Everything You Need to Know About Jiu-Jitsu

What is Jiu-Jitsu ?

Jiu-Jitsu is a method of close combat self defense style that relies on striking, joint locking, throwing and taking down, strangulation and pressure points. Jiu-Jitsu teaches that a weaker person can defend against a stronger opponent by using leverage and proper techniques.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ( BJJ )

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s roots began in the early 1900s. Esai Maeda, the chief of a Japanese immigration colony who was assigned to Brazil, befriended Gastao Gracie. Maeda, a former jujutsu champion in Japan, taught the art to Gracie’s son, Carlos. In 1925, Carlos Gracie and his four brothers opened the first Jiu-Jitsu school in Brazil. Carlos’ younger brother, Helio, adjusted the techniques to suit his small frame, thereby creating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu . In the early ’80s, Helio’s son, Rorion, planted the seeds of brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in the United States, where the art has become immensely popular.

Jiu Jitsu Techniques :

1- Striking in Jiu-Jitsu :

Striking is very important to any self defense system. Jiu Jitsu as a complete martial art requires striking.
There are different katas for each defensive category in Jiu Jitsu, and the Atemi Kata is one of the striking defenses.

- The defender receives a blow from the attacker.
- The defender then grabs the attacker’s arm that delivered the blow and strikes the attacker in the face.
- After pushing down on the attacker’s head, the defender puts his hand on the shoulder of the arm that delivered the initial blow.
- The defender then pushes down on the attacker’s shoulder, sending the attackers to his knees.
- The defender delivers a kick to the attacker’s stomach.

2- Joint Locking in Jiu Jitsu :

When attacking a joint, it’s important that you control the both the joint directly above (proximal) and directly below (distal) it. This completely immobilizes the compromised joint and allows the applied leverage to be transferred more directly against it. If you fail to do this, your opponent may be able to escape by rotating around the axis of the joint.

3- Throwing And Taking Down in Jiu-Jitsu :

The defender grabs the attacker and moves next to the attacker. Next, the defender squats with his back to the attacker’s chest. The defender pushes up with his legs so that the attacker rolls onto the ground.

4- Strangulation in Jiu Jitsu :

Strangulation or Air Chokes and Blood Chokes as commonly referred to, are common forms of submission.
The chokes that are used in Jiu Jitsu are to put pressure on the carotid arteries, and may also apply pressure to the nerve baroreceptors in the neck. This kind of choke is very fast acting (if done properly) with victims typically losing consciousness in around 3 to 5 seconds. In contrast, an air choke (involving constriction of the windpipe) can take up to two minutes, depending on how long the person can hold their breath, and may cause serious damage to the throat.

5- Pressure Points in Jiu-Jitsu :

Pressure points used in combination with other techniques, are designed to elicit a specific response, such as head jerk or an involuntary recoil.

Pressure Points in Jiu-Jitsu :

Jiu-Jitsu Rules :

Jiu-Jitsu is based around individual achievement and is not a head-to-head sport. During tournaments, Ju-Jitsukas are judged on how well they defend and control a series of attacks apropriate to their current grade level. Sutdents are given a score from 0-12 in each of four categories – response to attackers, from, variety of defenses and apperance – for a total possible score of 48.

Brazilian Jiu jitsu gis

The gi ( jiu-jitsu uniform ) used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu was adapted from the uniform commonly used in Japanese martial arts. It is composed of a heavy cotton jacket and reinforced trousers. And a cloth belt is worn over the gi to keep the jacket closed and as a signifier of the skill/rank of the BJJ practitioner. The term kimono is sometimes used to describe the whole outfit, or occasionally just the jacket as kimono jacket .

Jiu Jitsu Belts :

Most Jiu jitsu training academies will have a solid structure in place for evaluating students progression. For each stage of the learning process - or belt - academies have defined a list of techniques that students must be able to perform. This syllabus gives students a clear idea of what is required for each stage, allowing them to see themselves progressing as they move closer towards the next milestone.

Belts Grading

The Jiu-Jitsu student and instructor will both decide, based on the progress, whether the student is ready to test their ability and be promoted to the next Jiu-Jitsu belt. If the student is deemed to be ready, they will perform an assessment involving a demonstration of their ability to perform the techniques required.

If the student completes each element of the grading process to an adequate level, they will be awarded a new belt, and will progress through to the next stage towards mastering the art of Jiu-Jitsu.

Traditional Jiu-Jitsu Belts

The belt ranking system is standardised across many other martial art styles, and the order in which you will progress is shown below:

White
Red
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Purple
Brown
Black (1st dan)

Progress

The speed of your progression depends on what stage of the learning process you are in. An adult starting out in Jujitsu should expect to achieve their next belt grade every three months, until they reach the green belt. From this stage, techniques become more complex and difficult, and usually take a longer time to master. By the time you reach brown belt, it may take as long as two years to progress to black.

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation

international brazilian jiu-jitsu federation is a company that hosts several biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournaments in the world, including the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Nogi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The federation was created by Carlos Gracie Jr. , who is the head of Gracie Barra which is one of the largest Brazilian jiu-jitsu associations. The international brazilian jiu-jitsu federation (IBJJF) uses the rule set of the Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu .

Resources:
Jiu jitsu times
Wikipedia
The chronicle magazine
Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood
BlackBeltMag