Jiu-jitsu was developed in Japan, before spreading to further parts of the world. At some point, much later, jiu-jitsu arrived in South America.
It was nearly 400 years on that Carlos Gracie helped to develop BJJ. The Gracie family opened the first BJJ school in Rio, and from that moment the future was set.
Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is seen commonly in MMA. It is still practiced for self-defense. But, BJJ is also used in competition and is seen in the UFC often.
BJJ is now shown on TV and across the internet. But, why did Brazilian Ji-Jitsu become so ubiquitous?
Why has Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blown up?
Like all martial arts, BJJ takes discipline, and dedication. It can take about ten years to get a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and many will fail to reach this level.
Rener Gracie himself suggests that only 10% of BJJ newcomers will gain their blue belt. And only 1 percent of those will ever reach black belt.
But, if black belts in BJJ were easy to earn, then they wouldn’t be special. Below are ten reasons why BJJ is so popular, and there are so many people trying to earn a black belt in the art.
The Gracie brothers
Helios and Carlos Gracie were responsible for starting BJJ. But, it was Helios’ sons that pushed the sport firmly into the spotlight.
BJJ grew visible when Royce Gracie won the first UFC. Gracie then publicly challenged Mike Tyson to a fight. By winning the UFC, Gracie had shown the world what BJJ could do. The publicity surrounding the UFC and the Tyson deathmatch challenge helped promote BJJ.
At the time, martial arts were enjoying something of a resurgence. Van Damme had put martial arts back on the big screen, and youngsters were joining karate and kung fu clubs across the country. But, Royce Gracie and his brother Rorian used the UFC to show the world, how good BJJ could be.
The UFC helped propel BJJ
Rorian Gracie co-founded the UFC, and in doing so created a platform to showcase Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For many people, martial arts meant spinning kicks and the kind of moves that Bruce Lee displayed in his short but legendary movie career.
Yet, UFC showed that the groundwork displayed in BJJ could be far more effective than a flying axe kick. The UFC helped bring mixed martial arts to a modern audience, and with the internet becoming far more widely used, BJJ was visible to the world.
Just recently, the announcement that the UFC and WWE were to merge created huge buzz. The combined revenue of the UFC and WWE in 2022, was $2.4 billion. The UFC is now a global sports fighting and entertainment enterprise. And BJJ helped the UFC to become huge, and vice versa.
Yet, there are a number of other causes for BJJ’s popularity other than the UFC. Here are 8 more causes for BJJ’s continual growth.
It isn’t necessary to compete in BJJ to become good
Despite BJJ being a competitive sport, and used regularly by top MMA fighters, there is no need to compete in the octagon or on mats. Some of the best BJJ practitioners and coaches themselves have never competed.
Many people enjoy BJJ because it gives them health benefits and a chance to develop in other ways. BJJ is also very accessible.
BJJ is ideal for children
BJJ is an ideal sport for parents worried about children being hurt too. Punching is not involved in standard BJJ, so parents need not worry about their children taking blows.
BJJ is also inclusive. There is a diverse community within BJJ, and the people involved welcome newcomers of any age, race, or gender.
Less risk of injury in BJJ than in some other martial arts
One thing that deters some people from trying any martial art is the thought of being struck. Not everyone wants to fight and be hit. Even sparring comes with the risk of injury in kickboxing or any contact martial art.
But, BJJ has one of the lowest risks of injury in training and competing – away from MMA that is. Tai Chi must rank as the safest martial art, but BJJ is close by.
BJJ is a practical martial art
Despite BJJ not typically using any strikes, and it being safe, it is still a valid martial art. BJJ is a great form of self-defense that uses similar values to judo. The belief that a smaller person can defend themselves against a physically stronger attacker is a core belief of jiu-jitsu.
As BJJ evolved, the main core of jiu-jitsu remained. Now, many MMA fighters incorporate BJJ training into their repertoire. Chuck Norris trained in BJJ in addition to his vast knowledge of Tang Soo Do.
Continual improvement
Dedicated martial artists never stop learning. Like all fighting styles, BJJ is one of continual learning. No matter how many years of study, there is always more to learn. Techniques can be improved upon, and different training methods and strategies introduced.
BJJ is great for health and fitness
A certain level of fitness is needed in martial arts. To be able to improve in BJJ, fitness training needs to be incorporated. As students progress, they will find that physical health improves as do fitness levels.
A complete BJJ workout is excellent for cardio and weight loss. A typical gym session of weightlifting may burn 120 calories in 30 minutes. A more vigorous set will burn perhaps 250 calories.
A full BJJ workout of warming up, drills, and sparring, will burn 400 to 670 calories. Instead of just working particular muscles, BJJ helps flexibility, cardio, and strength training.
Celebrities are endorsing BJJ
If there is one proven way of increasing the popularity of a particular martial art, it is having celebrities behind it. Kung Fu had Bruce Lee. Boxing has had many superstars including Muhammad Ali. And BJJ is no different.
In 2022, Tom Hardy entered and won the BJJ Open Championships and impressed many with his skills. A little research reveals that there are several celebrity black belts who are heavily into BJJ.
BJJ teaches discipline and boosts confidence
Martial arts are one of the best ways of learning patience and discipline. Whether a martial art has a sensei, a master, or a professor, respect has to be shown. Martial arts instill discipline but also provide a sense of accomplishment when goals are reached.
Gaining a new belt in any martial art takes practice and time. Learning new moves and earning a belt will boost confidence. Martial arts give kids an edge at school because they teach that patience is needed to learn and grow. BJJ shows children that learning reaps rewards.
Summary
Without the Gracie family, BJJ perhaps wouldn’t exist in its current form. And without the UFC, BJJ wouldn’t be as popular as it is now. However, there are many more reasons why BJJ has such a following.
BJJ is beneficial to physical and mental health. It teaches discipline and improves fitness levels. Knowing how to defend oneself leads to confidence. And BJJ is a sport, but it can be enjoyed non-competitively by almost anyone.
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