Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts exploded on the scene in 1993 offering an exciting alternative to boxing. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) matches had few rules and allowed fighters to use both boxing and wrestling moves in an octagon shaped ring. Fighters used a variety of martial art styles like Muay Thai, and Karate. The Gracie family who organized the UFC used the tournaments to showcase their talent their martial arts talent. For the first few years, they dominated the competition, because of their superior training and experience. In order to win in a mixed martial arts (MMA) match a fighter needs to be able to grapple on the ground and standing, the Gracies could do all well and they destroyed their competition.
To understand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a student must first study Judo that was created by Jigoro Kano in the late 19th century. Though supporters of BJJ say Kano considered ground fighting unimportant they couldn’t be more wrong. Because standing techniques took longer to learn then ground techniques Kano stressed standing workouts. In Japan, the saying is “one year to learn ground ten years to learn standing.”
One of Kano’s students Mitsuyo Maeda a veteran Judo instructor who had already taught in a number of countries found a very eager student named Hélio Gracie in Brazil. Maeda only had a few months with the boys so he started with the basics and stressed groundwork rather then the more complex standing techniques. He also taught the boys some strikes from Jujutsu and made it clear that in a street fight “anything goes” was the right attitude. Hélio Gracie liked Judo and continued his training and teaching. It is unsure why he began calling it Jiu Jitsu, but the takedowns, throws, and submissions were all things he learned from Maeda.
The family continued to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and when they brought it to the United States, its popularity grew greatly. They took on wrestlers, boxers, and other martial artists and preyed on their weaknesses. Anyone practicing Judo knew exactly what they were doing, but many people thought the Gracies had created something new. It is important to remember that as brutal as MMA is it is still a combat sport. The Gracies learned Judo and Jujutsu and made it their own, not better. Whether it is on the street or in the octagon, it is the Judoka who is left standing.
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