What Is The Importance Of Jiu-Jitsu?
We see numerous cases of sudden, unprovoked attacks against innocent civilians on the news daily. These only prove that we should learn how to defend ourselves when unfortunate incidents like this happen to us. Talking about ideal self-defense, the modern martial arts discipline called Jiu-Jitsu easily comes to mind.
But what is Jiu Jitsu exactly? Learning martial arts can be very intimidating as it requires physical strength and agility to master the techniques. A smaller-than-average person therefore might think that they do not possess the physical requirements to learn martial arts. In Jiu-Jitsu, that is not the case.
Jiu-Jitsu has been passed on to different countries and cultures that created many different versions. However, the core discipline remains the same: giving a smaller individual a chance to overpower a much bigger and stronger opponent in full-contact sports.
That being said, Jiu-Jitsu is a top choice for people who want to learn self-defense. If you are interested in Jiu-Jitsu, you should be ready physically and mentally to study grappling techniques and maneuvers, which this martial art is famous for. Enrolling in a martial arts school in Monroe can be beneficial to learn proper techniques.
What Is The History Of Jiu-Jitsu?
It is a well-known fact that Jiu-Jitsu began as a martial art in Japan. However, its true origin is still up for debate. There are records from 4,000 years ago showing that Buddhist monks could have inspired the creation of Jiu-Jitsu.
Monks who traveled all the way from India to Japan brought their distinct fighting style with them. It was designed to protect themselves against attackers without causing physical harm, staying true to the Buddhist teachings of non-violence. This unnamed close combat art became popular in feudal Japan, where it was developed into a competitive combat sport.
One of the signature moves of Jiu-Jitsu is grappling, which was used as a claim by some historians to link this Asian martial art to European culture. This is because of the carvings on the walls of ancient Greek structures, which depict humans engaged in a fight using some sort of grappling technique.
It is unclear who was the first person or group to coin the name “Jiu-Jitsu.” This name is a combination of two Japanese words: “ju”, meaning “gentle,” and “jutsu” meaning “art” or “technique.”
Jiu-Jitsu became a family of martial arts as it branched out into different variations for every locality. Since then, over a hundred types of Jiu-Jitsu have been popularized not just in Japan, but in every country in the world.
The Birth Of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Perhaps the most popular type of Jiu-Jitsu today is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). It is not just a combat style, but an organized sporting activity in which BJJ tournaments are held worldwide with thousands of martial arts enthusiasts witnessing these events every year.
The conception of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began in 1915 when a renowned martial arts master Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil to introduce Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and Judo in the country. At this point, Jiu-Jitsu and Judo were considered as a single discipline.
The pillars of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would come from the group of Maeda’s first students. These people were the brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie, and Luiz Franca. The Gracie family and Franca went their separate ways to develop Japanese Jiu-Jitsu that was taught to them by Maeda.
Their efforts to optimize the efficiency of the existing techniques in Jiu-Jitsu had paid off, as they were able to introduce Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a distinct martial art with its brand new set of moves.
The rise of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a mainstream martial art and sport would take place in the 90s, when it made its debut at the UFC along with mixed martial arts. It easily gained traction in the United States. In 2002, Carlos Gracie Jr., son of the BJJ founder, created the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, further elevating the influence of the sport around the globe.
What Is Jiu-Jitsu As A Sport?
As a sport, Jiu-Jitsu is centered on grappling and ground fighting techniques. While power is needed to perform these moves, a Jiu-Jitsu fighter does not have to display above-average strength. Proper execution of the technique matters the most.
Why Choose Jiu-Jitsu?
What makes Jiu-Jitsu unique from other martial arts is that anyone can learn it. There are no physical features, age, size, or gender that gives one an advantage over the other. The chance of winning a Jiu-Jitsu match depends on the person’s dedication to learn every technique and concept of Jiu-Jitsu, as well as the amount of time that was given to practice the moves.
Outside the sports arena or dojo, you can use the principles of Jiu-Jitsu in emergency situations. Jiu-Jitsu will show you how to use the force of an attacker to incapacitate him. You can use the weight of a bigger person to either put him into submission or throw him to the ground.
Jiu-Jitsu is the perfect workout to train the mind and body. With the successive and explosive movements in Jiu-Jitsu, it can easily promote fat burning and muscle building. It can also improve your cardiovascular endurance.
Reading your opponent’s body movements to plan your next move is also a good way to enhance your body coordination and alertness. You will eventually learn how to think quicker while under pressure.
Last but not the least, Jiu-Jitsu can be a way to blow off steam in a healthy way. You can forget your problems for a moment by releasing all your negative thoughts and anxieties that are eating you up through Jiu-Jitsu training at the gym.
Important Concepts To Learn About Jiu-Jitsu
Your first day of learning Jiu-Jitsu should not be scary, although you will still need to do a few preparations. For those who might have limited body strength, you can overpower your opponent through sheer determination and endurance. As long as you remain alert and active during the match, there will always be an opportunity for you to win.
In that case, improving your cardiovascular endurance shall be a good advantage in your martial arts training. Increased agility will also come in handy as you are trying to evade all your opponent’s attacks while finding an opening in his defense.
One of the most important concepts of all Jiu-Jitsu techniques is groundwork. Its meaning is pretty straightforward as your aim in Jiu-Jitsu is to bring your opponent down to the ground. You can achieve this with proper maneuvering.
If you are going for a grapple, you need to do this with the right timing and the right amount of power. The nature of grappling is very intense, given that your opponent will also exert effort to break free from your grip.
This is where the concept of right timing comes into the picture. If you find the right moment when your opponent becomes careless about his attack, you must get this chance as quickly as possible so that he will be left unguarded from your grappling.
As intimidating as this may sound, Jiu-Jitsu will also teach you how to fall with minimal impact. You should have already expected this since many of the basic Jiu-Jitsu exercises include bodies being tossed into the ground.
Conclusion
Jiu-Jitsu is a great challenge worth taking. Just think of all the perks that you will get from learning this Japanese martial art. Building your mental and physical fitness is one thing, but equipping yourself with effective self-defense is another compelling reason to enroll in a Jiu-Jitsu class today.