Roots

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian spelling) people are crazy in that they downplay the remarkable development that is their own art.

It was created by the brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie starting back in the 1920s. Carlos taught Helio early on. Carlos in turn got his early training from a Japanese immigrant named Mitsuyo Maeda.

So far, no problem. Jiu-Jitsu is a Japanese term, and they learned from a Japanese teacher.

The problem is, Maeda likely did not practise or teach Jiu-Jitsu.

In Japan, a man named Jigaro Kano changed martial arts forever. In the 1880s he took created a new art based on the techniques of various schools of Jujitsu (Japanese spelling) and created a new style he called Judo. In 1886 there was a major competition held between Judo and Jujitsu practitioners to see who would train the Tokyo police department. It was a landslide win for Judo.

Jujitsu slid into the background as Kano pressed on to invent competition rules, the Belt system, and the famous white uniform. He and his students promoted their art as something different. I doubt they referred to it as Jujitsu very often, if ever.

One of their people was the same Mitsuyo Maeda who taught Carlos Gracie.

He took up training at the Kodokan (Judo Headquarters) at age 18. This was already nine years after the split between Judo and its parent art.

He had quite an adventurous life, travelling the world teaching and giving demonstrations. When in the United States he referred to his art as Judo.

Finally landing in Brazil, he taught for many years. Amongst his students was Carlos Gracie.

What was he teaching?

According to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners the claim is that he taught Jiu-Jitsu. Really? He was a Kodokan Judo man, continuing to progress in Judo rank up the time of his death, when he received recognition as a 7th Dan. A 7th Dan Judoka teaching Jiu-Jitsu?

Some accept that he taught Judo, but that he called it Jiu-Jitsu. Really? He chose to call his art a name that it did not have at home? Why would he do that?

My guess is that the name of Jiu-Jitsu, or Jujitsu, had arrived in Brazil prior to the arrival of
Maeda, and the term was already widely recognized. I bet it was just easier to use the accepted term rather than try and re-educate a nation.

This happened in North America when Tae Kwon Do started popping up many years ago. Practitioners usually called it Korea Karate for simplicity. I saw a Tae Kwon Do demo on TV recently. They didn't even call it Korean Karate, just Karate. Very wrong, but easier.

If I'm right, it means that he would have taught Judo, which has a great deal of sport emphasis. This also means that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which has the opposite focus of real combat, is a bigger accomplishment than just being a copy of what Maeda taught.

Let's look at it my way.

Maeda arrives from Japan. Carlos Gracie is one of his students for a few years (they lived in the same town only about five years), and goes on to open his own school. Let us assume Maeda taught Judo as Judo was usually taught. Carlos teaches what he knows to brother Helio and they then go on to develop their own slant.

Their own slant is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I'd say most of it came from the Gracies and from Brazil.

Be proud of that.