The difference between Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Jujitsu
Website design By BotEap.comJapanese and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Website design By BotEap.com“What is the difference between Japanese (Classical) Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?”
Website design By BotEap.comThe first and most important reason can be found in the history of art and is paramount to all the others discussed later. When you research the history of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, you will understand that it comes from “Judo” in its renaissance era. By the early 1900s, judo was developing from a variety of jiu-jitsu styles into the most comprehensive and effective martial art in the world. Some older Jiu-jitsu schools only focused on one area of fighting (some practiced mostly standing techniques) and had been without a realistic proving ground for hundreds of years. If you remember the history of the early days of judo, you know that in the beginning it consisted mainly of standing techniques, Kito Ryu Jiu-jitsu and a few other styles. This alone was not enough, so the foundation of Fusen Ryu was added, making it more complete. When you say “traditional” or “Japanese” Jiu-jitsu, you mean just one of these styles of Jiu-jitsu, which is incomplete on its own. When you say Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, you mean the best techniques from a wide variety of styles.
Website design By BotEap.comOur Jiu-Jitsu in the United States was underdeveloped compared to Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil. We are only now beginning to catch up, and still suffer from the shortcomings of the older, more traditional Jiu-Jitsu schools in this country. To give you an idea of what I mean, I’ll tell you a little about my training. I got a black belt in a classic style of Jiu-Jitsu, in which I taught all the throws of Judo from the Kodokan and Aikijitsu (the grandfather of Aikido). It was a great art, but one that could not be used on someone with skill effectively before mastering it completely. I was subsequently defeated by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student who was only at the blue belt level, while I was a black belt in traditional Jiu-Jitsu. Why? The lack of realistic practice is the reason. There was too much of: “hold perfectly still while I try some wacky technique on you and play along.” There are many techniques which is where Judo is great, and some traditional schools teach techniques that were designed thousands of years ago whose applications have not been modified or thought of since then. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is simple to learn, so simple that a dedicated one-year student can easily beat martial artists of other styles who have many years of experience.
Website design By BotEap.comSome styles of martial arts spend hundreds of hours working on a rigid stance and a hundred standing techniques that cannot be mastered in a reasonable amount of time. I once interviewed Royce Gracie and he gave me an answer that supports this point quite well:
Website design By BotEap.com“We don’t believe in teaching a ton of moves in every class and having the student walk away with limited knowledge. We’d rather our students know 20 techniques at 100% than 100 techniques at 20%.”
(Interview with Gene Simco for http://www.jiu-jitsu.net) Website design By BotEap.comBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on techniques that are easy to learn in a very short period of time. The techniques taught in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are also effective and have been tested on expert martial artists who are not cooperating. A small number of simple but high percentage techniques make a difference. If all you do is practice five or six techniques, you’ll be pretty good at them in a year or so, but if you have to split your time between a hundred or more techniques, chances are you’re a jack of all trades and a master. you’re welcome in a year.
