History of Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Contents of this page
Origins of Jiu Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu in India
Jiu-Jitsu in Japan – Golden Age and Decline of the Gentle Art
Kano Jiu-Jitsu
Read more
The origins of Jiu-Jitsu
It is very difficult to be precise at what point in time or where exactly Jiu-Jitsu was originated. Despite the efforts of many historians and evidences pointing to Buddhist monks in India, basic elements of grappling can be traced back to places like Greece, India, China, Rome, and even the native America.
When trying to understand the ultimate source of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one must avoid the simplification of attributing its creation to a person, a group, or a time period. Jiu-Jitsu, as we understand it today, is a natural intuitive way of fighting that had rudimentary manifestations in various cultures in different historic moments.
But a martial art is comprised not only by techniques or fighting strategies. The philosophy that defines the purpose of practice, and the moral code of the practitioners, is a powerful element that determines not only the direction of technical development but the survival or death of the art itself.
Jiu-Jitsu in India
Looking from that point of view, it then makes perfect sense to associate Buddhist monks in India around 2,000 B.C. with the origins of Jiu-Jitsu.
The Buddhist value system of deep respect to all forms of life allowed the development of such a system of self-defense that aimed to neutralize an aggression without necessarily harming the aggressor. Wrapped by important Buddhist principles like acting in a non-harmful way or the pursuit of self-mastering and enlightenment, Jiu-Jitsu served well the self-defense needs of monks and spread throughout Asia towards China and later Japan, following the Buddhism expansion on that continent.
Jiu-Jitsu in Japan – Golden Age and Decline of the Gentle Art
While it is safe to assume that rudimentary versions of Jiu-Jitsu appeared in many cultures in different points in time, it was the feudal Japan of the second millennia A.C that the art encountered a fertile environment, allowing it to flourish and establish it self as a widespread style of combat.
In a country fragmented by the feudal system, with each feud having its own set of warriors – the samurai – Jiu- Jitsu became a necessary fighting skill for combat survival. But the term Jiu-Jitsu (jujutsu) was not coined until the 17th A.C century, after which time it became a blanket term for a wide variety of grappling-related disciplines.
Jiu-Jitsu evolved among the samurai as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent without weapons. Because striking against an armored opponent proved ineffective, practitioners learned that the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws.
These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against him, rather than directly opposing it.
However, with the Meiji Restoration, a political movement that put an end to the Japanese feudal system and triggered the industrialization of that country, the prestigious class of the samurai lost its primary importance.
The radical political, cultural and social transformations that took place in Japan on the 19th century, made Jiu-Jitsu gravitate from a reputable art of combat to illegal practice, as the government made efforts to reprimand the bloody combats that were taking place from the jobless former Samurais and there disciples.
Kano Jiu-Jitsu
Jigoro Kano (1860-1938) ,member of the Japanese Ministry of Culture and Martial Artist, played an important role in rescuing Jiu-Jitsu’s reputation in times of peace.
Kano understood how Jiu-Jitsu could serve not only as a combat tool, but also as a effective way to educate the individual and allow man and women to embrace a more balanced lifestyle by developing their potential. In other words, Kano realized Jiu-Jitsu could be used as a powerful educational tool that could support the development of any human being and envisioned it supporting the Japanese goals for social and economic development.
Complementing his updated training philosophy, Kano made an effort to adopt new training methods and remove dangerous techniques. These changes allowed practitioners to engage on safe, but intense training drills with full resistance – what we know as sparring or live training today.
Read More
