As much an exercise for the mind as it is for the body
What it is: Popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Brazilian jujitsu, or BJJ, first emerged in the early 20th century when a Japanese jujitsu master moved to the northern city of Bélem and passed the art form’s tenets on to five brothers, the Gracies. They then devised new techniques that emphasize gaining leverage on your opponent, allowing a smaller, weaker fighter to pin a larger and stronger opponent. Experts in wrestling and kickboxing recognized the power and efficiency of this new style firsthand when Gracie descendant Royce Gracie won three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments and secured BJJ’s reputation as the single most effective fighting technique.
What it’s like: I witnessed how potent BJJ is when Eduardo Fraga, a black-belt instructor five inches shorter than me, tumbled me like a load of denim and held me in a mata leão, a headlock that nearly made me pass out.
If that doesn’t sound easy, it’s because it’s not. After only a few minutes of practice, I appreciated how long it would take to master this chess match of leverage and counter-leverage. I breathed hard and felt a demanding anaerobic workout for my shoulders, back, glutes, biceps, and forearms as I gripped and squeezed an opponent during the five-minute sparring rounds.
Best for: Greco-Roman wrestling fans, roughhousers, puzzle masters
Achieves harmony with: Surfing and swimming. It loosens the shoulders and hips for paddling, and sparring intervals prepare the lungs of aerobic athletes. Contortionism isn’t bad for your sex life either.
Only workout I’ll ever need? Maybe, if your instructor leavens your sparring with high-tempo cardio. BJJ will add muscle, maybe not as much as intense weight training, but the kind of functional gorilla strength you actually need to power through sports.
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Underarm Hook
As your opponent takes a big left-handed swing at you, reach under his punching arm and step between his feet with your right foot.
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Take a big step to the left and duck under your opponent’s right arm, ending up on his right side. Grasp his waist and pull him toward you.
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Wrap your left arm under your attacker’s right arm and hug him tightly, clasping your hands around the middle of his back.
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Extend your left leg to trip him. Press the bottom of your foot against his left heel and sweep him backward. As you both fall, twist so you’re on top.
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This article originally appeared in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.
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January 5th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Fun post, BJJ is my fav. martial art.
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January 6th, 2010 at 2:10 am
I’d have no problem watching Penn beat the blanket
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May 21st, 2010 at 3:08 pm
“BJJ is the single most effective fighting technique” is a ridiculous statement. I can’t believe anyone still believes that nonsense. The Gracies are great at BJJ, but better at marketing. If Gracie Jujitsu were the ultimate in fighting arts, the Gracies would still be competative in MMA. Royce Gracie fought washed up clowns in the early UFC’s. Once the Gracie claims of BJJ being the ultimate martial art started attracting actual fighters from systems like muay thai, wrestling, sambo, boxing(not some guy with one boxing glove on), etc… Royce was promptly beaten into retirement. BJJ is a wonderful art and the Gracies did all martial artists a favor by pointing out the fact that every serious martial artist needs to have a ground game, but it’s simplistic and wrong to say that BJJ is “the best”. When some of the greatest grapplers in the sport came from wrestling backgrounds I find it questionable to say that BJJ is even the best of the grappling arts.
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Jigsaw Mats Reply:
September 13th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I have to disagree. Having trained Winchun Kung Fu, Ta Kwon Do, Judo, Kick Boxing, Karate, Western Boxing and BJJ I can assure you out of those that BJJ is the most effective.
Unless you are an extremely talented fighter or have very considerable size/weight advantage, one on one, you cannot stop a fight going to the floor. Once you are there, a skilled BJJ practitioner will win everytime.
If you disagree, seek out your local BJJ school and see if you can last 60 seconds with a competant BJJ practitioner.
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June 17th, 2010 at 3:58 am
Thanks for great articles about BJJ. I am choosing between BJJ and Muay Thai right now. I don’t what martial art style I should go. T_T
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Soe Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
BJJ’s not bad, but neither is Muay Thai. Depends where you live. If you’re in Thailand, Muay Thai. But anywhere in the West, go for BJJ.
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NWD Reply:
September 11th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Dude. Train in both JuJitsu & Muay Thai.
Muay Thai for stand up and Jujitsu for the ground, simple.
Find a gym that has both or go to two gyms.
NWD
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April 11th, 2011 at 7:22 am
I really like watching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because it gives the smaller opponent an equal chance to win through good technique. It sure seems like a tough workout though!
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May 16th, 2011 at 9:41 am
Jiu jitsu is one of my favorite martial arts by far and the mental training is a large part of why I enjoy partaking in it so much. Although it does suck getting choked and my arm torqued in various different angles, it still is just a chess game just a lot more physical than moving your pawn up a spot
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