Judo is the creation of Jigoro Kano (1860-1938). Jigoro Kano was a highly educated man that sought to combine and preserve the ancient martial traditions of Japan. Kano refined the techniques he had learned primarily from two traditional systems, the Tenshin Shin’yo Ryu and the Kito Ryu, and founded his own style, Kodokan Judo in 1882. One of the most important innovations in Kano’s Judo was the emphasis placed on “randori”, or non-cooperative free sparring practice. The majority of the ancient Jiu Jitsu styles based their training on pre-arranged sequences of attack and defense known as “kata”. Although Kano acknowledged the value of kata practice (kata training is present in Judo training to this day), he also realized the absolute necessity of learning to apply techniques in the most realistic manner. Randori allows the practitioner to develop the mindset and technical proficiency needed to apply techniques against fully resisting opponents in as realistic a venue as safety allows.Kano’s new style was put to the test in the famous tournament of 1886, hosted by the Tokyo Police. Of the 15 matches pitting Kodokan Judo fighters against fighters of various classic styles of Jiu Jitsu, the Kodokan won 13 matches and tied the other two. Kano’s hybrid martial art and revolutionary methods of training had proven most effective.

For several years, Kodokan Judo reigned supreme. All subsequent challengers representing traditional styles were defeated, and the superiority of Kodokan Judo appeared unassailable. Then, about the turn of the Nineteenth Century a monumental event occurred when the Kodokan was challenged by a man named Mataemon Tanabe. Tanabe was the headmaster of an obscure system of classical Jiu Jitsu, the Fusen Ryu. The Fusen Ryu was unlike the other Jiu Jitsu styles that had sought to test their techniques against the Kodokan; Fusen Ryu fighters were expert at fighting on the ground, an area conspicuously lacking in the Kodokan syllabus. In the matches that followed, all representatives of Kodokan Judo were taken to the ground and submitted by the fighters of the Fusen Ryu. The results of the Kodokan-Fusen Ryu matches highlighted the relevance and importance of ground fighting techniques in dramatic fashion, and Kano invited Tanabe to teach ground grappling at the Kodokan. Ground fighting becamevery popular at the Kodokan, and all students began practicing both throwing and ground grappling techniques. At about the time the grappling techniques of the Fusen Ryu entered the Kodokan curriculum, a young man named Mitsuyo Maeda began his Judo training.

In Brazil Maeda met an influential business man named Gastão Gracie who helped him get established. In 1917 Carlos Gracie, still a 14 year-old boy, watched a demonstration by Maeda and decided to learn Jiu Jitsu. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student and Carlos went on to become a great exponent of the art and ultimately passed the teachings on to his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão and Jorge. Hélio Gracie was too young and sick at that time to learn the art from Carlos, and due to medical imposition was prohibited to take part in the training sessions. Despite that, Hélio learned by watching his brothers.

In 1925 the Gracie brothers opened their first academy in Brazil. When Hélio Gracie was 16 years old, he found the opportunity to teach a Jiu Jitsu class, and this experience led to the development of his style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The Director of the Bank of Brazil, Dr. Mario arrived for class as scheduled. The instructor Carlos was running late and was not present. Hélio offered to begin the class with the man. When the tardy Carlos arrived offering his apologies, the student assured him it was no problem, and actually requested that he be allowed to continue learning with Hélio instead. Carlos agreed to this and Hélio began instructing. Hélio realized that even though he knew the techniques theoretically, in actuality, the moves were much harder to execute. He realized many of the moves required brute strength that he did not posses. He began adapting the moves for his particular physical attributes, and through trial and error learned to maximize leverage, thus minimizing theforce needed to execute the moves. Hélio eventually overcame his health problems and is now considered by many as the founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, although obviously similar in many respects to Judo and other traditional systems of Japanese Jiu Jitsu, differs in some fundamental ways from all other related systems. Judo was originally designed as a powerful system of self-defense that also included a sporting component. Presently, although the techniques of Judo may certainly be applied in real fighting situations (and many practitioners of “sport” Judo have applied their skills very effectively in non-sporting confrontations), the emphasis in most schools is on sport competition. During the course of the last century the rules of Judo began to emphasize means of achieving victory in competition that did not necessarily reflect the conditions of all in fighting. For example, a Judo match may be won by a throw or a pin hold without a submission. These rules and limited groundwork that forbids many of the original submission holds found in early Judo somewhat limit direct applicability to street fights.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has followed a different course in the last 80 years. Carlos and his brothers issued the now famous “Gracie Challenge” in which all challengers were welcome to come and fight with the Gracie’s in no-holds-barred matches. The Gracie fighters emerged victorious against fighters of all different backgrounds. The Gracie’s continued to develop the strategies and techniques they learned from Maeda, honing their skills with the realities of real fighting. Sport grappling matches are designed to ingrain the proper strategy to be applied in the street. For example in a sport BJJ match, points are awarded based on achieving superior positions, positions from which not only grappling techniques can be more readily applied, but also from which strikes may be applied or defended. Students naturally seek the positions that will garner them the most points, thereby constantly reinforcing the most efficient strategy for real life confrontations. This “position-submission” strategyhas proven to be the most effective for real life confrontations.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jean Jacques began his Jiu Jitsu training over twenty years ago. His main instructor throughout his life has been his cousin Carlos Gracie, Jr.. Jean Jacques has also trained with Hélio Gracie, Carlson Gracie, Rolls Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Crolin Gracie and Rilion Gracie. He dominated the competitive arena of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, capturing every major title and competition award from 1982 through 1992. In 1992 Jean Jacques arrived in the United States and continued his competitive successes. Dominating the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu scene both in the US and in internationally.