach soldiers how to fight armoured enemies (who wore heavy metal clothes) since short weapons didn’t work well against armour.
1700 – Jiu-Jitsu Popular in Japan:
In the 1700s, Jiu-Jitsu became very popular in Japan, especially during the feudal times.
The feudal system in Japan was a way of organizing society where the country was divided into different regions, each ruled by a powerful lord.
Each lord had a group of warriors called samurai who served and protected them. These samurai needed to learn Jiu-Jitsu to survive in battles.
1800: Falling of Jiu-Jitsu When This Illegal in Japan
In the late 1800s, Japan went through big changes during the Meiji Restoration, which started in 1868. This movement aimed to modernize Japan by ending the old feudal system. This change meant that the samurai, who were once powerful and respected, lost their jobs and status. Many former samurai had to find new ways to live. To reduce fighting and violence, the government made Jiu-Jitsu illegal because it was linked to the samurai. This was part of Japan’s effort to create a more peaceful and modern society.
1882 – Again Popular because of the Kano Jigoro:
In 1874, a 14-year-old student named Jigoro experienced a lot of people at school making fun of him and hurting him.
So, he searched for a dojo (a place to practice martial arts) in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, to learn jiu-jitsu for self-defence.
It was difficult for him to find a dojo because jiu-jitsu was illegal at that time, as discussed earlier, and not very popular.
In 1877, Kano discovered a teacher named Fukuda Hachinosuke, who introduced him to a jiu-jitsu style known as Tenjin Shinyo-ryu. Sadly, Fukuda died in 1880, so Kano continued his training with another teacher, Iso Masatoma.
However, Iso also died in 1881, after that Kano didn’t give up he continued his training with his 3rd teacher name, Iikubo Tsunetoshi and learned a different style called Kito-Ryu.
Kano knew that now he was good in the techniques, and he understood that Jiu-Jitsu was not just a form of self-defence and sport but also beneficial for physical and mental health. He believed it could help Japan grow socially and economically, so he educated people about this and because of the kano, Jiu-Jitsu became popular again during peaceful times.
By 1882, Kano established his own dojo within a Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where he began instructing a new form of jiu-jitsu that he called judo, translating to “the gentle way.
In 1883, Kano received a special teaching rank called Menkyo from Iikubo (his 3rd teacher), who often visited Kano’s dojo to support him. Soon, Kano became very skilled and even started beating his teacher Iikubo in matches.
Kano named his school the Kodokan Judo Institute. Where he introduced judo and new training methods to make Jiu-Jitsu safer and more effective and removed dangerous techniques. This allowed people to practice safely.
Kano also introduced many rules to change the focus of Jiu-Jitsu practice. They focused more on throwing techniques and less on ground fighting, which is the main part of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This change not only helped Jiu-Jitsu survive but also created a fighting style that was less connected to real combat.
Kano’s new approach to Jiu-Jitsu had a big positive impact on Japanese society. It helped Jiu-Jitsu regain its status slowly, which had been declining since the Meiji Restoration. Kano’s style of Jiu-Jitsu became known as Kano Jiu-Jitsu and later as Judo.
The Kodokan started with just a few students but soon got very popular. When Kano died in 1934, the Kodokan had thousands of students and a big training area.
Among the thousands of students, One of Kano’s notable students was Mitsuyu Maeda, who was skilled in ground fighting and self-defence. Maeda is also known as Count Koma. He travelled to many countries around the world including England, Belgium, Spain, and Central and South America to spread Jiu-Jitsu and accept the challenges from their local fighters. He eventually came to Brazil in 1914, where he met a young boy named Carlos Gracie.
1909: First Time Introduce Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil:
In 1909, two jiu-jitsu instructors, Sada Miyako and Mme. Kakiara, came to Brazil in a surprising way. A Brazilian Navy ship named “Benjamin Constant” saved them when their ship was damaged in the Pacific Ocean.
