The Full Story
The meaning of Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu come from the Japanese words “Jū” and “Jutsu” which translate to “Jū” “softness, gentleness” and (jutsu) “art, skill”. It was first transliterated to roman characters around 1875 to become jiu-jitsu, hence our name,
the Gentle Arts School.
The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu
Basic grappling elements can be traced back to places like Greece, China, and Rome, with evidence and historians pointing to Buddhist monks in India in 2000 B.C. The Buddhist values of non-violence and deep respect for all life forms led to the development of a self-defence system that aimed to neutralise an aggressor without harming them. It is reasonable to associate this with the origins of Jiu-Jitsu. The expansion of Buddhism throughout the region brought Jiu-Jitsu to China and Japan.
Jiu-Jitsu techniques did not evolve from one source, they have multiple roots and travelled through many countries before arriving in Japan, in fact it was originally an art designed for combat among the Samurai. The art was an effective way to neutralise an enemy, using their attacker’s energy against them, through techniques such as pins, joint locks, and throws. Jiu-Jitsu became the necessary skill for combat survival during this time in Japan.
Jiu-Jitsu in Japan
Eventually in the 19th Century, through radical political, cultural, and social transformations, Jiu-Jitsu turned from a reputable art of combat to illegal practice. This is where Jigoro Kano, a member of the Japanese Ministry of Culture and Martial Artists, stepped in.
Kano understood how Jiu-Jitsu could be used both in combat and as a powerful educational tool, encouraging people to embrace a more balanced lifestyle by developing their potential, through Kano jūdō.
His method was based on a strict code of ethics, technical training and sparring and encompassed physical, moral and cultural education in a safe and positive training environment.
By removing dangerous techniques and adopting new training methods, Kano Judo allowed practitioners to engage in intense training drills with full resistance but in a safe way, which is what we now know as sparring and live training!
Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil
One of Kano’s students, Mitsuyu Maeda was sent overseas to help spread Jiu-Jitsu across the world. In 1914, Maeda travelled to Brazil and became acquainted with Gastão Gracie, a local businessman.
After watching one of Maeda’s exhibitions in the “American Circus”, of which his father was a partner, Gastão’s oldest son Carlos decided to start training at Maeda’s academy. Under the tutelage of Maeda’s best student Jacinto Ferro, Carlos trained for a few years until eventually moving with his family to Rio de Janeiro in 1922.
In 1928 a training partner from Maeda’s academy in Belém, Donato Pires dos Reis, invited him to be his assistant in teaching Jiu-Jitsu at the police academy in Belo Horizonte where he then became the lead instructor.
In 1930, Donato was back in Rio where he opened a Jiu-Jitsu academy, Carlos and his brother George Gracie joined him to assist at the academy. The other brothers, including the youngest Helio, 16, started to train at the academy and all soon became popular as the Gracie Brothers of the Gracie Academy of Jiu-Jitsu in 1932.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Of all brothers, Carlos was the “thinker of the clan”, as he would dedicate his time to extend his knowledge around nutrition, spirituality and exercise. In addition to being the first Gracie to learn, teach and fight for the art of Jiu-Jitsu, his great wisdom and marketing acumen were a major guiding force in the preservation and promotion of the art in Brazil.
When referring to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is often associated with it in the name of the family who founded, practised and spread the art across the world.
From Royce Gracie who proved its effectiveness in the first UFC events, to Rickson Gracie who is arguably the families most prolific mixed martial arts champion who competed in Vale Tudo and MMA events in Japan. Renzo Gracie also had a successful MMA career with most of his wins coming via submission and most recently the 10 times World Champion Roger Gracie who is widely regarded as one of the greatest BJJ fighters of all time.
The Founding Principles
After nearly a century of testing in a wide variety of settings, Grand Master Helio Gracie’s system of self-defence remains fundamentally sound and intact. Three generations of Gracie family members have evolved the original techniques and added them to the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu arsenal.
All these changes, however, strictly adhere to the Grand Master’s requirements for street applicability, energy efficiency, and natural body movement. Today, we call these requirements the “Gracie Guidelines.”
Street Applicability | Energy Efficiency |
Natural Body Movements
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