Brazilian vs. Japanese Jiu Jitsu: What are the Differences?
They Have a Shared History and Some Stark Differences
Jiu jitsu is a martial art that has blown up in popularity over the last few years.
Thanks in part to the success of jiu jitsu techniques in the UFC octagon, and high profile people like Joe Rogan and Jason Statham touting how fun and effective it is, more people than ever are interested in jiu jitsu.
But, what jiu jitsu are they talking about?
Jiu jitsu is a broad term and depending on your location and the gym you go to, you may learn a different form of jiu jitsu from what your friend is learning.
To narrow it down there’s, broadly speaking, two main types of jiu jitsu:
- Japanese Jiu Jitsu (JJJ)
- Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
What separates the South American style from the Asian style?
Is one more effective than the other?
And where did they come from?
A Brief History of Japanese & Brazillian Jiu Jitsu
Japanse jiu jitsu goes back thousands of years and has it’s roots in other martial arts like Judo and Sumo.
Unlike Brazillian jiu jitsu, it’s difficult to say which people invented JJJ as we know it today.
But it is strongly associated with the legendary Japanese Samurai and used in warfare. So it could be said that the Japanese military should be credited with developing JJJ.
Brazillian jiu jitsu, on the other hand, has a clear lineage which springs from Japanese jiu jitsu.
Kano Jigoro and Mitsuyu Maeda are credited with bringing JJJ to the West, and in particular to Brazil.
In Brazil, the legendary Gracie family revolutionized JJJ and developed their own style known as Gracie jiu jitsu, or more commonly, as Brazillian Jiu Jitsu.
But how do these two schools differ?
What did the Gracies do to turn JJJ into BJJ?
How Japanese and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Differ
Japanese jiu jitsu was designed to be a comprehensive martial art that incorporated grappling with striking, and even the use of weapons.
And that is the most fundamental difference between JJJ and BJJ: JJJ was designed to be used in actual combat and utilizes weapons as well as morally questionable techniques like eye gouges and groin strikes.
BJJ is almost entirely a grappling martial art which is primarily used for competition and self defense.
It’s also designed for a smaller and weaker person to be capable of defeating larger and stronger opponents.
This is because Helio Gracie, who was described as sickly and frail, studied JJJ and figured out how the techniques could be changed to better suit his physical defecits:
Helio soon realized that due to his frail physique, most of the techniques he had learned from watching Carlos teach were particularly difficult for him to execute. Eager to make the techniques work for him, he began modifying them to accommodate his weak body. Emphasizing the use of leverage and timing over strength and speed, Helio modified virtually all of the techniques and, through trial and error, created Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Other Differences
- Techniques- Not surprisingly, JJJ has many more techniques than BJJ. This is because JJJ allows techniques that are considered illegal in BJJ competitions. It’s difficult to quantify the amount in each martial art but since BJJ does not contain punches or kicks, it has significantly less than JJJ.
- Belt Systems- BJJ and JJJ have different systems for promoting martial artists and signifying their level of proficiency. In BJJ there are 6 belt colors: white, blue, purple, brown, black, and red. Red is incredibly rare as most BJJ practicioners will never attain that level of mastery. Additionally, before a student is promoted to another belt she/he must earn four stripes on their belt. In JJJ, there are more belt colors. These include orange and green. Most JJJ schools will not require their students to attain stripes but instead are just promoted to the next belt after they display a sufficient level of skill proficiency.
Brazillian & Japanese Jiu Jitsu: Different Branches of the Same Martial Arts Tree
While some would say Brazillian jiu jitsu is an updated and evolved form of Japanese jiu jitsu, others just look at them as different martial arts with a common history.
One is not better than the other.
Picking a form of jiu jitsu, or any martial art, depends on who you are and what you’re trying to get out of learning it.
If you prefer a martial art that incorporates striking as well as grappling, then JJJ is probably for you.
If you’re solely interested in grappling and want to enter competitions, than BJJ is better for you.
Either way, you’ll learn valuable self defense techniques and become the latest descendant of an ancient lineage that goes back thousands of years.