Since they couldn’t go back to Japan immediately, they decided to stay in Brazil. Here, they found opportunities to teach jiu-jitsu and even perform in shows. This is the first time that Jiujiutsu was introduced in Brazil
Please note that jiu-jitsu did not become popular in Brazil because of these two teachers. They were just the first to introduce it.
1914: BJJ was Popular in Brazil Thanks to Mitsuyo Maeda:
So as discussed before, the student of Kano Jigoro , Mitsuyo Maeda travels to many countries to spread Jiu-Jitsu and accept the challenges from their local fighters.
He eventually came to Brazil in 1914, where he met and lived with a Scottish businessman and politician named Gastao Gracie in the city of Belém do Pará, Maeda taught traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu to Gastão’s son, Carlos Gracie.
This teaching was the start of changing Japanese Jiu-Jitsu into what we know today as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). From this point, the origins of BJJ began.
The Role of the Gracie Family
Gastao Gracie has 8 children, 5 sons and 3 daughters. He selected the older son Carlos Gracie to learn jiu-jitsu from a Japanese master. This is where the Gracie family’s journey begins with the oldest son, Carlos.
If you want to know more about the Gracie family, check out our article on the Gracie Family Tree.
1916 – The Time of Carlos Gracie (1902-1994)
Carlos Gracie is the son of Gastao Gracie. He was initially a weak and fearful person. When he was 14 years old, Mitsuyu Maeda introduced him to Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos was very interested in learning it,
so he started practicing a lot. Learning Jiu-Jitsu had a significant impact on him, helping him gain self-control and confidence that he had never experienced before.
Carlos practiced Jiu-Jitsu for five years with Maeda. During this time, he learned a lot about his own body, his strengths, and his weaknesses. It also gave him a feeling of peace. After that, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, a city in Brazil, with his family to share what he had learned from Maeda.
In Rio, it was difficult for Carlos to find students and teach them Jiu-Jitsu, and it was hard for people to pay him because, in the early 20th century, not many people knew about it.
Only people from law enforcement (organizations that ensure laws are followed, including the police) outside of Rio, in Minas Gerais, were interested in learning Jiu-Jitsu from Carlos, so he started teaching Jiu-Jitsu to him.
After some years in Minas Gerais, Carlos came back to Rio. His belief that teach Jiu-Jitsu to everyone, not just the police officers.
1925 – The First Gracie BJJ School & Carlos Era
As previously discussed, Carlos didn’t want to limit himself to teaching only police officers. So in 2025 at the age of 23, he opened the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu School at Rua Marquês de Abrantes 106, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This school was not very big or fancy, it was a small house belonging to Carlos. He moved in with his younger brother because they wanted to take care of them, so they lived together
Carlos believed that BJJ would become very popular, but it was difficult for them to do everything alone. Therefore, he began to teach his 4 younger brothers: Hélio, Gastao Jr., George and Oswaldo Gracie.
From here, the roots of the Gracie family were established. They all lived together, worked hard, and practised together. This helped them prepare for the big success the Gracie family would achieve in the future.
1932 The Time of Helio Gracie:
Carlos Gracie teaches the techniques to his older brother, Helio, he was small and not very strong, so some techniques are difficult for him to perform properly and impress his older brother Carlos.
Therefore, he decided to find new ways that worked for him. He focused on using leverage and timing instead of strength and speed.
Helio learned and improved the techniques from his brothers by practicing a lot.
He made these techniques better and developed his own style of Jiu-Jitsu and often tested them in tough public matches. They fought against people who practiced other fighting styles like boxing, luta livre (a type of Brazilian wrestling), capoeira, and luta romana (a type of Roman wrestling).
With new techniques and the help of his brother Carlos, Hélio Gracie participated in several important challenge matches and won many of them. Later, these new techniques became part of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
After some time Carlos, his older brother, was very busy teaching and managing the family business and now the helio is also good in Jiu-jitsu. So he decided to start teaching BJJ to his other brothers, Gastao Jr., George, and Oswaldo Gracie.
