If you can recite the above statement truthfully, you are in the good company of thousands of people who have been disappointed with their first experience with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For some, that disappointment was manifested as humiliation or injuries. This widespread pattern begs the question of how the “gentle art” became a venue for alpha male smash sessions.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu came to the U.S. in 1978 with a single teacher- Rorion Gracie. Rorion taught Gracie Jiu Jitsu as it was designed by his father- for self defense. In 1993 the world was introduced to Gracie Jiu Jitsu on the grand stage of the UFC, when Royce Gracie used jiu jitsu to defeat larger opponents who were all trained fighters. The remarkable reality of how those fights unfolded was that Royce used Gracie self-defense strategies and techniques to win all of those fights.
For some time before 1993, permutations of Gracie jiu jitsu has been spreading through Brazil. Many of those variants had completely abandoned self-defense applications and began grappling competitively in competitive games involving rules, weight classes, and points, with medals and trophies to motivate advancement. These changes introduced a need for physicality and an athletic element that diverged from the very purpose AND definition of “jiu jitsu.”
Following the early Gracie UFC domination, “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu” became the new gold rush in the 1990s. Brazilian athletes who competed with some success in sport BJJ flooded into the U.S. to open sport grappling gyms- calling it Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Today, these sport BJJ gyms far outnumber schools in which Gracie self-defense is taught to students.
If you were one of the people who walked out of one of those competition gyms, you likely didn’t recognize some of the warning signs that you may have walked into a stable for competition fighting - rather than a self-defense school:
The building did not have AC and maybe not even a water fountain.
The instructor, or worse yet, some students, had mangled cauliflower ears.
The wall by the front door was lined with trophies and medals.
The room was full of muscular athletes who clearly did not need jiu jitsu to defend themselves.
Belt advancement was determined in part or whole by competition success or by having to “beat” fellow students while sparring.
Most classes were taught with no gi (martial arts uniform)
No mention of self- defense on their website or in their curriculum, or “self defense” was an optional, separate class (usually at an inconvenient time).
They DID NOT HAVE a curriculum. The "coach" just taught what they thought was cool each class.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu began trying to raise public awareness of the missing self-defense in sport "jiu jitsu" several years ago. Below are some excellent video presentations expressing concern for the missing self-defense instruction in sport BJJ gyms:
IF YOU visited one of these sport BJJ gyms in the past and you were disappointed or worse yet injured, hopefully you can revive your interest in Gracie Jiu Jitsu and attend a school that respects your desire to learn to defend yourself on the street. Many of us who love jiu jitsu have families to go home to or professional jobs at which we cannot show up with a bruised up face or a swollen lip. A Gracie Jiu Jitsu school is nearby for those of us who want to learn the most effective self-defense in the world without being smashed by kids trying to prove themselves. The Gracie Combatives program assures students that their competence in saving their own life in a street fight is the school's top priority- NOT adding another trophy to the gym foyer.
If you are a parent and you have a child who you want to learn self-defense, along with the respect that is integral to a true martial arts experience, please look for the aforementioned warning signs before you mistakenly drop your child into the culture of a fighting gym. Child BJJ competition is particularly concerning. Children who are 5, 6, 7 years old don’t have the maturity to keep the things they learn to win in competition on the mats separate from what they should do in a disagreementr with another child at school. How do you explain to the principal why your child ripped another 7 year old’s shoulder out of socket with a kimura when they were arguing over a Lincoln Log? Most “sport BJJ” coaches do not teach the big picture to children; they are typically only focused on turning them into aggressive “mat monsters.” Consider the big picture alternative, Gracie Bullyproof.
Lakewood Jiu Jitsu Academy teaches a self-defense curriculum that is the primary subject of every class. Dangerous sport BJJ moves are not allowed, and an environment of cooperative training and mutual respect is encouraged. Our classes are perfect for professionals who want to learn Gracie jiu jitsu, but who cannot expose themselves to an alpha male beatdown every time they go to class to learn self-defense.
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