History of Jiu-Jitsu
History of Jiu-Jitsu
There are many different accounts as to the origins of Jiu-Jitsu but some historians say that Jiu-Jitsu, also known as “the Mother of Martial Arts”, can be tracked back to India where Buddhist monks said to have invented it. Concerned with self-defense these monks developed movements based on balance and leverage. It was done in a manner that would avoid reliance on strength and weapons. With the expansion of Buddhism, Jiu-Jitsu spread from Southeast Asia to China, finally arriving in Japan where it developed and gained further popularity. Centered on a number of core values including loyalty, justice, purity, manners, modesty, honor, self-confidence, and respect, the Japanese named the smooth techniques of Jiu-Jitsu “the Gentle Way”. The Samurais adopted jiu-Jitsu as a superior form of self-defense and a form of life, the art form highlighted their own code of conduct known as “Bushido”, way of the warrior.
Esai Maeda Koma, also known as "Conde Koma", who was one of the most well known masters. After traveling with a troupe, which fought in various countries in Europe and the Americas. Koma arrived in Brazil in 1915 and settled in Belem do Para the next year. There he met a Brazilian politician named Gastao Gracie, the father of eight children, among them, three girls, and five boys. Gastao became a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and brought his oldest son, Carlos, to learn from the Japanese master.
For a naturally frail fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu became a method not basically for fighting, but for personal improvement. At nineteen, he moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family and began teaching and fighting. In his travels, Carlos would teach classes, and also proved the efficiency of the art by beating opponents who were physically stronger. In 1925, he returned to Rio and opened the first school known as the "Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu." Between 1940-2004 the Gracie family won countless challenges against other martial artists
There are many different accounts as to the origins of Jiu-Jitsu but some historians say that Jiu-Jitsu, also known as “the Mother of Martial Arts”, can be tracked back to India where Buddhist monks said to have invented it. Concerned with self-defense these monks developed movements based on balance and leverage. It was done in a manner that would avoid reliance on strength and weapons. With the expansion of Buddhism, Jiu-Jitsu spread from Southeast Asia to China, finally arriving in Japan where it developed and gained further popularity. Centered on a number of core values including loyalty, justice, purity, manners, modesty, honor, self-confidence, and respect, the Japanese named the smooth techniques of Jiu-Jitsu “the Gentle Way”. The Samurais adopted jiu-Jitsu as a superior form of self-defense and a form of life, the art form highlighted their own code of conduct known as “Bushido”, way of the warrior.
Esai Maeda Koma, also known as "Conde Koma", who was one of the most well known masters. After traveling with a troupe, which fought in various countries in Europe and the Americas. Koma arrived in Brazil in 1915 and settled in Belem do Para the next year. There he met a Brazilian politician named Gastao Gracie, the father of eight children, among them, three girls, and five boys. Gastao became a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and brought his oldest son, Carlos, to learn from the Japanese master.
For a naturally frail fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu became a method not basically for fighting, but for personal improvement. At nineteen, he moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family and began teaching and fighting. In his travels, Carlos would teach classes, and also proved the efficiency of the art by beating opponents who were physically stronger. In 1925, he returned to Rio and opened the first school known as the "Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu." Between 1940-2004 the Gracie family won countless challenges against other martial artists