Today, BJJ, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is more popular than ever. The traction it has received is way more than most other martial arts, and that’s for a solid reason: it’s highly practical and applicable to real life. So, what exactly is BJJ?
BJJ, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a grappling based martial art, which initial purpose is to teach people self-defense. The grappling techniques it teaches are primarily ground, which aren’t as complicated to execute. Nonetheless, BJJ teaches techniques that can finish a fight in seconds, since they’re effective.
Regardless if you’re a fan of BJJ or not, you can’t deny the applicability it has for real dangerous situations. A simple search on YouTube will show you how many self-defense situations ended with a single grappling technique.
These ground grappling movements are designed to force an opponent to submit quickly. These are moves that won’t allow the opponent to withstand the amount of pain and uncomfortable feelings they attract.
While you can tap out in Jiu-Jitsu competitions, real life doesn’t work that way. If you’re in a situation where you need to defend yourself, and you know how to use grappling, you better ensure the attacker can’t cause any harm, even if it means inflicting pain.
This article will discuss some characteristics of BJJ. At last, we’ll come up with a final answer to whether you should learn it or not. And, of course, I’ll list my reasoning for any answer in this article.
Before diving in, if you want to know who are the 11 best BJJ fighters from all around the world, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
Why was BJJ invented?
All martial arts exist for a reason. As such, people have created them to fill a need. For example, the people of Okinawa, an island in Japan, created karate to teach the population self-defense. In that case, let’s examine why BJJ was invented in the first place.
BJJ was invented for dealing with self-defense situations. It’s a martial art that can be traced back to Japan. The samurais learned it in case they ever end up afoot and without a weapon. Today, many people regard it as the best fighting style in the worldwide, and thus, it gains more traction as we speak.
Again, all martial arts are here for a reason. The Gracie family brought Jiu-Jitsu to the eyes of the public. They were able to showcase numerous instances where they used Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to dominate their competition.
For instance, the Gracie family hosted the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, hence, the UFC. In it, Royce Gracie represented the family. And, as you can imagine, he won the title by using what he preaches, which is—of course, BJJ.
Slowly but surely, the word about a new, practical, and brutal martial art started to spread. Today, it’s regarded as one of the most popular martial arts worldwide.
In today’s UFC, many elite fighters use BJJ as their primary fighting style, as ground grappling is the most effective fighting technique. As a result, more and more people began using it. So, to clarify, BJJ was invented to teach other how to fight fiercely; thus, teach others self-defense.
What’s the point of BJJ?
BJJ exists for a reason, as I’ve previously clarified. Additionally, the ongoing demand to learn self-defense—has brought in plenty of new trainees to face the new hardships of learning it. So, what’s the point of BJJ? Why does it exist in the first place?
The point of BJJ is to submit an opponent by using ground grappling techniques, which are highly effective. At first, the Gracie family brought it to life by having a single goal in mind, teaching others self-defense. Most other martial arts have the same purpose in mind, such as karate and Judo.
If you don’t want to spend money on BJJ classes, I highly recommend reading more about the best grappling dummies for your money and how to fill them up.
Those who know how to use grappling correctly—are also capable of dominating their competition, whether they’re in a self-defense scenario or in a competition. I mean, if you watch the best submissions knockouts in UFC, you’ll know why they’re as effective as I say they are.
Executing a single, yes, a single ground grappling technique—can finish a fight. Not only that, but it can finish a fight in a few seconds. How long do you think you can withstand the pain of a triangle choke being executed on you? Frankly, I say not a lot.
Why is BJJ so popular?
Today, all martial arts have exploded in popularity. Because of that, many folks started their journey as trainees and are on their ways to learn self-defense. So, why is BJJ so popular? And should you learn it?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is popular because it’s an endless journey of self-improvement and learning self-defense. As a result, trainees remain hooked to the martial art because of the constant stream of knowledge. Likewise, it provides countless physical and mental benefits, such as increased confidence.
After all, people love feeling productive. Now, if they can achieve that feeling of fulfillment by also bettering themselves, they’ll be even more attracted to the martial art.
BJJ wasn’t always that way, obviously. When it first began to spread, many people questioned whether this fighting style is the real deal. That was until the Gracie family hosted the first UFC event. You may notice how much they cared for Jiu-Jitsu; after all, it’s their life-doings.
Nonetheless, we wouldn’t be here, talking, if this martial art wasn’t popular. The event skyrocketed BJJ’s popularity by showing its effectiveness to the world. Royce Gracie was able to dominate his competition—by using the techniques they teach.
That was one of the primary causes for the early succession of BJJ.
History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
BJJ can be traced back to the late 1800s, in Japan. The Samurais needed to learn a fighting style to help them if they end up weaponless and afoot. Often, that wouldn’t happen, and thus, they wouldn’t need to use Jiu-Jitsu. However, that is its initial purpose, weaponless self-defense.
Later, in the 1920s, the Gracie family adopted it and began spreading the word. The brothers of the bloodline began teaching the art, each in its own way.
Then, came the turn; the Gracie family hosted the first UFC event, which was all about spreading the word about their new martial art. Royce Gracie represented the family, and of course, he had to win to show the world just how powerful BJJ can be.
Royce eventually won the event by using his new and effective fighting style. That was one of the cornerstone moments in their abilities to spread the word about BJJ, even further.
Today, many consider Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the best martial art worldwide. The number of people who believe in it and are dedicated trainees—is incredibly large.
Final words
To end this article, I want to show my appreciation for BJJ. The number of people it has positively impacted—is remarkable. Additionally, it has given trainees the opportunity to better themselves, both physically and mentally.
BJJ can be traced back to times of Samurais. They used it in case they got caught in a hefty situation, which wouldn’t happen often—but still.
Today, it’s one of the most popular and deadly martial arts worldwide. Not only is it suitable for learning self-defense, but it’s also fitting for self-improvement and self-perfection.
If you enjoyed reading this article, I recommend following the link to an article of mine about the three ways you can train BJJ at home. If you’re unwilling to spend monthly payments on a martial arts gym, consider training at home.