The differences in the two styles of Jiu-Jitsu are not necessarily in technique, but in practice and application. First of all, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has a very sophisticated ground game, where Japanese jiu-jitsu emphasizes standing techniques, just like judo. Judo as a sport does not allow leg locks, while Brazilian jiu-jitsu does. Judo sporting rules dictate that if a player has been pinned by his opponent for twenty-five seconds, he will lose the match. Brazilian jiu-jitsu has no time restrictions on ground positions and stalling most often occurs while standing. Older styles of Jiu-Jitsu (often spelled jujutsu or jujitsu) are usually preceded by their style name or Ryu (the Japanese word for “style”). These Jiu-Jitsu Ryu were developed a long time ago and have no sports application that allows them to develop technically. The lack of realistic practice is what makes some styles ineffective or obsolete. Website design By BotEap.comTo truly understand the differences between Brazilian and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, one must research the history of both arts. In particular, the birth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Carlos Gracie, the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, who was an avid boxer. Most Japanese Jiu-Jitsu fighters were studying traditional Karate punches, which are very different from a boxer’s. Maeda, the man who introduced Gracie to Jiu-Jitsu, was also a student of Judo, which at the time was considered an updated version of Jiu-Jitsu, or Kano’s Jiu-Jitsu. As discussed above, the Judo that the Gracie family knew was a Judo whose focus had been on ground fighting in recent years. This fight on the ground came from a single style of Jiu-jitsu (Fusen Ryu), the other styles that made up Judo had not focused on ground work, so as their practice continued, they remained in their traditional roots, which primarily considered foot techniques. . While the older styles of jiu-jitsu stuck to their basic curricula, judo soon forgot about the experience and turned its attention to gaining worldwide exposure as an Olympic sport, which would eventually curtail the once-great art and cause it to become more popular. focus once again on standing primarily. Maeda was also exposed to Western wrestling, as he had met one particular wrestler at the West Point Military Academy in New York, and had more experience wrestling in Europe and America than any other Japanese wrestler of that era. Website design By BotEap.comBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a progressive style of Jiu-Jitsu; once a technique is developed and used in competition, other Jiu-Jitsu players begin designing counters for that technique and counters for those counters, allowing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to evolve freely. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players do not prepare for the untrained opponent; they assume that their opponent can be more technical. Website design By BotEap.comThe problem with some ‘old’ styles of Jiu-Jitsu is the same problem with old cars, or anything that hasn’t been updated or modified. I got a black belt in Japanese jiu-jitsu and now that I’m at an advanced level in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, I notice the similarities and differences. Some of the self defense moves are identical; it is typically in the preliminary work (ne waza) where the practitioner of Judo or Japanese Jiu-Jitsu lacks skill. That is why I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Website design By BotEap.comComparing “old” Jiu-Jitsu to “new” Jiu-Jitsu is like comparing old cars to new ones. Both a Ford Model-T and a Ferrari will do the same job, but a Ferrari will do it more efficiently. The skill of Jiu-Jitsu masters can be compared to that of mechanics certified to work on these cars; if you take a mechanic from 1910 and show him a Ferrari, some things will be familiar to him, but he would not understand the new design and complexity of the modern variant without proper training. Website design By BotEap.comIn the style of “Japanese” or traditional Jiu-Jitsu that I learned, there is not much technically different. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has more ground techniques, while Japanese Jiu-Jitsu has more standing techniques. What I like now about having a lot of experience in both styles is that I feel like it has brought my technical level to a greater understanding. I know many little details and “tricks” or “secrets” within the techniques that you don’t see anywhere. I think that while things improve in the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu, some details that the “old” schools sometimes keep “secret” are also lost. Without proper modification, these “secrets” don’t mean much, but when you combine them with the refined practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you really do have something. As I move up the ranks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I start to appreciate the Model T. I’m not so ashamed of my “old” black belt in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu anymore, I’m actually learning how to apply it. I know details of arm locks and chokes that I don’t see anywhere else. It is important to note, however, that I attribute my ability to apply old Jiu-Jitsu to my advanced level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Website design By BotEap.comFor more information on Jiu-jitsu, visit www.jiu-jitsu.net.
(Interview with Gene Simco for http://www.jiu-jitsu.net) Website design By BotEap.comBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on techniques that are easy to learn in a very short period of time. The techniques taught in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are also effective and have been tested on expert martial artists who are not cooperating. A small number of simple but high percentage techniques make a difference. If all you do is practice five or six techniques, you’ll be pretty good at them in a year or so, but if you have to split your time between a hundred or more techniques, chances are you’re a jack of all trades and a master. you’re welcome in a year.
