A Century of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is inarguably one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with untold millions of people practicing worldwide. But how many of those know the history of this martial art that we love so much? 

The roots of grappling-style martial arts run deep... certainly as deep as ancient civilizations, maybe even deeper. Japanese jujutsu and judo are also quite old. However, while there's no denying jiu-jitsu's origins in the Japanese style, specifically the practice of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is really only a century old, if you start with the creation of the very first academy dedicated to the new, evolving offshoot. 

And that century is full of momentous events that - combined - have led us to where we are today. You could spend hours upon hours going down the rabbit hole of BJJ's history, but if you want something short and sweet, or you need somewhere to start, we've got you covered.

Read the full article at the USA site here, which covers: 

• The Birthplace of BJJ
• BJJ's Worldwide Expansion
• The Evolution of BJJ Competition