by Devon McNeely
Here are 15 interesting facts about Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu:
1. Modern Bjj was developed by the Gracie family in Brazil, and can also be called Gracie Jiu-jitsu.
2. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a grappling martial art with its lineage going back to Japanese judo
3. Mitsuyo Maeda was the judo instructor who trained the brothers Carlos, George, and Helio Gracie.
4. Maeda trained in Kodokan judo which he held a 7th Dan black belt. He also trained in sumo.
5. In Portuguese Mitsuyo Maeda was called Conde Koma which translates to Count Combat.
6. As a smaller guy Helio had a difficult time with some of the strength-based judo moves and had to modify them to rely more on technique.
7. Rather than focusing on throws and sweeps the way judo does, Bjj focuses on the grappling techniques on the ground such as chokes and joint locks.
8. Helio’s eldest son Rorion Gracie was a co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
9. Royce Gracie used his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to win the first UFC. He also won UFC 2 and UFC4.
10. There are 5 colored belt ranks in BJJ. White, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Black.
11. Earning a Blackbelt can take 10 years or longer. This promotion is based on skill and the amount of time spent training. Some schools also require competition experience for promotion.
12. No students under the age of 18 can earn a black belt. Individual schools may also have other age requirements for lower belt ranks.
13. Above the rank of black belt, there is a black and red coral belt for 7th-degree black belts and a white and red coral belt for 8th-degree black belts. Red belts are awarded to 9th-degree black belts.
14. There has also been 6 10th degree red belt grandmasters – this level has been awarded to Carlos Gracie, Gastão Gracie, George Gracie, Hélio Gracie, Oswaldo Gracie, and Luiz França.
15. Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the fastest-growing Martial arts in the world, partially due to its involvement and popularity of MMA.