The differences in the two styles of Jiu-Jitsu are not necessarily in technique, but in practice and application. First of all, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has a very sophisticated ground game, where Japanese jiu-jitsu emphasizes standing techniques, just like judo. Judo as a sport does not allow leg locks, while Brazilian jiu-jitsu does. Judo sporting rules dictate that if a player has been pinned by his opponent for twenty-five seconds, he will lose the match. Brazilian jiu-jitsu has no time restrictions on ground positions and stalling most often occurs while standing. Older styles of Jiu-Jitsu (often spelled jujutsu or jujitsu) are usually preceded by their style name or Ryu (the Japanese word for “style”). These Jiu-Jitsu Ryu were developed a long time ago and have no sports application that allows them to develop technically. The lack of realistic practice is what makes some styles ineffective or obsolete. Website design By BotEap.comTo truly understand the differences between Brazilian and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, one must research the history of both arts. In particular, the birth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Carlos Gracie, the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, who was an avid boxer. Most Japanese Jiu-Jitsu fighters were studying traditional Karate punches, which are very different from a boxer’s. Maeda, the man who introduced Gracie to Jiu-Jitsu, was also a student of Judo, which at the time was considered an updated version of Jiu-Jitsu, or Kano’s Jiu-Jitsu. As discussed above, the Judo that the Gracie family knew was a Judo whose focus had been on ground fighting in recent years. This fight on the ground came from a single style of Jiu-jitsu (Fusen Ryu), the other styles that made up Judo had not focused on ground work, so as their practice continued, they remained in their traditional roots, which primarily considered foot techniques. . While the older styles of jiu-jitsu stuck to their basic curricula, judo soon forgot about the experience and turned its attention to gaining worldwide exposure as an Olympic sport, which would eventually curtail the once-great art and cause it to become more popular. focus once again on standing primarily. Maeda was also exposed to Western wrestling, as he had met one particular wrestler at the West Point Military Academy in New York, and had more experience wrestling in Europe and America than any other Japanese wrestler of that era. Website design By BotEap.comBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a progressive style of Jiu-Jitsu; once a technique is developed and used in competition, other Jiu-Jitsu players begin designing counters for that technique and counters for those counters, allowing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to evolve freely. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players do not prepare for the untrained opponent; they assume that their opponent can be more technical. Website design By BotEap.comThe problem with some ‘old’ styles of Jiu-Jitsu is the same problem with old cars, or anything that hasn’t been updated or modified. I got a black belt in Japanese jiu-jitsu and now that I’m at an advanced level in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, I notice the similarities and differences. Some of the self defense moves are identical; it is typically in the preliminary work (ne waza) where the practitioner of Judo or Japanese Jiu-Jitsu lacks skill. That is why I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Website design By BotEap.comComparing “old” Jiu-Jitsu to “new” Jiu-Jitsu is like comparing old cars to new ones. Both a Ford Model-T and a Ferrari will do the same job, but a Ferrari will do it more efficiently. The skill of Jiu-Jitsu masters can be compared to that of mechanics certified to work on these cars; if you take a mechanic from 1910 and show him a Ferrari, some things will be familiar to him, but he would not understand the new design and complexity of the modern variant without proper training. Website design By BotEap.comIn the style of “Japanese” or traditional Jiu-Jitsu that I learned, there is not much technically different. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has more ground techniques, while Japanese Jiu-Jitsu has more standing techniques. What I like now about having a lot of experience in both styles is that I feel like it has brought my technical level to a greater understanding. I know many little details and “tricks” or “secrets” within the techniques that you don’t see anywhere. I think that while things improve in the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu, some details that the “old” schools sometimes keep “secret” are also lost. Without proper modification, these “secrets” don’t mean much, but when you combine them with the refined practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you really do have something. As I move up the ranks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I start to appreciate the Model T. I’m not so ashamed of my “old” black belt in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu anymore, I’m actually learning how to apply it. I know details of arm locks and chokes that I don’t see anywhere else. It is important to note, however, that I attribute my ability to apply old Jiu-Jitsu to my advanced level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Website design By BotEap.comFor more information on Jiu-jitsu, visit www.jiu-jitsu.net.