Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, also referred to as Gracie Jiu Jitsu, or simply Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, is credited to the man in the picture to the right, Helio Gracie. Helio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29,2009) was born in Belem do Para, Brazil. 

 

Helio began as a jujutsu martial artist; a form of Judo at that time that was also referred to as Jiu Jitsu. As time passed, Helio came to the realization that although he knew the techniques very well, some moves were very difficult to execute due to his small size. Many moves required a lot of strength that did not necessarily work for his small body type. 

 

From his observation of this, he began adapting Judo techniques to create techniques that would require less strength. His style would maximize leverage, and would minimize the force that would be needed to execute the technique. Helio Gracie’s techniques would give the smaller and weaker martial artists a chance to defend themselves effectively against large opponents. 

 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial arts combat sport, and self defense system that focuses on ground fighting. In sports BJJ, training can prepare students for Jiu Jitsu competition matches, which can be with gi or no-gi. There are a variety of positions and a unique points system for Jiu Jitsu tournaments. Visit the Jiu Jitsu Techniques page on this site to see a variety of videos on techniques used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.