FREQUENTLY ASKED JIU JITSU QUESTIONS

Japanese jujitsu (traditional spelling) techniques were first used in the 1100s by the early samurai. The term "jujitsu" wasn't even used to describe these techniques until the 1600s. Traditional jujitsu started fading into obscurity in Japan through the Edo period (1603-1868) as hundreds of years of civil war had ended, and there was relative peace in Japan. The samurai slowly faded as the need for their combat prowess waned. A version of jujitsu reemerged in the late 1800s as Jigorno Kano rebranded his jujitsu style as "judo" at his Tokyo school called the Kodokan. Some of the last holdout jujitsu styles were training at the Budokukai in Kyoto. The Budokukai was an institute for Japanese warfare, whereas Kano's Kodokan was a school for the much more sportive judo. Judo had many rules, and had eliminated many of the more dangerous techniques of old jujitsu. In the late 1890s, Budokukai competitors were regularly defeating Kodokan judokas in competitions through the use of effective ground fighting ("ne waza" in Japanese). In 1904, Kano sent one of top black belts, Tsunejiro Tomita to the U.S. to spread judo. One of Tomita's top students from the Kodokan, Mitsuyo Maeda, went to the U.S. with him. Although Maeda came from the Kodokan, he had taken to the ground fighting style being emphasized in Kyoto He began fighting "no holds barred" fights for money. Maeda soon parted ways with Tomita and was expelled from the Kodokan for prize fighting (Kano forbade prize fighting). Maeda continued winning hundreds of prize fights, and by 1914 had made his way to Brazil. In 1914 Carlos Gracie, then a teenager, started taking jujitsu lessons from Maeda. Gracie studied under Maeda and under one or two of Maeda's other more experienced for a few years. Carlos Gracie is said to have refined some of the jujitsu he learned to make it less reliant on strength and athleticism. Carlos' youngest brother, Hélio Gracie, started training in "jiu jitsu" (common Western spelling) in the mid to late 1920s. Hélio was small and relatively weak compared to his older brothers. Hélio further refined the Japanese techniques he learned and developed an even more efficient use of the ground and one's legs from the back on the ground position to allow a smaller fighter to defeat stronger fighters using the legs defensively and offensively. Brazilian jiu jitsu calls this the "guard." Hélio however maintained a focus on effectiveness for self defense. Carlos Gracie and particularly his children drifted more toward competitive applications of jiu jitsu and conversion of jiu jitsu into a sport. The sport BJJ commonly seen in competitions today is far removed from jiu jitsu for effective self defense, and is more of the influence of Carlos Gracie's sons- particularly Carlson Gracie and Carlos Gracie Jr.. Hélio Gracie continued to require self defense as the first priority from his students, and this commitment was carried to the U.S. by his oldest son, Rorion Gracie, in 1978. The Gracie jiu jitsu taught at Rorion's Gracie Academy and later Gracie University by his sons Ryron and Rener Gracie continues to focus on self defense effectiveness. Gracie jiu jitsu, as it has been preserved through Hélio, Rorion, and Ryron/ Rener Gracie, is much like traditional Japanese jujitsu in its self defense techniques. The primary evolution has been the incorporation of techniques using the ground and the legs to control larger opponents. This style is much more true to the jujitsu that was being practiced in Kyoto in the early 1900s rather than Kodokan judo. Another evolution that Gracie jiu jitsu has incorporated is the use of active competitive sparring ("randori" in Japanese) to develop skill in techniques. This can be called "practical jiu jitsu," since the student actually experiences their techniques work on a resisting partner. Most traditional Japanese schools spend most of their training time drilling pre-arranged movements in which the training partner ("uke" in Japanese) offers no actual resistance. Because the techniques never really prove their effectiveness under the pressure of actual resistance, this style of practice is called "theoretical jujitsu." Theoretical jujitsu can consist of beautiful movements to watch, but the effectiveness of the techniques in real-world circumstances is questioned by many.

