The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Thread

Thought this would be a great forum to talk and spread and receive knowledge on international Brazilian Jui Jitsu.

For me, Brazilian Jui Jitsu has had an unexplainable positive impact on my life. Use this thread to post videos, stories or any questions you have about Jui Jitsu. For starters watch this excellent documentary on Alliance BJJ NYC founder Fabio Clemente. Rolled up is a great show. Its Budo Jake going around the legendary gymds around the world and exploring the culture of the particular BJJ in that area.


Enjoy!

* Edited at 10.04.2012, 12:37 AM ET *

Honestly I love getting tangled up by higher belts.  I still can't help but giggle every time I get swept (which is a lot).  IMHO winning does nothing for you, you get a confidence boost and sometimes you get a medal.  Losing is my teacher.  Every time I get swept, or tapped, I'm always thinking what I did wrong, and try to avoid it the next time.   Everytime I lose, that's  another hole in my game I can try to patch. There's a truth in losing that I don't think you get from wining. A black belt can tap a white belt with sloppy technique, or anyone can get lucky, but losing exposes you and your game in a way only losing can.  One of the guys I train with, own gold at pan ams recently in the white belt division, every time I roll with him I know I'm gunna get ****** up, but I still go at him, and in my head all I can think about is passing his guard, then I get swept or triangled, almost always.  But I know one day I'll pass his guard, if I work hard enough.  Losing motivates me.  Winning is for confidence, losing is for learning.

"There is no losing in Jiu Jitsu...you either win or you learn" - Carlos Gracie Jr

Damn my username was Nik Lust when I made this thread 3 years ago..

What a strange trip jiu jitsu has been in the time I have trained...I've had career changes which lead to academy changes which lead to having to start over at white belt and here I am the week my current academy will be closing and....finally received my blue belt tonight!!! 

well done

NICE @SoccerKick! Congrats man!

Anyone going to watch EBI tonight? 

Like dividing things up in to category's, divisions it's a marl of the times were living in. That's why I love mma cos when i see boxing or judo or lethwei or penjat silat or greco roman I see the uniqueness of each style, but for me it's essentially all the same idea, foundation. It's like that with jiu jitsu  people like to divide it into judo/bjj/jap ju jitsu/etc,  im really lucky and blessed to have been able to do kano-jiu jitsu/judo, traditional ju jitsu (I think the 'style' was called shodan nippon) then I was lucky to discover Brazilian-jiu jitsu, already with experience in 'jiu jitsu'. What I am trying to say is looking at it all as just 'jiu-jitsu', is more beneficial,  whatever 'style' reference you wanna put in front of 'jiu-jitsu'. I'm from ireland so personally I wouldn't say I do 'judo' or 'bjj', I say I do 'Irish-jiu jitsu', cos I'm studying jiu-jitsu (styles) in ireland. . (With all rrespect due to countries of 'style' origin). I will love jiu jitsu 4 ever but personally I can say since I started wrestling, I would definitely say mix of freestyle/greco wrestling workouts are the ultimate in building ultra grappling/wrestling ability, but that's why we're lucky to be alive in 2015, we can, and should, do all possible styles! Knowledge is power.. 

Origins

Jujutsu first began during the Sengoku period of the Muromachi periodcombining various Japanese martial arts which were used on the battlefield for close combat in situations where weapons were ineffective. In contrast to the neighbouring nations of China andOkinawa whose martial arts were centered around striking techniques, Japanese hand to hand combat forms focused heavily upon throwing, immobilising, joint locks and choking as striking techniques were ineffective towards someone wearing armor on the battlefield. The original forms of jujutsu such as Takenouchi-ryū also extensively taught parrying and counterattacking long weapons such as swords or spears via a dagger or other small weapon.

In the early 17th century during the Edo period, jujutsu would continue to evolve due to the strict laws which were imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate to reduce war as influenced by the Chinese social philosophy of Neo-Confucianism which was obtained during Hideyoshi's invasions of Koreaand spread throughout Japan via scholars such as Fujiwara Seika.[5]During this new ideology weapons and armor became unused decorative items, so hand to hand combat flourished as a form of self-defense and new techniques were created to adapt to the changing situation of unarmored opponents. This included the development of various striking techniques in jujutsu which expanded upon the limited striking previously found in jujutsu which targeted vital areas above the shoulders such as the eyes, throat and back of the neck. However towards the 18th century the number of striking techniques was severely reduced as they were considered less effective and exert too much energy; instead striking in jujutsu primarily became used as a way to distract your opponent or to unbalance him in lead up to a joint lock, strangle or throw.

During the same period the numerous jujutsu schools would challenge each other to duels which became a popular pastime for warriors under a peaceful unified government, from these challenges randori was created to practice without risk of breaking the law and the various styles of each school evolved from combating each other without intention to kill.[6][7]

The term jūjutsu was not coined until the 17th century, after which time it became a blanket term for a wide variety of grappling-related disciplines and techniques. Prior to that time, these skills had names such as "short sword grappling" (小具足腰之廻 kogusoku koshi no mawari?), "grappling" (組討 or 組打 kumiuchi?), "body art" (体術taijutsu?), "softness" (柔 or 和 yawara?), "art of harmony" (和術 wajutsu, yawarajutsu?), "catching hand" (捕手torite?), and even the "way of softness"(柔道 jūdō?) (as early as 1724, almost two centuries before Kanō Jigorō founded the modern art of KodokanJudo).[2]

Today, the systems of unarmed combat that were developed and practiced during the Muromachi period (1333–1573) are referred to collectively as Japanese old-style jujutsu (日本古流柔術 Nihon koryū jūjutsu?). At this period in history, the systems practiced were not systems of unarmed combat, but rather means for an unarmed or lightly armed warrior to fight a heavily armed and armored enemy on the battlefield. In battle, it was often impossible for a samurai to use his long sword, and would therefore be forced to rely on his short sword, dagger, or bare hands. When fully armored, the effective use of such "minor" weapons necessitated the employment of grappling skills.

