Japanese and Brazilian jiu jitsu differ primarily in that BJJ primarily involves ground grappling techniques while Japanese jiu jitsu often employs standing techniques as well.
Esai Maeda Koma made the journey to Brazil as part of an immigration colony and soon met Gastao Gracie. To show his appreciation, Maeda taught Jiu-Jitsu to Gastao’s son Carlos Gracie – something Maeda later reciprocated by teaching Carlos his craft as well.
Origins
BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) is a form of grappling that emphasizes joint manipulations, strangulation holds and submission techniques to enable smaller fighters to defeat larger opponents using technique rather than brute strength.
Jiu Jitsu (Ju meaning soft and Jutsu meaning art) first emerged among Japan’s samurai warriors during peacetime during feudal civil wars of the 16th century. At that point in history, there was ample room for developing such an artistic combat system to flourish.
In 1917, Carlos Gracie witnessed his first Japanese jiu jitsu practitioner in Belem, Brazil – Maeda was able to dominate and submit multiple large Brazilian fighters, in gratitude for helping Gastao Gracie with business matters locally. Maeda agreed to teach Carlos how to defend himself through training sessions taught during public challenge matches and even unruly street brawls by Gastao’s brothers Gastao Gracie. Over time these skills would become refined through brutal no-rules brawls refined through no-rules street brawls by their brothers Gracie brothers over time honed through brutal no-rules fights on public challenge matches and street brawling matches, public challenge matches and on street fights refined over time by both brothers through years of dedication training sessions taught by Maeda himself in gratitude for helping Gastao’s business endeavors Gastao had in return given assistance from Gastao and Gastao had agreed that Maeda would teach Carlos in exchange for helping Gastao Gracie’s assistance given in exchange for Gastao’s support from Gastao’s assistance with Gastao Gracie brothers’ assistance from Gastao Gracie’s help and him teaching him in no-rules public challenge matches as well as street battles!
Techniques
Japanese Jujutsu techniques tend to be more dangerous than those utilized by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), due to many of its throws involving joint locking that could potentially cripple or kill an opponent. However, because students train in noncompetitive environments while learning break falling skills and being taught break falling techniques reduces this risk considerably.
BJJ was developed by the Gracie family of Brazil in 1914 as a grappling martial art based on grappling and submission techniques to enable smaller, weaker people to overcome stronger opponents through grappling techniques and submission tactics.
BJJ also boasts a competitive element, with numerous competitions held globally. Classes can include sparring and sports components. On the other hand, Japanese jiu jitsu is considered traditional martial art; its classes rarely involve sparring or sports components. Instead, this art uses rulesets which enable semi-contact striking from distance as well as clinch fighting on the ground – something BJJ doesn’t offer.
Training
BJJ may have its roots in Japanese judo, yet has flourished into a distinct form of ground fighting art with its own style and technique. Additionally, it’s a highly developed sport which means its techniques can be utilized both competitively as well as self-defensively.
One of the major distinctions between BJJ and Kano’s system lies in how they attack opponents: Kano used pressure points while BJJ relies heavily on submission holds such as chokeholds or strangleholds to break opponents down without hurting too badly. This allows BJJ practitioners to defeat their adversaries without inflicting too much pain to do it successfully.
Mitsuyo Maeda (also known as Count Koma) brought his Jiu Jitsu to Brazil in 1914 as part of his studies under Kano. While in Brazil he helped set up a settlement for Japanese immigrants and eventually met a family from Scotland who became mentors. Later he taught it to Carlos Gracie who went on to share it further – leading to what is now one of the most widely practiced grappling disciplines worldwide.
Rules
People often get confused between the various styles of jiu jitsu because all have similar names and histories. One such style, Japanese Jujutsu was originally designed for Samurai warriors and has a more rigid system with strict regulations and real world fighting situations in mind; making it more suitable as self-defense than its counterparts.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) focuses on taking an opponent down to the ground to neutralize their strength advantage through joint locks and chokeholds. BJJ can be effective because most street brawls end up there anyway – teaching techniques anyone, no matter their size or strength can use to defend themselves from larger opponents.
Mitsuyo Maeda fled Japan in 1914 and brought Jujutsu with him to Brazil where the Gracie family adapted it into their own style of martial arts – eventually producing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that is popular today both within modern MMA competitions as well as street fighting environments. Additionally, these pioneering martial artists established first rules and point systems for Jiu Jitsu.
My passion for martial arts goes beyond practice; it is a philosophy that shapes my writing, bringing a distinctive edge to my narratives and advice. I hold black belts in two martial arts disciplines and have competed internationally, experiences that enrich my storytelling with authenticity and excitement.