What is Jiu-Jitsu?
What is Jiu-Jitsu? Very simply put, it is a form of martial arts that involves taking down, wrestling with, controlling, and ultimately submitting an opponent. It is the fastest growing martial art and is actually the safest in many ways.
Jiu-Jitsu is touted by many as the most effective means of self defense. It is an official sport with a number of governing bodies such as IBJJF among others. There are also organizations such as the SJJIF who’s mission is to make Jiu-Jitsu an Olympic Sport.
What Do You Learn in Jiu-Jitsu?
Jiu-Jitsu competition starts on the feet but mostly takes place on the ground. To perform it effectively, Jiu-Jitsu requires a certain level of strength, stamina, flexibility, and agility. That being said, everyone who does it finds the positions and techniques that work best for them! In attending a Jiu-Jitsu class, you will typically learn about:
- Taking down a standing opponent both while standing and while laying on the ground
- Passing an opponents “guard” which refers to their hands, elbows, knees, and legs, which they will use to try and control their opponent
- Controlling an opponent from different positions such as mount, side control, back control, half-guard, north-south, and a number of others
- Submitting an opponent or making them “tap” or give up because of the position they are in
Is Jiu-Jitsu Effective?
Jiu-Jitsu is a highly effective martial art, both in a street situation as well as in general self-defense. It is recognized enough that many police departments have a requirement to train in it as part of their Academy schooling. It’s effectiveness is best shown in MMA, where every higher level competitor has some kind of knowledge in Jiu-Jitsu and many of them have a black belt.
It can also be described as a “physical chess match” as every move and every position has a number of counter attacks. Because of this, it takes more than 10 years on average to become a black belt.
Does Size Matter In Jiu-Jitsu?
Ultimately, yes. Someone 100 lbs larger than you will be inevitably stronger and more difficult to handle than someone your weight. That being said, it gained a tremendous amount of popularity because of it’s effectiveness in a time when MMA didn’t have weigh classes.
At UFC 1, a 180lb Royce Gracie beat out every opponent, his last being a 220lb Ken Shamrock. It continued to prove effective and useful in MMA bouts and continues to be tremendously effective against larger opponents.
So while size does ultimately matter, Jiu-Jitsu teaches techniques and positions that help to nullify that difference.
About the Blog
This blog was started to bring awareness to the sport and to give real, practical advice regarding all matters Jiu-Jitsu. I’ll be posting best practices, hygiene tips, jiu-jitsu vs other martial arts, and will guide you to a number of other professors on social media who can help you grow in whatever area you are working in your game!
If you want to see any particular content or just want to reach out, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for visiting my blog and I wish you the best out on the mats!
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