Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: A Potted History

Ancient Roots

Between the 12th and 17th centuries in feudal Japan, jiu-jitsu developed as a battlefield art for samurai warriors whose heavy armor limited mobility and made striking techniques less effective. Originating as a last-resort combat method when disarmed and on foot, it focused on throws, joint locks, and chokes, techniques that could bypass armor and exploit balance rather than brute force. Its evolution was shaped by earlier traditions, including non-violent self-defense methods from Buddhist monks in India and grappling systems that traveled through China before reaching Japan. Central to the art was the principle of “ju,” meaning gentle or flexible, which encouraged using an opponent’s strength and momentum against them. This set the philosophical and technical foundation for leverage-based systems that would endure for centuries.

The Modernization: Jigoro Kano and the Rise of Judo

By the late 19th century, Japan’s centuries-old network of jujutsu schools, each with its own favored throws, locks, and tactics, was beginning to fade. Once essential to the warrior class, these styles varied greatly, with some holding on to dangerous battlefield techniques and others shifting toward civilian self-defense or performance. As the samurai era ended and Japan embraced modernization, interest in traditional jujutsu declined. In this climate, Jigoro Kano, a scholar and practitioner of Tenjin Shin’yō-ryū and Kitō-ryū, sought to preserve its effectiveness while making it safer, more structured, and suitable for education.

In 1882, Kano founded the Kodokan, blending the most effective techniques from his teachers with his own innovations to create judo, “the way of gentleness.” He removed the most dangerous moves, preserving them in kata, and created a standardized syllabus centered on throws, newaza ground fighting, and the principle of kuzushi, or breaking balance to use an opponent’s momentum. Central to his approach was randori, live sparring that allowed students to test skills in realistic yet controlled conditions. This transformed judo into both a competitive sport and a method for physical and moral development, eventually earning Olympic recognition. Variants such as kosen judo, with its heavy focus on groundwork, and other grappling arts like catch wrestling would also feed into the technical roots from which Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would later grow.

Arrival in Brazil: Mitsuyo Maeda and the Gracie Family’s Adaptations

Mitsuyo Maeda, one of Jigoro Kano’s accomplished Kodokan students, was known for his ground-focused style that combined modern judo principles with relentless newaza skills. After years traveling the world teaching and competing, Maeda arrived in Brazil in 1914, still referring to his art as “Kodokan jiu-jitsu,” a common term at the time. While helping establish a Japanese immigrant community in Belém, he met businessman Gastão Gracie, who supported him in settling there. In gratitude, Maeda accepted Gastão’s teenage son, Carlos, as a student. Carlos trained for several years, then began teaching his brothers. Among them, Hélio Gracie, smaller and less physically strong, struggled with some of the judo-based techniques. He adapted them to emphasize leverage, timing, and positional control, refining methods like the guard so that even a smaller fighter could neutralize a larger opponent.

In 1925, the Gracie brothers opened Brazil’s first jiu-jitsu academy, codifying these changes into what became known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. From the start, they tested their style in vale tudo (“anything goes”) matches against fighters from boxing, capoeira, luta livre, and other combat sports, often winning through superior control and submission skills. These bouts refined the art and cemented the Gracie family’s role at its heart. With Maeda’s direct connection to Kano providing a clear lineage from Kodokan judo to the Gracie academy, the stage was set for the next leap, when the family would take their art to a global audience through the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Global Expansion: UFC, MMA, and Competitive Growth

By the early 1990s, BJJ had proven itself in countless challenge matches in Brazil, but the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 launched it into the international spotlight. Rorion Gracie, building on the family’s tradition of vale tudo bouts, co-founded the event to prove the art’s effectiveness against any style. Choosing his younger brother Royce as the representative, Rorion set out to show that even a smaller fighter could dominate through technique and leverage. In the first UFC, Royce submitted a series of larger, highly skilled opponents from boxing, wrestling, karate, and Muay Thai, winning the tournament and repeating the feat in UFC 2 and UFC 4. These wins transformed the martial arts landscape, making ground fighting, and BJJ in particular, a core part of the emerging sport of mixed martial arts.

As BJJ’s profile grew, so did its sporting side. The first BJJ World Championships (Mundials) took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1996, offering a formal competitive stage for practitioners. In 2002, Carlos Gracie Jr. founded the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), which standardized rules and rankings. By the 2020s, its events were attracting over 6,000 competitors worldwide. No-gi grappling and submission wrestling, influenced by wrestling, sambo, and judo, became popular offshoots, while major family branches like Gracie Barra and Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu developed their own approaches. This diversity, combined with the art’s deep integration into MMA, has kept BJJ evolving into the modern era, where innovation and accessibility shape a truly global community.

BJJ Today: Strands, Offshoots, and Cultural Impact

 Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has split into multiple strands that reflect its flexibility and worldwide influence. Sport BJJ thrives in the gi, with competition rules that reward strategy and control. The self-defense–focused approach, closely tied to the original Gracie philosophy, emphasizes handling real-world threats, defending against strikes, and escaping dangerous situations. Modern innovators have added new layers to the game, from intricate leg lock systems to the berimbolo and Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet approach, which favors no-gi grappling and unconventional positions.