HISTORY
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is considered the most effective form of self-defense in the world. In the early 1900's, a Japanese jiu-jitsu instructor by the name of Esai Maeda went to the state of Para in Northern Brazil. There he befriended Gastao Gracie, an influential businessman, who helped the Japanese get established in Brazil. To show his gratitude, Maeda, also known as "Count Koma," offered to teach the traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu to Gastao's oldest son, Carlos.
In Rio de Janeiro, Carlos' younger brother, Helio, refined the techniques handed down by "Count Koma" by improving the leverage in the execution of the traditional techniques. Through trial an error, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was born. BJJ soon evolved into a system of leverages that became more effective than its Japanese counterpart and the most popular martial art in Brazil with many tournaments from school to national to world championship levels.
Feeling the need to expand, sons of Helio came to the US in the eighties to prove the effectiveness of the Gracie system. Rorion, Rickson, and Royce (the letter "R" is pronounced like the letter "H" in Brazil, so, "Rickson" sounds like "Hickson") have won many Mixed Martial Art matches both in the US and Japan.
With real confrontations being won again and again, BJJ has proven itself as the most effective form of self-defense in the world. It is now the basis of mixed martial arts or "Vale-Tudo" tournaments and has a large sport competition following. BJJ has something for everyone from the competitive athlete to the weekend warrior. Law enforcement and the military use BJJ as their main self-defense system for hand-to-hand combat.