The 5 sons of Gastao Gracie: Carlos, Helio, George Jr., Gastao, and Oswaldo built the first generation of Gracie fighters. Even though Carlos and Helio became very close and worked together for many years, all 5 brothers made significant contributions to the growth of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil.
1951 – Improving BJJ: When Helio’s Loss to Kimura
Hélio Gracie took part in many competitions and won many matches. However, in 1951, he lost a match to a Japanese judoka named Masahiko Kimura in Brazil. Kimura used a shoulder lock technique to defeat Helio. This technique was later named the “Kimura” in his honor by the Gracie family.
This is the match between Helio and Kimura in 1951, and Helio lost the match.
After the match, Helio and his family carefully studied the techniques Kimura used. They understood the importance of improving their own techniques and strategies to make their jiu-jitsu more effective.
Helio and his brothers, especially Carlos, experimented with joint locks, chokes, and escapes. They practiced these techniques to make sure they worked in real-life situations. The Gracies challenged fighters from different martial arts to test their new techniques. By facing various opponents, they could see what worked and what needed improvement.
They removed techniques that didn’t work and improved the ones that did. This helped them develop BJJ to effectively compete against other martial arts like boxing and wrestling.
1955 – The Era of Carlson Gracie – The Son of Carlos
In 1955, Helio Gracie’s student, Valdemar Santana, beat his teacher in a fight. Helio was around 43 or 44 years old then. Carlson Gracie, (Carlos Gracie’s son and Helio’s nephew) entered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to restore their family’s honour and represent the Gracie family.
Carlson defeated Valdemar and kept fighting many times, becoming the main fighter for the Gracie family for many years. He then started his own Gracie school in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There, he trained a strong team of young fighters who dominated tournaments in Brazil during the 1970s and 1980s.
1967 – The Creation of FJJ-Rio to Promote BJJ
In 1967, the organization Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Guanabara was created in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is called FJJ-Rio for short. The organization was created by members of the Gracie family, specifically Helio Gracie and his brothers Carlos Gracie, Jr. and Carlson Gracie.
This organization helped promote BJJ in Rio by organizing official tournaments and events and setting the rules and guidelines for BJJ competitions. This made it easier for different schools to compete against each other fairly.
The Creation of the BJJ Belt Ranking System:
In 1967, another important thing happened because of the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Guanabara (FJJ-Rio): the creation of the BJJ Belt Ranking System. This system was established to recognize the progress and skill levels of practitioners. The belt ranking system plays an important role in the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by providing a structured way to measure a practitioner’s knowledge, skill, and experience. It also helped to motivate students, promote discipline, and ensure a standardized way to gauge progress across different BJJ schools.
For the Youth (under 16), there are 16 types of belts starting from White and ending with Green-Black. For adults (16 years and above), there are 8 types of belts: Blue, Purple, Brown, Black, Red/Black, Red/White, and finally, Red. White is the beginner level and Red is the highest level. For more details, check our article by clicking on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Ranking System or check the below table for quickly understanding.
1970 – The Era of Rolls Gracie – Brother of Carlson
Rolls Gracie brother of Carlson Gracie, started learning Jiu-Jitsu as a child and helped his uncle Helio teach when he was 12. He also learned a lot from his older brother, Carlson.
At a young age, Rolls visited different countries to learn Sambo, Judo, and Greco-Roman Wrestling. He became a Black Belt at 16 and had big dreams for Jiu-Jitsu. He thought competing in tournaments would help the sport grow.
In 1970, Brazil was going through tough political times, and Jiu-Jitsu was losing popularity. Rolls used his skill, and ability to keep the sport alive and inspire young people in Rio de Janeiro.
