What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Do you know what is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Have you ever heard about this brilliant martial art form? Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been gaining popularity for a lot of years now, thanks to the growing fan base of MMA. 

If you want to learn about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu meaning, history, and origin, then keep reading this post.

We have also listed the benefits of practicing BJJ and how it is different from Jujitsu.

What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is self-defense combat, and martial art sport is based on submission holds and grapplings. Bjj is completely based on the skill of taking things to the ground to gain a dominant position and control one’s opponent by using various techniques to force them into submission via chokeholds or joint locks. 

Let’s learn a little about Jiu-Jitsu Origin and History to understand it better.

Jiu-Jitsu Origin

The word “Jiu-Jitsu” is originated from the Japanese word “Jū,” which means gentle, and “Jutsu,” which means art. When combined, it means gentle art. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a ground-based martial art form that relies on the principles of angels, leverages, timing, and pressure, and the knowledge of proper human anatomy to achieve non-violent submission over the opponent. 

Unlike other martial art forms that focus on kicks or strikes, BJJ focuses only on close contact techniques, holds grappling, and applies joint manipulations and chokes. 

Jiu-Jitsu History

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu originated after importing Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and Judo to South American continents during the early 1900s. This later transformed into a new martial arts style by Brazilian Pioneers.     

Before it became BJJ, the Jiu-Jitsu origin dates back to 4000 years ago. Years ago, when Buddhist monks in India needed to protect them during their travel journey without causing any harm to the attackers, they developed this combat style. 

Slowly it spread to Japan, where it later transformed into an effective hand-to-hand combat style during the war before it became proper combat and competitive activity. Later in 1915, Mitsuyo Maeda, a famous Japanese Judoka, arrived in Brazil to give demonstrations and teach people about Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Three students of Mitsuyo (Brothers Helio Gracie and Carlos, Luiz Franca) later became the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They give rise to a new martial art form by creating new techniques and raising the effectiveness of an already known hold of Jiu-Jitsu. 

Slowly after the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu origin, it started to spread across states, countries, and continents.

Jujitsu Vs. BJJ 

Jiu-jitsu is a very old practice; still, it relies on many original techniques and practices. Because this is a martial art form originally developed for Samurai, Japanese Jujitsu is also equally effective in real-life combat situations. Also, it is taught in many traditional settings where discipline is highly valued. 

On the other hand, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is primarily a combat sport with the main focus on grappling. This is the reason why BJJ is not applicable in real-life scenarios but can help you score points in the competition. 

While both BJJ and JuJitsu are closely related to each other because of their shared history, these styles follow different practice methods and applications in the world today.

By understanding the difference between both these styles, beginners will be able to pick one they are interested in learning and improve their knowledge of martial arts.

Read More- These Are the Best Combat Sports for Beginners

Reasons To Learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

It is among the most potent, real-life fighting style on Earth.

As opposed to popular belief, according to studies, 95% of the street fights end up on the ground. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques focus on taking down your opponent and keeping them there. It allows you to attack and get a dominant position over your opponent. By learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you will always have the upper hand in real-life defense situations.

 Acts as a second line of defense.

Whenever in life you are stuck in a compromising situation, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu acts as a second line of self defense when other methods do not work out. As stated in the above point, street fights always end up on the ground This enables you to easily incapacitate the enemy with complete submissions.

 Easy to Practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Any person, men, women, and even young children can start practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This combat art form is designed for weaker and smaller practitioners to subdue stronger and larger opponents regarding age, size, and gender. BJJ is pretty easy to learn and practice the self-defense art form. 

This martial art sharpens the mind.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also known as the “game of human chess” because the practitioners utilize a lot of techniques and strategies to beat their opponents. In fact, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students can master hundreds of concepts and techniques within a few years of training.    

It is a great workout.

One of the biggest positives of learning BJJ is the way your body changes without you even knowing it. Constant sparring and drilling sessions will have a good effect on your body. You get so engrossed in learning new techniques and hold that you don’t even realize the amount of weight you lose. Your flexibility also increased during this process. There is no better workout to make you fit and flexible at the same time than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

This is the best base for Mixed Martial Arts.

Do you know what that one thing that all MMA fights have in common is? A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Any practitioner with a solid base in BJJ will always have the upper hand once the fight comes onto the ground. This acts as a great defense against wrestlers and also the strikers who are not acquainted with this art form. 

It Helps To Build Character.

We all experience days when we feel utterly motivated and on top of the world, and then there are days when there is nothing in this world to keep us motivated to attend the class. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will expose you to the roller coaster of thousands of emotions at the same time. This will make you stronger not only physically but also emotionally and mentally. This combat style helps you to learn how to accept your failures, learn from them and move on. By practicing this constantly, you will be able to determine how far you have come in martial art.

It helps to promote continuous self-improvement.

Whether you have earned a white belt or black belt, Jiu-Jitsu will teach you to accept who you are and that you can never fully master your martial art form. This has more than hundreds of techniques, but also more and more are being discovered every day. 

This is how you realize that the only way to become better is by constantly practicing every day and reminding yourself that there is still a lot to learn. Always take one step at a time and acknowledge your achievements.  

You can apply the lessons you learn on the mat to your daily life.

The more you train and practice, the more focused you get on, the bigger picture – this is the most important lesson you learn on the mat. Now there is nothing that can distract you from your goal. Whether you have been dumped by your partner, facing a lot of work stress, you will realize that some things are not worth beating yourself up. This will always give you an edge over people who are not used to experiencing duress in their lives on a daily basis. 

Read More- This is All You Need to Know About Squash Sport 

Final Words:

Whether you are planning to start a new hobby, learn self-defense, or wish to pursue martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a very beautiful art form that is easily accessible to all. From countless new techniques to enormous physical benefits, it is evident that the more you train in Jiu-Jitsu, the more you realize it is not simply a martial art but a lifestyle. 

If you like this article, do not forget to leave a comment below!