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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that focuses on grappling with an emphasis on ground fighting . The goal is to gain a dominant position and make an attacker "tap" as quickly as possible. It is based on a modified form of traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu called "Jiu-do".

The idea is that soft beats hard. In other words, a small weaker person can defend himself against a stronger and bigger attacker with the right techniques and movements. You can practice it as self-defense, during special Grappling tournaments and Mixed Martial Arts tournaments. Sparring and continuous repetition of exercises play an important role in training. It is mainly about the performance that is delivered, especially during matches and tournaments.

History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The sport began when Mitsuyo Maeda, a master of Kosen Judo (a form of judo that focuses more on ground fighting, called Ne Waza), emigrated to Brazil. He changed training methods to non-lethal and taught these techniques to Carlos Gracie who in turn passed them on to his younger brother Helio. The brothers taught their children the sport, which continues the family tradition to this day. The Gracie family has continued to perfect the system over the years.

Often Vale Tudo matches (predecessor to Mixed Martial Arts ) are fought in which they focus on ground fighting and adaptation of techniques. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular in the United States in the early 1990s when Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth 'Ultimate Fighting' championships. Since then it has become a sport of choice for many MMA fighters and is widely praised for its emphasis on ground fighting. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments have gained increasing attention worldwide and are becoming increasingly well-known and larger, such as the no-gi submission grappling tournaments of the ADCC (Abu Dahbi Combat Club).

Sometimes the sport is called Gracie Jiu Jitsu, but this name is trademarked by Rorion Gracie and refers to the style he and his teachers taught. Other members of the Gracie family have something similar such as Charles Gracie and Renzo Gracie. The Machado brothers call it Machado Jiu-Jitsu. Each style has its own unique aspects but are generally considered derivatives of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Despite the fact that the sport has been practiced in the Netherlands for years, it is not yet very well-known, despite the fact that we are very well-known worldwide in the field of martial arts. There are quite a few schools in the Netherlands where you can practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Usually they have a 'black belt' who teaches, but not all. The trainers mainly come from Brazil. Mathieu Peters from Oss is the first Dutch 'black belt'. He passed the prestigious exam in January 2007 at the Yamasaki Academy in Washington, USA. The expectation is that the sport will take off in the Netherlands. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is seen as one of the most effective martial arts .

In Belgium there are already a number of black belts: Juan Grizzo, Sabatine, Mario D'Hoker and Koen Smets. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is also very popular here and the number of practitioners is growing steadily. Many were forced to travel abroad for competitions and seminars in the past. Nowadays the clubs themselves organize more and more courses, seminars and competitions to increase their level.

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