In 1976, a Karate instructor appeared on TV and said that Jiu-Jitsu might not be very good for fighting. Rolls Gracie heard this and wanted to prove that Jiu-Jitsu was effective, so he accepted the challenge and fought in a No Holds Barred match (a type of fight where almost any technique or move is allowed). This was Rolls’ first match, and he won, showing how effective Jiu-Jitsu is.
Rolls started his own Gracie School and shared a space with Carlson, teaching on different days. There are many students of Rolls, including Rickson Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr., Royler Gracie, and Rigan Machado.
Additionally, Rolls promoted six students to black belt: Mauricio Motta Gomes, Marcio Stambowsky, Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti, Nicin Azulay, Paulo Conde, and Mario Claudio Tallarico.
Sadly, in 1982 Rolls died in a hang gliding accident at 31, but his impact on Jiu-Jitsu is still felt today.
1972: Rorion Gracie – 1st BJJ Academy in USA
In 1972, Rorion Gracie opened the very first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) academy in the United States. Rorion, who is one of Helio Gracie’s sons, wanted to share the techniques and benefits of BJJ with more people.
Before this academy, BJJ was mostly practiced in Brazil. Rorion saw the potential for this martial art in the U.S. and decided to teach it to anyone interested. He wanted to show how effective BJJ could be in self-defense and competition.
At the academy, Rorion taught students the unique techniques of BJJ, focusing on using leverage and skill rather than just strength. Many students came to learn, and some went on to become great practitioners themselves. This helped BJJ grow in popularity across the country. After that, he also created the UFC, as discussed below.
1982 – The Era of Carlos Gracie Jr. – Another Brother of Carlson
In 1982 after Rolls sudden death his brother Carlos Gracie Jr. took responsibility for continuing his brother’s work. He spent his childhood at the Teresopolis House, a large ranch where many Gracie family members lived and trained together.
He learned jiujitsu from his father Carlos Gracie Sr., and other important family members like Carlos, Helio, and Rolls. He also learned the Judo, and Wrestling techniques.
Carlos Gracie Jr. was very interested in Jiu-Jitsu and his father’s Gracie Diet. He pursued a degree in Nutrition Sciences to support his family’s athletes through a healthy diet. He began teaching at the main Gracie school in Rio de Janeiro, working with his brother Rolls and cousin Rorion.
In 1986 he moved to Barra da Tijuca and started the Gracie Barra school, which quickly grew from 20 to almost 200 students in its first year. The school became known for its special teaching style and supportive environment, helping students grow in Jiu-Jitsu and life.
The school is still in the same building today and is one of the most popular schools for BJJ all over the world. People from all backgrounds, including doctors, engineers, and lawyers, found a positive Jiu-Jitsu learning environment at Gracie Barra under the instructor Carlos Gracie Junior.
1993: Rorion Gracie: The BOOM of BJJ in the UFC & MMA
The master of Jiu-Jitsu Rorion Gracie (son of Hélio Gracie and nephew of Carlos) played an important role in popularizing BJJ. He started a challenge “Gracie Challenge” in the U.S. to popular Jiujitsu.
This challenge meant that anyone from any martial art could fight a student of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu with no rules. This plan worked, and many people from different countries heard about BJJ.
In 1993 Rorion Gracie and businessman Art Davie created an organization called “Ultimate Fighting Championship” (UFC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. In the UFC the different types of martial arts fighters will fight against each other in a tournament.
In 1993, Rorion Gracie decided that his younger brother ‘Royce Gracie’ from his family would compete as an MMA fighter in the UFC against Kimo Leopoldo who practised boxing, karate, wrestling, judo, and other martial arts. Royce Gracie was small and didn’t seem very strong compared to his opponent, but he won the fight using BJJ moves like choke holds and joint locks and he became the first UFC champion.
Here is the fighting Video of Royce Gracie against Kimo Leopoldo and Royce Gracie won Ultimate Royce Gracie: Final Fight
Royce Gracie won two more tournaments the UFC 2 and UFC 4. His success showed many people that it was possible to beat bigger and stronger opponents using the Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
After that, the 2nd fighter from the Gracie family was Gracie Rickson who fought as an MMA in the UFC and won the match.
