Frequently Asked Questions

So what makes it “Brazilian” Jiu-Jitsu?

The Japanese martial art of jujutsu found its way to Brazil in 1914 by way of Mitsuyo Maeda, a master in the art and one of the founders of judo. Maeda taught the art to Carlos and Helio Gracie as a favor to their father. The Gracie brothers continued to develop the art on their own, passing the art down to their sons and their black belts. Over the decades, they refined the techniques and developed entirely new ones through training and no-rules fights. Their goal was to create the most effective system of self defense and hand-to-hand fighting for smaller, weaker people to defend themselves against larger, stronger opponents.

What does “Jiu-Jitsu” mean?

Jiu-jitsu (also spelled jujutsu, ju-jitsu, jiujitsu) is a Japanese term that breaks down into “ju,” meaning “gentle, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding,” and “jitsu,” meaning “art or technique.” The idea behind the jiu-jitsu is to smoothly divert your opponent’s attacks and turn their energy against them rather than meeting force with force. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, we focus on grappling (as opposed to striking) as a way to gain leverage and control over a stronger opponent and ultimately put them in a position where they are forced to submit or risk injury and unconsciousness.

How is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu different than other martial arts like kung fu and karate?

When most people think of martial arts, they think of Karate Kid’s Daniel-san doing crane stance and Bruce Lee taking on five guys at once. Or they think of katas, breaking boards and jumping spin kicks. While that’s all fun, none of that reflects the realities of fighting and self defense.

Rather than make up flashy moves and ceremonies, BJJ asks the simple question, “Does it work in a real fight?” Dropping preconceptions about what a fight “should” look like, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu looks at the natural way confrontations go and  develops its techniques to be effective in those situations. What almost every other martial art fails to address is the importance of ground fighting and grappling. Whether you want to or not, in a real fight, things are going to go to the ground. Rather than fear this, BJJ has learned that knowing what to do on the ground can become your biggest strength and neutralize bigger, more aggressive attackers.

How is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu different than traditional Japanese jujutsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shares a common root with modern Japanese jujutsu, but their paths diverged nearly a century ago when the Gracie brothers in Brazil learned the art and began developing and refining it without the traditional restrictions. Today, Japanese jujutsu tends to focus on small joint locks and Japanese tradition and philosophy, while Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is defined by its extremely developed grappling and ground fighting, its emphasis on realistic sparring, its integration into MMA, and its active tournament scene.

Do I need to be in shape before I start training BJJ?

No! This is one of the biggest excuses people make for not starting BJJ sooner. “I just want to get in shape first… I want to go to the gym for a couple months first…” See those for the excuses they are. Nothing will get you ready for doing BJJ except doing BJJ. Don’t let this intimidate you—just get into the school and start training! The sooner you start, the sooner you will be in shape.

How long does it take to get a BJJ black belt?

On average, it takes a decade to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, much longer than most martial arts where it is common to get a black belt after just 2-3 years. A black belt in BJJ is held to an extremely high standard and even a blue belt in BJJ has as much experience and skill as black belts in many other martial arts. BJJ has relatively few belts compared to other martial arts; it goes white, blue, purple, brown then black. But when you train BJJ, you shouldn’t make the rank your goal—you should focus on learning and improving yourself as much as possible, and the belts will naturally follow.

Can kids train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Yes! In fact that is one of the best things your kid can do! Learning a martial art like BJJ is a great way for kids to learn self defense, gain discipline and self control, get out their pent up energy and make new friends. Kids can start training as young as 5-6 years old.

Where can I buy Gracie Barra uniforms and gear?

Gis, rashguard and patches are for sale at Gracie Barra Wear. You can also order Gracie Barra gis through the school.