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An Introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

30 July 2021

Irene Hansen

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that requires a lot of physical movement. Developed from judo in the early 20th century, Brazilian jiu-jitsu emphasizes ground fighting techniques, with its own distinctive set of terminology. Read on to find out more.

Training

Training emphasizes physical conditioning including flexibility, speed, endurance, strength and explosiveness. Simple moves can be learned quickly and defences are developed accordingly. While many modern martial arts are practised in a unified fashion, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is taught in a stand-alone fashion, from the ground up. Commonly taught techniques include the guillotine choke (elbow lock) and the triangle choke, which is especially effective against the arm or leg of an opponent situated above his head.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes are usually based on one of two principles: "no-gi" and "gi". 

Gi

The "gi" is the uniform used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It is a single piece of fabric that wraps around the body and extends over the shoulders and down to cover the legs. This uniform gives students a sense of identity with which they can practice their techniques. The goal for most students in gi training is to excel at a high level, specifically by challenging and beating their instructors regularly.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is most notable for its emphasis on training from the ground up. As a result, students are trained in many positions including standing, lying on the back or their sides while holding an opponent down. Before working on submissions, students must learn how to prevent being taken down by an opponent, or how to quickly get back up again if taken down.

No-Gi

"No-gi" training does not involve the use of a uniform. Students wear shorts, t-shirts or rash guards, or sometimes nothing at all. The goal of "no-gi" classes is to simply test skills learned in gi classes and to learn how to avoid discomfort and injury during self-defence situations or training for competition.

"No-gi" classes also emphasize how to escape a choke. It is common for the instructor to choke their student in order to teach them how to escape. Other skills learned in "no-gi" training include grappling, submissions, ground control and pinning techniques, as well as throws and takedowns. Many students learn quickly that a good defence is necessary when performing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

If you are interested in finding out more about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, contact a company like Kings Academy of Martial Arts.

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