It is human instinct to protect one’s self in the event of being threatened, just as it is natural for animals to fight over their territories and mates. Now fighting isn’t often seen as beneficial, humane, or mature, but in a life or death situation, one must know how to survive. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the art of being able to control one’s opponent with simple techniques involving holds, chokes, joint locks, and leverage to subdue an attacker, has been proven countless times to show dominance over whosoever challenges a student of this beautiful art. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does not grant the power to be invincible, but gives one such unmatched confidence that it does indeed feel as if invincibility rests in the palm of one’s hand. Brazilian Jiu
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Its roots lie in the art of Judo, a martial art using throws and holds (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). Judo was originally created by a man named Jigoro Kano, who was believed to be the father of the modern Japanese educational system. In 1882, he used techniques he had learned from two other martial arts, Tenshin Shin’yo Ryo and Kito Ryu, to form his own style “Kodokan Judo.” Kano believed in extensive kata practice, a system of individual training exercises for practitioners of martial arts, and even the most ancient form of jiu jitsu techniques come from this. The Tokyo Police hosted a challenge for the Kodokan fighters in 1886, and out of fifteen fights, thirteen were won (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). For many years the Kodokan style reigned supreme, until Mataemon Tanabe, the headmaster of a Classical Jiu Jitsu group known as the Fusen Ryu, decided to challenge the Kodokan fighters. The Fusen Ryu were expert ground fighters and quickly submitted the Kodokan warriors. The two groups then came together and combined their techniques, which brought a man named Mitsuyo Maeda into his martial arts training. Maeda was believed to have been in over one thousand fights, and he was undefeated (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). This man trained Carlos Gracie, who eventually opened his …show more content…
He stayed at a YMCA and noticed a Judo class in the building. He walked in as a white belt, and he came out the same day with a brown belt. As Rorion Gracie headed back to his room, he noticed his money and plane tickets had been stolen. He had to stay six months to get new tickets, but he told his father he was staying because he loved America (Tom). Rorion Gracie soon became friends with the Judo instructor, who then helped the young Gracie acquire a job in fast food until he was able to fly back home to Rio. Rorion Gracie was set on going back to America, thought, to bring Jiu Jitsu with him. He spent the 1970’s earning a law degree to save money for his return journey to America. In 1978, Rorion Gracie returned to California and used his previous connections to acquire a job cleaning houses for people in film and industry. He also began offering Jiu Jitsu instructions to everyone he met and gained his first student, Richard Bresler, who took up the offer after selling Rorion Gracie a mattress. The first Gracie school was simply a garage with mats on the floor (Tom). The number of students grew rapidly, and soon the garage was too small, which forced Rorion Gracie to open the first real Jiu Jitsu school in America. To accommodate the large increase in students, Rorion Gracie called for his brothers Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie, and Royler Gracie to fly from Rio and join him.
Its roots lie in the art of Judo, a martial art using throws and holds (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). Judo was originally created by a man named Jigoro Kano, who was believed to be the father of the modern Japanese educational system. In 1882, he used techniques he had learned from two other martial arts, Tenshin Shin’yo Ryo and Kito Ryu, to form his own style “Kodokan Judo.” Kano believed in extensive kata practice, a system of individual training exercises for practitioners of martial arts, and even the most ancient form of jiu jitsu techniques come from this. The Tokyo Police hosted a challenge for the Kodokan fighters in 1886, and out of fifteen fights, thirteen were won (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). For many years the Kodokan style reigned supreme, until Mataemon Tanabe, the headmaster of a Classical Jiu Jitsu group known as the Fusen Ryu, decided to challenge the Kodokan fighters. The Fusen Ryu were expert ground fighters and quickly submitted the Kodokan warriors. The two groups then came together and combined their techniques, which brought a man named Mitsuyo Maeda into his martial arts training. Maeda was believed to have been in over one thousand fights, and he was undefeated (“History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu”). This man trained Carlos Gracie, who eventually opened his …show more content…
He stayed at a YMCA and noticed a Judo class in the building. He walked in as a white belt, and he came out the same day with a brown belt. As Rorion Gracie headed back to his room, he noticed his money and plane tickets had been stolen. He had to stay six months to get new tickets, but he told his father he was staying because he loved America (Tom). Rorion Gracie soon became friends with the Judo instructor, who then helped the young Gracie acquire a job in fast food until he was able to fly back home to Rio. Rorion Gracie was set on going back to America, thought, to bring Jiu Jitsu with him. He spent the 1970’s earning a law degree to save money for his return journey to America. In 1978, Rorion Gracie returned to California and used his previous connections to acquire a job cleaning houses for people in film and industry. He also began offering Jiu Jitsu instructions to everyone he met and gained his first student, Richard Bresler, who took up the offer after selling Rorion Gracie a mattress. The first Gracie school was simply a garage with mats on the floor (Tom). The number of students grew rapidly, and soon the garage was too small, which forced Rorion Gracie to open the first real Jiu Jitsu school in America. To accommodate the large increase in students, Rorion Gracie called for his brothers Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie, and Royler Gracie to fly from Rio and join him.