Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has its origins in early 20th century Brazil. The art was developed by the Gracie family, led by Carlos Gracie, who was taught traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu by Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese immigrant to Brazil. Carlos and his brothers modified the techniques they learned to better suit their smaller stature and focused on developing a system that relied on leverage and technique rather than brute strength. In the following decades, the Gracie family continued to refine and promote their style of Jiu-Jitsu, which they called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. In the 1980s and 1990s, BJJ began to gain international recognition, thanks in part to the success of the Gracie family in various Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo competitions. Today, BJJ is widely practiced around the world as a competitive sport and for self-defense, and it continues to evolve and adapt to the changing demands of the martial arts community.