Methods of combat (as mentioned above) included striking (kicking and punching), throwing (body throws, joint lock throws, unbalance throws), restraining (pinning, strangling, grappling, wrestling) and weaponry. Defensive tactics included blocking, evading, off-balancing, blending and escaping. Minor weapons such as thetantō (knife), ryofundo kusari (weighted chain), kabuto wari (helmet smasher), and kakushi buki (secret or disguised weapons) were almost always included in Sengoku jujutsu.

Development

In later times, other koryu developed into systems more familiar to the practitioners of Nihon jujutsu commonly seen today. These are correctly classified as Edo jūjutsu (founded during the Edo period): they generally designed to deal with opponents neither wearing armor nor in a battlefield environment. Most systems of Edo jujutsu include extensive use of atemi waza (vital-striking technique), which would be of little use against an armored opponent on a battlefield. They would, however, be quite valuable in confronting an enemy or opponent during peacetime dressed in normal street attire (referred to as "suhada bujutsu"). Occasionally, inconspicuous weapons such as tantō (daggers) ortessen (iron fans) were included in the curriculum of Edo jūjutsu.

Another seldom-seen historical side is a series of techniques originally included in both Sengoku and Edo jujutsu systems. Referred to as hojo waza (捕縄術 hojojutsu, torinawa jutsu, hayanawa and others), it involves the use of a hojo cord, (sometimes the sageo or tasuke) to restrain or strangle an attacker. These techniques have for the most part faded from use in modern times, but Tokyo police units still train in their use and continue to carry a hojo cord in addition to handcuffs. The very old Takenouchi-ryu is one of the better-recognized systems that continue extensive training in hojo waza. Since the establishment of the Meiji period with the abolishment of the Samurai and the wearing of swords, the ancient tradition of Yagyu Shingan Ryu (Sendai and Edo lines) has focused much towards the jujutsu (Yawara) contained in its syllabus.

Many other legitimate Nihon jujutsu ryu exist but are not considered koryu (ancient traditions). These are called either Gendai Jujutsu or modern jujutsu. Modern jujutsu traditions were founded after or towards the end of theTokugawa period (1868), when more than 2000 schools (ryu) of jūjutsu existed. Various traditional ryu and ryuha that are commonly thought of as koryu jujutsu are actually gendaijūjutsu. Although modern in formation, very few gendai jujutsu systems have direct historical links to ancient traditions and are incorrectly referred to as traditional martial systems or ryu. Their curriculum reflects an obvious bias towards Edo jūjutsu systems as opposed to the Sengoku jūjutsu systems. The improbability of confronting an armor-clad attacker is the reason for this bias.

Over time, Gendai jujutsu has been embraced by law enforcement officials worldwide and continues to be the foundation for many specialized systems used by police. Perhaps the most famous of these specialized police systems is the Keisatsujutsu (police art)Taiho jutsu (arresting art) system formulated and employed by the Tokyo Police Department.

Jujutsu techniques have been the basis for many military unarmed combat techniques (including British/US/Russian special forces and SO1 police units) for many years.

There are many forms of sport jujutsu, the original and most popular being judo, now an Olympic sport. One of the most common is mixed-style competitions, where competitors apply a variety of strikes, throws, and holds to score points. There are also katacompetitions, where competitors of the same style perform techniques and are judged on their performance. There are also freestyle competitions, where competitors take turns attacking each other, and the defender is judged on performance. Another more recent form of competition growing much more popular in Europe is the Random Attack form of competition, which is similar toRandori but more formalised.

Check out 'Datsusara' hemp gi's they look pretty nice I want to put in an order myself 

Thinking of going to check out this BJJ gym close to my town. I've always wanted to train pure BJJ, even when I was doing judo.

At my judo/kano jiu jitsu  club (coolmine judo club) we always did a lot of newaza/ground fighting so then engaging in bjj/ground style jiu jitsu felt that much comfortable, checkout 'kosen judo/jiu jitsu" sschools/leagues in japan

* Edited at 09.02.2015, 11:41 AM ET *

I'd like to declare that in adition to just about making my 82.3kg debut today I also now have a win over someone with a tapology page!
fotis-kwaniewski 

Won on points, largely due to it being my first standard rules match in 18 months and forgetting just how short 5 minutes is, I was seconds away from launching my chiliean neck tie.

This was also the first tournament where I havnt been submitted- eight dam good tries were made by 3 opponents over 15 minutes, but everything went to decision. 

8 weeks til the next one.

****** that ***** up.

* Edited at 09.16.2015, 3:32 PM ET *

^^Brilliant submission. That step over to the armbar when the opponent pulls guard seems to be happening more often in competition lately. It's cool how moves catch on like that. It's like someone somewhere realized one day how vulnerable a person can be to getting their arm snatched up while pulling guard, and now everyone sees it like it should have been obvious before. 

I guess she'd seen the adcc one the week before and though hey might as well try it in the no points environment where if you **** up and loose the position your not down on points and theres pleanty of time to work.
Whether they become common moving forward we'll have to wait and see... annoyingly no one in my club plays that style of seated guard so i havnt had chance to go for one myself.