Most ladies are smaller than most men. If we consider the kinds of men who would attack a woman, it is probably safe to say that most women are weaker than most men who would attack them. Arms- shorter. Legs- shorter. All of these disadvantages are most highlighted if we consider a scenario in which a man and a woman are battling for control of the situation with striking and kicking. A woman who is considering defending herself with a swift kick or a fist to the face must face the reality that the attacker has those same weapons available to them. A distance apart that allows for blows one way will necessarily allow blows coming the other way as well. "Standing and trading" can be entertaining to watch in a professional MMA fight where two fighters are paired up by gender and weight, and there is a referee to stop things if it gets too ugly. A woman in a street attack does not have any of these equalizing circumstances. This reality raises questions to the likely efficacy of a defensive strategy that involves striking and or kicking. Jiu jitsu, and the strategies employed by Gracie jiu jitsu, eliminate or at least reduce some of these imbalances. If in a street confrontation the victim can control the distance at which the attacks are occuring, the victim can have a great degree of control over who in the confrontation is at a distance from which effective movements can occur. Whether these movements are defensive or offensive, every movement requires a requisite amount of free space to occur. A female who has the skills to control the distance between her and her assailant, can maximize her opportunities to leave the encounter unharmed. Gracie jiu jitsu teaches all students, particularly women, how to take away space and keep it, as well as how to create space and keep it in place until SHE chooses to change that distance as it suits HER survival strategy. The use of the clinch while standing, and the use of the guard when on the ground, are classic examples of how a smaller, weaker person can prevent a larger, stronger opponent from doing what they want to do. When a victim becomes preoccupied with somehow hitting their attacker, it can become very difficult to also focus on balance and controlling the distance. As mentioned above, if a lady places herself at a distance allowing her to strike, she can also be struck. Striking a kicking are also very difficult to execute without compromising base and balance. The reality is that many street attacks on women involve an attacker trying to move the victim from one place to another. Maintaining base is the most important thing a woman can focus on to prevent abduction, and base is extremely compromised when a victim is trying to throw kicks and strikes. Even MMA fighters typically go for takedowns as their opponent attempts a strike or a kick. Gracie University has refined a system of strategies that women can employ in self-defense that takes all of the above realities and disadvantages into consideration. These systematic strategies are embodied in the Women Empowered program. This program is available online and at certain qualified Gracie Certified Training Centers (CTC). Lakewood Jiu Jitsu Academy anticipates being a CTC at which time, Lakewood, Denver, and Wheat Ridge area ladies can learn this amazing program for self-defense.

You do NOT have to be young or in shape to learn Gracie self-defense. Grandmaster Hélio trained until he was 95 years old. As far as size, Hélio was only about 140 pounds when he was fighting boxers and wrestlers to prove jiu jitsu was the most effective martial art. Jiu jitsu is the perfect self-defense system for people who are not physically gifted. Gracie self-defense does not require extraordinary flexibility or physical strength. Students of Gracie jiu jitsu learn to use their minds to apply leverage and efficient body movements to be able to protect themselves with minimal energy exertion. I started training Gracie jiu jitsu at 40 years old. A misunderstanding can arise when people look at sport BJJ and young athletes can be seen spinning on their head and flopping around like break-dancers. This is NOT Gracie self-defense. Many schools under the label "Brazilian Jiu JItsu" teach and encourage sport BJJ, but these movements are not what the samurai used nor Grandmaster Hélio Gracie refined for self-defense. Gracie Combatives is the most modern jiu jitsu self defense program that does not require athletic talent to use effectively.

Bullying is an inherent problem encountered when children interact in large groups. Bullying is dangerous physically and psychologically, and it cannot be ignored. Many kids are not "born fighters" though. The communication skills and self-confidence that can ward off most bullying doesn't come naturally to some children. The confidence that can come from a child knowing they can physically protect themselves from a bully can be the foundation for the very confidence that can prevent the bullying to begin with. A child who has developed confidence through jiu jitsu may never have to use a single jiu jitsu technique to keep safe at school. Gracie Bullyproof teaches set of skills that can start as early as five years old. Children can learn to not only physically protect themselves, but also learn how to communicate boundaries and stop from ever becoming a target of a bully. Gracie jiu jitsu is so much more than a set of moves that can defeat an attacker in a physical confrontation. By employing the principles of jiu jitsu in communication, children can learn to avoid fighting altogether. Jiu jitsu teaches children at a young age that the best fight victories are the fights that never happen. In those unavoidable fights, children who have learned jiu jitsu can defend themselves from bullies without seriously hurting them. If a teacher were to stop a fight after your child has kicked a bully in the face and busted their lip ... Did your child really win? Even though an initial victim, your child could still be expelled or charged criminally for causing visible injuries to a bully that look bad in photographs. The ability to control a bully without causing visible injuries is a valuable tool for any child in those worse case scenarios where physical contact could not be prevented.