new to jiu-jitsu?
Jiu-Jitsu originated in Japan as a form of self defense focused on ground fighting and physics based joint locks and chokes. In the early 20th century the Gracie family of Brazil adopted the practice, refined it and developed what is known today at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began to gain popularity in the early ‘90’s when members of the Gracie family demonstrated its effectiveness against much larger opponents in the first no holds barred fighting competitions.
From here the sport grew and as mixed martial arts became a mainstream attraction, Jiu-Jitsu became even more known as an essential tool for modern professional fighters, and it’s effectiveness as a form of self-defense was even more solidified. During this time many of the early practitioners from Brazil fanned out around the world to start schools and begin teaching to a wider audience.
Nowadays Jiu-Jitsu is practiced as a martial art, a professional sport, and a lifestyle by men and women of all ages and backgrounds. It provides an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, get fit, build skills and discipline. It is as confidence building as it is humbling, and thus lies the main draw, to grow and progress and connect with others in a mutually respectful pursuit.
In a nutshell, a Jiu-Jitsu match begins standing up, and via some kind of take down (like in wresting or Judo) the match goes to the ground. Once on the ground, one person is usually on “bottom” and the other on “top”. With that said, often when sparring or drilling in class you’ll begin on the ground in order to focus on the ground techniques. In general, the top person is attempting to get around the bottom person’s legs (passing the guard) and then trying to control their upper body, so they can then begin attempting attacks. A key part of this is “closing the distance” whereby through close upper body contact punches cannot be effectively thrown (only in a real world self defense scenario - there’s no striking in Jiu-Jitsu). But unlike wresting, the bottom person also has opportunities for attacks, so the person on top must remain vigilant. There are many techniques to pass guard, retain guard, sweep an opponent, or attempt chokes or joint locks - and many ways an opponent will counter these attempts, so strategy, planning and extensive practice is essential to success.
In competitive Jiu-Jitsu the largest governing body, IBJJF has rule sets and points systems which score based on steps competitors make towards gaining control, such as passing the guard, knee on belly, mount and back control. If no submission occurs, points will be the deciding factor in who wins a match.
a few other things to know
Consistency
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a complex set of skills and techniques and even veterans are still learning and evolving their game. Showing up consistently and asking questions is the best way to learn and progress. It can be frustratingly slow to see progress and feel like you are getting anywhere, but it will eventually happen, and this lesson will bleed over into other parts of your life.
injuries
All sports carry some risk for injury, and Jiu-Jitsu is no different. Be patient, calm and respectful to yourself and your partners and you’ll learn to avoid most serious injuries. Also - most injures occur to those who are pushing their game and going hard, so find your groove, communicate with your training partners and you’ll be fine. Be sure to get enough rest, drink water and take care of your body and mind.
Belts and belt progression
We follow the established IBJJF belt progression system and everyone begins as a white belt. As their skills, ability and time on the mat grows, they move up the ranks. Belt progression is a combo of time on mats, and an assessment of your skills made by the professor that you study under. It’s very powerful to have your hard work validated by a belt promotion, or even stripes awarded, but your actual skills and performance on the mat is always more important than the color belt you wear. One rule of thumb, DO NOT ask your professor for a promotion. Trust that they are in fact paying attention to you and your development and know when the time is right.
Cleanliness and hygiene
Given the nature of this sport and it’s close contact with many other people, it’s essential that you maintain a certain (high) standard of cleanliness. This boils down to respect for your training partner, yourself, and the gym. Please shower often, especially before class, keep nails trimmed, wash hands, keep your feet clean, use deoderant, and maybe even chew some gum before class your bad breath doesn’t ruin your reputation ;). Also - be sure to wash your Gi as soon as you get home from class, this will prevent bacteria (bad smells) from forming. If your Gi is smelling a little funky, use vinegar as a pre-wash to deal with the musty smell.