The world was shocked and surprised, and this was the moment when BJJ boomed all over the world.
The UFC’s popularity helped BJJ grow a lot. After this fight, many martial artists understood that BJJ was important for real fighting. They started learning and practicing BJJ techniques.
When Jiu-Jitsu fighters began winning in the UFC and other MMA events, the sport’s popularity very quickly. The Gracie family’s unique style of Jiu-Jitsu became widely known as ‘Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’ (BJJ).
That’s why if you now search on Google for ‘jiu jitsu’ or ‘Gracie Jiu-Jitsu,’ you will see ‘Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’ in the results.
Additionally, people share videos on social media platforms like YouTube Facebook and Instagram. This helps share BJJ techniques and ideas with people all over the world. In 1999, the first movie ‘Choke’ and many documentaries about BJJ, especially stories of successful practitioners also increased awareness and interest in the sport.
2000 Global Expansion of BJJ:
In the year 2000, many people around the world wanted to learn Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu.
Talented Black Belt athletes were invited to different countries to teach seminars. They introduced this powerful and new fighting style to new students.
2002: The Born of IBJJF
The IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) is one of the largest organizations that hosts many of the biggest BJJ tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No – Gi Championship, Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and European Open Jiu-Jitsu.
This organization was created by Carlos Gracie, Jr. to make rules and guidelines to keep BJJ fair and challenging. This helps make the sport more interesting for both people who practice it and those who watch it.
The IBJJF encourages more gyms and schools to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) because many students want to compete in IBJJF events. This helps the sport grow.
The IBJJF also helps promote BJJ through media coverage and partnerships, which raises awareness and interest in the sport.
2005 – Headquarters in the U.S.
In 2005, Master Carlos Gracie Jr. saw a big opportunity for BJJ in the United States. He moved from the Gracie Barra headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Lake Forest in Irvine, California, USA.
Now, with skilled students brought over from Brazil, Master Carlos and his team train, teach, and run a Jiu-Jitsu school there. Their hard work has helped spread Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu across the United States, making it popular among more people who love martial arts.
After some time, Gracie Barra created more BJJ schools in many cities across the U.S. to teach BJJ to everyone. They also set up an association to create rules and standards, ensuring high-quality teaching at all schools.
2010 to 2024 – Modern Era of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The Rise of Online Content: The online academies like BJJFanatics, Graciebarra and many more academies allow practitioners to learn from top instructors around the world, making BJJ accessible and popular to everyone.
Rise of BJJ Because of MMA and UFC Popularity: The UFC continued to grow, attracting millions of viewers. Fighters with strong BJJ backgrounds, like BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, and Demian Maia, showcased BJJ in high-profile matches. Additionally, new fighters entering the UFC almost all needed to learn BJJ.
Increased Female Participation: Women’s divisions in competitions began to grow, and female athletes like Mackenzie Dern and Gabi Garcia became role models, inspiring more women to train in BJJ.
Rise of BJJ Because People Use this for Self-Defense: BJJ became more popular because many people started using it for self-defence. It’s specially designed for people who are physically weaker or smaller, helping them defend themselves against physically strong or larger opponents. As a result, many people are learning BJJ for self-defense, making it increasingly popular around the world.
Rise of BJJ Through Social Media: Many successful fighters share their journeys, techniques, and successes on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, which have helped the rise of BJJ. Hashtags like #BJJ and #BrazilianJiuJitsu also play an important role in the popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Short Overview of BJJ
2000 BC: The origins of grappling techniques, which are fundamental to BJJ, can be traced back to ancient civilizations like Greece, India, China, Rome, and among Native Americans.
356 BC: Jiu-Jitsu began in India, with Buddhist monks spreading it to China and Japan for self-defense during their travels.
