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What's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

What's bjj? It's both a martial art and a sport that targets on grappling control in order for you to subdue your foe.

Lots of the moves were adapted from judo and jiu-jitsu. Learning how to execute the appropriate technique allows even a smaller and more frail person to beat someone who is larger which is why it's also employed in self-defense classes.

BJJ developed as recently as in the 20's. It only attained global fame after Royce Gracie dominated the UFC tournament multiple times after it was founded in 1993. Due to the domination, thousands of academies are now instructing this art.

One can probably say that the significance as a sport is second to football.  There are contests held often such as the European Championships, the Mundials and the Pan American Games

If you desire to win in bjj, practice makes perfect and the sole way you are able to do that is through training and rolling. This signifies sparring against a live and resisting partner under simulated conditions while at the same time being cautious not to cause any serious injuries.

During training and matches, participants are required to wear the kimono. It looks just like what you would wear when you train judo. The difference is that the gi has tighter cuffs on both the jacket and pants.

Submissions in Brazilian jiu-jitsu are achieved either through chokes or joint locks. Choking as you know involves constricting the windpipe so the opponent is unable to breathe. Aside from that, there's also what is known as a strangle which collapses the carotid. A choke is less efficient than a strangle and may cause permanent damage or death which is why the latter is used more frequently during competition.

As for joint locks which are more likely safer, what you are doing is generating a lever with the body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion. This is better known as hyperextension and since there's no way out of it, the enemy has no other recourse but to surrender. 

Anyone can be taught jiu-jitsu. As you get better, you are promoted to the next belt class. Newbies start with the white and progress their way to the red belt. For those who are under 15 years old, you work your way from white to green belt.

How quickly you grow depends on the amount of time the person invests and how quickly they learn. To reach the elite class for example, it takes at least 10 years or even more.

With BJJ leaving its mark on the global scene, you will not have a hard time locating a gym that is offering classes. The only thing you have to do now is manage your time wisely since this is done in a group setting and you're just one of many that are learning the ropes of this martial art. As a newbie, you do not have to get a gi so just come in wearing a t-shirt and grappling shorts.  If you are trying to find a bjj blog that doesn't take it too seriously, you should check out doyoubjj.com.