BJJ Scotland

- What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Origins

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its origins in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. It started in Brazil, just under a century ago with Carlos Gracie and his family, who were taught the art by Maeda Koma, a Japanese Jiu-Jitsu master. Helio, the youngest Gracie bother, adapted this style and developed new techniques. By doing this, he created a ground fighting system which was based on leverage as opposed to power and strength.

The Gracie Family

In 1925, the first Gracie Academy was opened in Rio De Janeiro, and since that date, the Gracie family have concentrated on developing Jiu-Jitsu by fighting opponents from all styles of martial arts and increasingly focusing on grappling and ground fighting. To date, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is believed to have the most effective ground based grappling technique in existence.

In the early 1990s, the family gained worldwide recognition for BJJ when Royce Gracie won the 1st, 2nd and 4th Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). This led to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu becoming a staple art for many Mixed Martial Arts fighters.

Features of the Sport

Grappling and ground fighting are the key elements of BJJ, with submission holds involving joint-locks and chokeholds. It uses a system of maneuvering and manipulation to allow the fighter to achieve a dominant position on the mat. Training techniques focus on demonstrations and sparring, however physical conditioning is also considered important.

BJJ in the UK

There has been a steady increase in the worldwide prominence of BJJ in recent years, and with the escalating popularity of UFC and other Mixed Martial Arts competitions, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has seen a surge of interest in the UK.

In Scotland, it is still a relatively new sport, however interest in BJJ is gradually growing. There has never been a better time to start learning...