Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

"Anyone without inside knowledge wouldn't have put his or her money on Gracie. He was the lightest guy in the UFC tournament, and didn't look like much of a brawler. But he ruled."

Certain martial arts have come into vogue over the years, usually popularized by media exposure. Here is a look at Brazilian Jui-Jitsu.

Bruce Lee brought kung fu to the masses through movies in the 1970's. Ninjutsu was given a similar push through the 80's, thanks to Steven Seagal, and aikido was the hot art of the early 90's. But after 1993, the martial arts world was turned upside down by a slender young Brazilian named Royce Gracie.

The venue had changed from the movie theater to the television set, where 20-dollars on pay per view would buy you a ringside seat for a martial arts contest in which all styles were allowed. There were no rounds, no time limits, and the only restrictions involved eye gouging and biting. The end of a match could come by your corner throwing in the towel, knockout, or tapping the mat to signal your submission. It was called the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the media once again allowed vast audiences to see the birth of a martial revolution.

Anyone without inside knowledge wouldn't have put his or her money on Gracie. He was the lightest guy in the tournament, and didn't look like much of a brawler. But he ruled. In the beginning, no one could last more than a couple of minutes before Royce inevitably made his opponent's tap out. It was fun showing tapes of the UFC to my friends and telling them, "Keep your eye on the little guy. Yah, that one. Trust me."

Having studied Judo, I recognized the two techniques Royce usually employed, *arm bars and chokes, but had never seen anyone get into them so smoothly. I (along with everyone else that was watching) wanted to know more about this martial art he was doing, and the UFC made it no secret that the techniques he displayed to take out his larger and stronger opponents was the Gracie family's own style of jiu-jitsu, adapted and refined in the rough streets of Brazil.

The birth of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu reads like folklore. Japanese Judo Champion Esai Maeda traveled to Brazil to help establish a Japanese immigration colony, and was befriended by Brazilian politician Gastao Gracie. As a way of thanking him, Maeda taught Judo techniques to Gracie's son Carlos, who in turn shared the techniques with his four brothers, one of which was Helio, the father of Royce Gracie. Thus, Judo techniques from Japan were brought to Brazil, where they were modified and tested in real fights, then exported to the United States, where a huge demand had been created by Royce's success in the UFC.
This demand for instruction in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for instructors outside the Gracie family, was almost impossible to satisfy. Video instructional had to suffice for most wanting to learn the techniques, since few authentic instructors lived in the United States, and most of those were situated in Southern California, or in other sunny climates reminiscent of Brazil.

Since 1993, significant changes have taken place in the martial arts community, especially in regards to cross training and conditioning, but fall outside the scope of this article. Currently, with instructors (or qualified representatives) in greater distribution throughout the U.S., the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has rapidly spread over the past 8 years, and given birth to a bona fide subculture and martial lifestyle.

A traditional Brazilian school may start each class with a vigorous (some would say Olympian) calisthenic routine, then show a variety of ground fighting techniques to practice and drill, and finally finish up with some sparring. A ninety-minute class will leave you in a bizarre state of muscular exhaustion and adrenalizedglee. It's a tough discipline, but there's something addictive about the intensity of BJJ that leaves you craving another class.

Any discipline like this, which really pushes your limits, gradually begins to affect daily decisions on how you live your life. The changes may start off small, perhaps additional protein in your diet, or increasing your water intake. For others, the changes come quickly, once their body reminds them how poor health habits negatively affect performance. After you've lost your wind, nausea has kicked in, and your sparring partner is mauling you with an intensity rarely seen outside of wartime, detrimental health decisions (tying one on with the boys last night; that final pre-class cigarette) are deeply, deeply regretted.

Bit by bit, changes compound and many BJJ practitioners find they're taking care of themselves better than ever. Diet is monitored and optimized for muscle retention and peak performance. Weight training is adopted for additional strength and injury prevention. Yoga is often explored for increased flexibility and breath management. Time management strategies to get outside errands and activities done before class suddenly surface. Jerry Springer is replaced by instructional videos on arm locks or passing the guard. More and more decisions are based on improving yourself and progressing in this discipline you've adopted, because you realize every action will give you an edge in your efforts to pay back that partner that mauled you in last night's class.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of this art is the opportunity to make new friends in class. They're like brothers, you kick their ass, they kick yours, and through that, a genuine camaraderie is built. It is, in a sense, an ultimate boys club, where you can roughhouse in a safe and controlled manner, and admission is paid through hard work and sweat. Girls are invited too, but most get frustrated at having to contend with men who can't leave their ego at the door and overpower the women with strength rather than technique. This is especially unfortunate, since the ground fighting studied in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would familiarize a female with the range and intensity she is likely to face against a male attacker.

Another extension of the BJJ community can be found on the Internet. Discussion forums such as http://www.mixedmartialarts.com and http://www.intheguard.com allow martial practitioners from a variety of backgrounds to come together and post on a variety of topics. Technical questions are asked and answered, promotions are announced and congratulated, and martial celebrities occasionally drop in to share their thoughts. Beyond this, the forums act as a hub for people with a common interest. They can meet to train or just help each other in times of crisis or need. My forum brothers have helped me in the past, and moments like that make you realize that some of your strongest allies may actually be people you've never met before.

It's easy to see how a person can be initially enchanted by the "magic" of martial arts, observing somebody like Royce Gracie demonstrate their effectiveness, and have that spark of interest and curiosity transform your life, one step at a time. The discipline may be arbitrary, but the effects on your lifestyle are uniformly positive. For now, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is my vehicle of choice, my self-improvement vessel.

The lineage of instructors tracing back to the Gracie family is short, and being so close to the source elevates standards of proficiency, creating a deep sense of accomplishment when students achieve a new rank.

In the realm of martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is definitely one of the hardest roads to travel, but the journey is nothing less than exhilarating, with every step well worth the effort. If you ever get the chance to observe or participate in a class, do it. You won't regret the time invested, and you might get hooked into a lifestyle that will change you for the better.