bjj
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Just now, I was reflecting on the (admittedly quite petty) controversy around the terms Brazilian jiu-jitsu and American jiu-jitsu. I was reflecting, too, on how I’ve been guilty of the same pettiness in my preference for the term Gracie jiu-jitsu over Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Finally, I was reflecting on how none of this was an issue…
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Back in 2000, Rorion Gracie released a DVD titled Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Episode One starring his father, Hélio, and his two eldest sons, Rener and Ryron. The video is quite straightforward and consists of Hélio demonstrating the techniques that made up his forty-lesson program.¹ No verbal instruction is provided. Apart from the novelty of seeing Hélio…
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Like everyone, I have plenty of biases. Some of these I’m aware of, others I’m not. But I thought it might be valuable to outline a few of them so that you, the reader, can keep them in mind while you read my posts. Bias 1: I Am Unathletic I came to jiu-jitsu as an…
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Hélio’s decision to teach jiu-jitsu was motivated by his desire to empower the weak. In a conversation with Chadi, Pedro Valente, a Hélio Gracie black belt, recalled how his teacher’s eyes would light up when he had the opportunity to teach a weak or insecure person he believed would benefit from jiu-jitsu. This, according to…
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Every jiu-jitsu practitioner has his or her own idea of what jiu-jitsu is or should be. Hélio Gracie was no exception. For this post, I thought it would be fun to examine what characterized Hélio’s jiu-jitsu. A Focus on Self-Defence In Hélio’s understanding, jiu-jitsu was first and foremost an art of self-defence. Despite his role…
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I am going to update this periodically. Documentary Choke (1999) Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Action (1988)¹ Renzo Gracie: Legacy (2008) The Smashing Machine (2002) Online Learning Gracie Combatives Women Empowered No Holds Barred/Mixed Martial Arts Events All of the events listed below are available on UFC Fight Pass. Pride 1 (1997) Pride 4 (1998) Pride 8…
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In general, I prefer minimalist claims to maximalist ones. By minimalist claims, I mean less extravagant claims that hold up reasonably well under scrutiny. In the context of a martial art like Gracie jiu-jitsu, a minimalist claim might be, “Training Gracie jiu-jitsu (GJJ) will improve one’s ability to fight on the ground.” By way of…
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In the traditional narrative, Hélio Gracie is said to have been a frail and sickly child. According to Rorion Gracie: The youngest of the five Gracie brothers, Helio, was a physically frail child. He would run up a flight of stairs and have fainting spells. Nobody could figure out why. When he was about eight…
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I earned my blue belt twice. See, when I started training at my first school, it had yet to affiliate with Gracie University. As a result, it lacked a curriculum. You would simply show up to class, warm up, learn whichever techniques the instructor felt like showing that day, and then spend the second half…
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Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: See below. Before it was brought to the United States, Brazilian or Gracie jiu-jitsu was known as jiu-jitsu. No qualifier was needed. It was when members of the Gracie family came to the US that they added a qualifier (“Gracie jiu-jitsu”) to distinguish it from other forms of jiu-jitsu in…
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