What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and how did it originate?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu started when a Japanese judo master (Maeda) went to Brazil. After a display at a theatre the son of a local businessman (Carlos Gracie) decided to learn and was accepted as a student. Carlos would later teach the art to his siblings, most notably Helio Gracie. Helio soon realized that while he could do the techniques in theory they weren’t practical for a person of his stature. Helio adapted the art of judo to be used on larger opponents leading to the creation of modern BJJ.
With its distinct focus on practicality, BJJ has become the leading submission grappling art form in events such as the UFC. BJJ uses chokes, joint locks, judo throws, and wrestling takedowns to achieve the goal of subduing an opponent regardless of his/her size. BJJ has proven its worth in no holds barred competition. Whether you’re looking for a form of self defense or you are interested in competing in MMA or submission grappling events, BJJ is the perfect base.
At Exile we train in both gi and no gi variations of the art. The gi (or kimono) is a traditional garment used for a number of martial arts. The BJJ kimono is notably thicker as it is used for throws and submissions that would cause a karate kimono to tear. The kimono is still a valuable facet of the art as it emphasizes fundamentals and has self defense applications. Mainly we love the gi because it’s fun. No gi as you can imagine focuses on wrestling and submission grappling techniques without the use of the kimono or grabbing your opponents clothing.