What is Jiu Jitsu
Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that originated in Japan. The precise origins of Jiu Jitsu much like nearly all martial arts cannot be precisely determined. It is believed to have originated in the Japanese Samurai culture of feudal japan somewhere between the third to eighth centuries.
Mitsuyo Maeda (1878-1941) was born in Funazawa Village, Hirosaki City on November 18th 1878. Maeda whom is considered universally to be the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt spent his life pursuing and learning self-defense techniques. In Brazil in 1917 a young Carlos Gracie (1902-1994) saw a Japanese man dominate and submit much larger opponents. Maeda, a friend of Carlos’s father agreed to teach Carlos the art of defending himself.
Carlos fully immersed himself in Jiu Jitsu and eventually taught it to his siblings, one of which was Helio Gracie. Grandmaster Carlos would go on to have twenty one children, thirteen of which would become Jiu Jitsu Black Belts.
Helio Gracie, Carlos’s brother quickly became the star. The technical innovations that Helio added to Jiu Jitsu gave birth to the Jiu Jitsu we have and love today. Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that gives the common man a chance to survive and win against a larger, faster and younger opponent. Many of the aspects of Jiu Jitsu that allow for that were innovations that Helio Gracie contributed.
In 1925 Carlos Gracie opened The Gracie Academy in Brazil. The first modern Jiu Jitsu academy was born. Jiu Jitsu first came to American shores sometime in the 1990s. Through a series of Gracie challenge matches Jiu Jitsu’s effectiveness was proved absolutely. Rorion Gracie in 1993 created the Ultimate Fighting Championship – what we now know as the UFC. In these early days Royce Gracie dominated against far larger, faster and younger opponents.
From that time on the martial arts world in this country and many others was being quickly dominated by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. With its effectiveness proven in Gracie Challenge Matches and in the UFC, Jiu Jitsu exploded. Academies sprung up across the country and on December 1st 2017 Matt Secor Brazilian Jiu Jitsu opened its doors for the very first time.
Jiu Jitsu is extremely effective because of its non striking and constant live training style. You will never be on the mats doing theoretical moves. You will be performing the techniques against live resisting opponents on the very first day. We can do this because of the lack of striking. In Jiu Jitsu if you’re in a bad position you can simply tap out and its over. This lets your opponent practice even the most advanced techniques with you knowing that when you’re at your limit you will tap out. The benefits of this live training cannot be understated. If you ever hear that a given martial art is lethally effective – ask the practitioners of the art if they often kill people. Because if they aren’t then they cannot be sure of the effectiveness of that art. Jiu Jitsu practitioners can be sure because we do practice.
If you come train at Matt Secor Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you will notice many benefit. Confidence, Healthy Lifestyle, a passionate family and a skill no one can take from you. I think the biggest benefit that Jiu Jitsu offers to me is a family. I’ll do anything for my teammates and I know they will do the same.
Every practitioner of Jiu Jitsu can trace their lineage back to Count Maeda. For those of you who join me on the mats at Matt Secor Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, this is your lineage:
Count Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Renzo Gracie > Ricardo Almeida > Eddie Fyvie > Matt Secor > Your Name Here.
Come train with me, will you?
See you on the Mats