Helio Gracie (bottom) with Carlos Garcie, his younger brother, the two men responsible for developing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Royce Gracie (representing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in UFC I)
UFC 1 - The Beginning for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in America
In November of 1993, an event took place which would redefine the martial arts community. This event was known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, an idea conceived by a number of people, including Robert Meyrowitz, Rorion Gracie, and Art Davie.
This event featured eight martial artists of different styles and experience in a winner take all tournament. The event was billed as having no rules and was the first of its kind in North America. This unique event did in fact have two rules (no biting or eye-gouging), and took place in The Octagon, an eight-sided ring based on the ideas of a Hollywood producer.
The fighters who competed where relative unknowns, with a variety of styles from Karate to Japanese Shootfighting. The favorites to win the event where Ken Shamrock, a well built shootfighter who had made a name for himself in Japan and Pat Smith, a brash and cocky kickboxer.
However, the man who stole the show, and also revealed a new style of fighting to North Americans was Royce Gracie, a lanky lightweight fighter who represented Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, a groundfighting style modified and perfected by the Gracie family in Brazil.
The event was billed has having no rules, however, several rules were present, including no biting and no eye gouging. There were also rounds of ten minutes, but since no match came close to this time, the rounds were inconsequential.
This event showed the world what the martial arts where really about and triggered the explosion of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu interest in the United States and the rest of the world.
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a form of the Japanese martial art of the same name. Japanese Jiu Jitsu was modified by the famous Gracie Family of Brazil to become what is commonly referred to today as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Arguably the most effective martial art in the world.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is primarily a ground based martial art. It features many control positions similar to traditional Judo but is oriented more toward "submission" techniques. These techniques consist of many varieties of chokes, joint locks, twist and limb breaking holds. The objective being of these techniques is to cause your opponent to "submit" (give up, tap out, etc.) or be subject to grave harm.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can be further defined by its sporting and self defense applications. In sport Jiu Jitsu there is great use of the gi (uniform) to execute many techniques as well as an emphasis on attaining various control positions. No gi training is also used to develop less of a dependence on the uniform for execution of techniques and more of a self defense flavor. Although gi training is very applicable for self defense applications because an opponents clothes can be used against them similar to a traditional gi.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is also distinguished by its constant evolution. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a relatively new martial art style and is constantly evolving to meet the challenge of new fighting strategies. It would be impossible to catalog an all encompassing list of BJJ techniques since there are endless variations of techniques and new techniques being created all over the world of BJJ. There are a core set of positions and techniques that are used by BJJ practitioners. However, each person will end up employing techniques that make the most of their individual attributes (i.e. speed, flexibility, strength, etc.) as they spar.
The majority of fights end up in some shape or form, on the ground. Knowledge of ground-fighting is therefore essential, not just for a complete martial arts background but also for self-defense. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques are based on leverage, making it possible for the fighter to beat stronger and heavier opponents, bringing a sense that no one can beat you. Jiu-Jitsu is not based on strength; it uses the opponents strength and force against themselves. The key is balance (known as "base") and leverage. Typical positions include the "guard", the "mount", and the "side-mount", from which a host of attacks can be made, such as chokes, arm-bars, and joint-locks.
The arrival of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the martial arts scene has forever changed the way fighters train. The dominance of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu against all other martial arts was clearly demonstrated in the early Ultimate Fighting Championships. From then on, no serious martial artist, regardless of style, neglects including Brazilian ground-fighting techniques in their arsenal.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Belt Rank
The standards for grading and belt promotions vary between schools, but the widely accepted measures of a person's skill and rank in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are:
The amount of technical knowledge they can demonstrate, and
Their performance in sparring and competition.
Technical knowledge is judged by the number of techniques a person can perform, and the level of skill with which he performs them in sparring and competition. This allows for smaller and older practitioners to be recognized for their knowledge though they may not be the strongest fighters in the school. It is a distinctly individual sport, and practitioners are encouraged to adapt the techniques to make them work for their body type, strategic preferences, and level of athleticism. The ultimate criterion is the ability to execute the techniques successfully, rather than strict stylistic compliance.
Junior Belts
(15 and under)
Adult Belts
White
White
Yellow
Blue
Orange
Purple
Green
Brown
Black
Belt system and its related ages
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21+
White
Grey
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Purple
Brown
Black
Source - International Brazilian Jiu jitsu Federation
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu differs in some aspects from other martial arts in the criteria for grade promotion, which is almost exclusively based on practical expertise in "randori" (free sparring, or rolling) and tournament results. Less emphasis is given to theoretical and background knowledge. Rarely is any formal test undertaken for the grading, which is based mainly in observation at every-day practice sessions.
The type of grading sytem maintains a consistent level of student quality (skill and performance). In other words a student actually represents their rank on the mat. There are no "honorary" or "seniority"belts awarded for the basic belt system.
Typical times to achieve rank vary by individual. Each belt generally takes between 2 and 5 years of consistent practice to obtain. It is important to note that not all students will be able to progress through each belt even with consistent, diligent practice as they may never be able to master the skills and performance required for the next higher belt. The rank of black belt generally takes between 8 and 12 years to achieve.
