| Most individuals' first experiences with | | | | Jiu-jitsu which translates into the gentle |
| martial arts were watching Bruce Lee and | | | | art. Carlos in return, taught his four |
| Chuck Norris on the big screen mystifying us | | | | younger brothers the art and they opened |
| with flashy punches and kicks and many times | | | | their first school in 1925. Helio Gracie, who |
| taking out multiple assailants at the same | | | | is the youngest of all the Gracies only |
| time. While its hard for anyone to doubt the | | | | weighed 135lbs and had trouble using the |
| entertainment value of these films, they did | | | | techniques on bigger opponents. He then |
| start to build a false belief in what an | | | | figured out a way to fine tune the techniques |
| effective martial art can realistically | | | | and use leverage instead of strength. |
| achieve. Kung fu, Karate and Taekwondo clubs | | | | Ultimately Helio altered so many of the |
| were filled from coast to coast and the | | | | techniques that it became a martial art of |
| general consensus was that these arts offered | | | | its own which they now labeled Brazilian |
| the most effective self defense. | | | | Jiu-jitsu. |
| | | | |
| As this was going on in America, Brazil was | | | | What makes BJJ so effective is the fact that |
| holding open competitions that pitted | | | | even the smallest man or women for that |
| different styles against each other in order | | | | matter can effectively defend themselves from |
| to truly find which single martial art was | | | | a larger, more aggressive assailant. BJJ is a |
| the most effective. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu | | | | ground oriented martial arts meaning the |
| reigned supreme for decades, winning | | | | objective of the art is to take an attacker |
| competition after competition. The rest of | | | | to the ground and apply either a choke or a |
| the world didn't take notice of this art | | | | joint manipulation. The belief behind this is |
| until the early 1990s when a descendant of | | | | that most attackers will be like a fish out |
| the creator of BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu) won | | | | of water when taken to the ground. The true |
| a no holds barred tournament in America known | | | | effectiveness of the art is the fact that you |
| as the UFC. Many people were blown away with | | | | use your opponents own strength and |
| how easily a small man could defeat a larger, | | | | aggression against them. Unlike other martial |
| stronger man. The world started to wonder | | | | arts, students partake in live training or |
| where this "new" martial art had come from! | | | | sparring at the end of each class which helps |
| What most people didn't understand is it | | | | equip them for real life situations. The fact |
| wasn't that new of a martial art, it actually | | | | that every class is made to feel like a real |
| was invented in the early 1920s by Carlos | | | | life scenario is truly what makes BJJ the |
| Gracie. | | | | single most effective martial art for self |
| | | | defense. It may not be as pretty as some |
| In the 1920s a Japanese martial artists by | | | | other martial arts but it certainly is more |
| the name of Esai Maeda migrated to Brazil and | | | | effective. |
| taught Carlos Gracie a martial art known as | | | | |