1400-1600: In Japan, samurai warriors used Jiu-Jitsu in wars. The first recorded Jiu-Jitsu school was started by Hisamori Takenouchi in 1532.
1700: Jiu-Jitsu became very popular in Japan during the feudal times, especially among samurai warriors.
1800s: Jiu-Jitsu faced decline during the Meiji Restoration when it was made illegal in Japan to reduce violence.
1882: Kano Jigoro revived Jiu-Jitsu by creating a safer version called judo, which focused more on throwing techniques.
1909: Jiu-Jitsu was introduced in Brazil by two Japanese teachers rescued by a Brazilian Navy ship.
1914: Mitsuyo Maeda, a student of Kano Jigoro , arrived in Brazil and introduced Jiu-Jitsu to Carlos Gracie. This is the origins of BJJ.
1925: Carlos Gracie opened the first Gracie BJJ School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, teaching his younger brothers.
1932: Helio Gracie, one of Carlos’ younger brothers, developed new techniques focusing on leverage and timing.
1951: Helio Gracie lost to Masahiko Kimura, leading to improvements in BJJ techniques by the Gracie family.
1955: Carlson Gracie, Carlos’ son, became a prominent BJJ fighter and started his own school.
1967: The Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Guanabara (FJJ-Rio) was created, promoting BJJ in Rio and establishing the BJJ Belt Ranking System.
1970: Rolls Gracie, another member of the Gracie family, kept BJJ alive during tough political times in Brazil and promoted it through competitions.
1972: Rorion Gracie opened the first BJJ academy in the United States, helping to spread BJJ globally.
1982: Carlos Gracie Jr. continued the family legacy by starting the Gracie Barra school, which became a major BJJ institution.
1993: Rorion Gracie co-created the UFC, showcasing BJJ’s effectiveness. Royce Gracie’s victories in the UFC popularized BJJ worldwide.
2000: BJJ began expanding globally, with black belt athletes teaching seminars in different countries.
2002: The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) was created to host major BJJ tournaments and set standardized rules.
2005: Master Carlos Gracie Jr. moved the Gracie Barra headquarters to the U.S., further spreading BJJ across the country.
Conclusion
There has a long History of Jiu-Jitsu that began as a way to defend oneself without weapons. In the 1900s, Japanese fighter Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie family brought BJJ to Brazil. Carlos and Helio Gracie developed it further and spread it worldwide by opening schools and creating new techniques.
BJJ gained fame in 1993 when Royce Gracie won the UFC, showing that smaller fighters could defeat bigger opponents. This made BJJ popular globally.
Today, millions practice BJJ for self-defense, sport, and fitness. It has a belt system to track progress, and many schools around the world teach it. The Gracie family’s dedication helped BJJ become one of the most respected martial arts.
FAQs
What is the True History of BJJ?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu first started in 1914 with Carlos Gracie, and it was fully developed in 1925 when he opened his first school. Then, all five brothers: Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George and Hélio Gracie began practicing together.
Where Did BJJ Originate?
BJJ first originated from Jigorō Kanō in Japan. He taught it to Mitsuyo Maeda, who moved to Brazil in 1914 and taught it to Brazilians.
Who is the Best BJJ Guy of all time?
Rickson Gracie is the best BJJ Guy of all time if you want to know more the check the Best BJJ Fighters article where discussed many greatest fighters include Rickson Gracie, Roger Gracie, Marcus Buchecha, Royce Gracie, Gordon Ryan and more
Article Source: Wikipedia, Graciebarra, and many more sites from Google.
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You may also like the Benefits of BJJ article,
Where we explain the top 10 most popular of BJJ such as: self-defense, weight loss, improved mental focus and problem-solving skills, making valuable friends in the BJJ community, increased heart rate and stamina (better cardio), better sleep, improved flexibility and movement, using technique over strength (which reduces the chances of injury), boosting self-confidence, and having fun as shown in the table below. For more details click on the mentioned link.
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