What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)?
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu became well-known in 1993 when its representative, Royce Gracie, participated in a no-holds-barred fight competition in Colorado, USA against practitioners of various martial arts styles. Despite being the smallest competitor, Royce defeated larger fighters trained in karate, boxing, kung fu, and muay thai kickboxing. He achieved this by using various takedown techniques, followed by techniques called "passing guard" and "taking the back", which eventually led to him submitting his opponents. This victory, as well as his wins in the following tournaments (UFC 2 and 3), sparked widespread interest in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and its effectiveness as a martial art.
The origins of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu can be traced back to Japanese fighter Mitsuyuo Maeda, who left Japan in 1904 to travel the world as a prize fighter and challenge anyone who would fight him using his version of Japanese Jiu-jitsu. He eventually ended up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1914, where he befriended the Gracie family and taught them his martial art. The Gracie family then evolved the martial art, incorporating more leverage and technique, with the goal of allowing a smaller person to defeat a larger opponent. Today, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is widely respected as a proven self-defense system based on real contact.