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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is primarily a ground fighting art, a grappling style of Martial Arts that has roots and evolved from Japanese Judo and Classical jujutsu.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specializes in ground techniques such as positional control and the use of leverage for reversals and submissions holds (joint lock and chokes) to overcome the size and strength of opponents. BJJ provides a clear path and strategy for victory in a self-defense scenario or competition. As a sport it is a safe and entertaining art that can be practiced for a lifetime of fitness and well-being.
Most people involved in Martial Arts are familiar with the basic history of BJJ. How a Japanese Jiu-jitsu expert, Maeda, came to Brazil as part of a diplomatic mission to found and establish a Japanese colony. He befriended Gastao Gracie, a man of Scottish decent who had influence in local political circles.
Maeda offered to teach Gracie’s sons Jiu-jitsu.
The Gracie boys became very proficient in jiu-jitsu. Being a large family they never lacked training partners and new ideas for practicing and training daily within the family and nephews the Machados. This went on for generations.
Later opening their own schools and developing their own additions and modifications to the techniques they had being taught, as a test of their skill, the Gracies fought many matches against other styles with great success.
In this manner they came to understand which techniques worked and which did not.
They based their developing martial arts on their combat experiences over generations.
With great success in MMA competitions, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has establish itself as an extremely effective martial arts and one of the most sought out.
Maeda taught the Gracie’s the art of “Randori” or live training (rolling) where safe but effective techniques can be applied with full resistance to opponents, as long as they agree to “tap-out” or submit (surrender) when a technique is successfully applied. This way, two opponents can face each other and fight close to full power which makes training much more realistic to a real fight, therefore more effective.
The genius of the Gracie’s lay in the strategy they implemented to win fights, which can be seen in sport point systems, they implemented in competition.
The Gracie’s realized that fighting a bigger stronger opponent and trading blows was not a good idea, so they developed a strategy where they would take a standing opponent or fighter out of their comfort zone (stand up skill) put them on the ground and expose them to their great ground skills, positional control, leverage and submissions.
The Gracie’s realized that certain positions were better to attack and defend so they strategized ways from any position on the ground to a position where they can reverse, control and submit their opponent.
In other words
1) Clinch to avoid trading blows, then take the opponent down with a takedown or throw
2) Control him on the ground with positional skill and transitioning from one position to a better one to attack
3) With the use of leverage a smaller opponent can submit and make someone bigger and stronger surrender or rend incontinence. BJJ teaches us to use the entire body to isolate an attack. Although your opponent might be bigger and stronger than you, you can attack using your whole body against a limb such an arm or a leg, or attack the neck and force your opponent to surrender.
Freddie Poole’s Martial arts is a proud affiliate of the Carlos Machado BJJ association and network. For more info visit
www.carlosmachado.com
The Freddie Pooles Martial Arts Youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program is a 2 to 4 year program with a 4 belt system.
It is a subdivision of the requirements of the first two belts in Adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, white and blue belt. Student will have to earn 4 stripes and demonstrate proficiency on the mat, as well as demonstrate techniques to earn stripes and pass belt tests. Usually, it takes anywhere from 1 to 2 years for and adult to pass the first white belt and 2 to 3 years to pass the blue belt, but it all depends on skill on the mat. Because there are no forms or katas, the only way to demonstrate proficiency is to control and/or submit your opponent.
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