What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

The Basics of BJJ

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses almost entirely on ground fighting. Unlike striking-based disciplines such as boxing or karate, BJJ practitioners aim to take their opponent to the ground and use positional control, leverage, and submissions to end the fight. The core idea is simple: technique and strategy beat raw strength and size.

A typical Jiu-Jitsu class involves a warm-up, technique instruction where you learn and drill specific moves with a partner, and then live training called rolling. Rolling is the BJJ equivalent of sparring, and it is where you test your techniques against a resisting partner in a safe, controlled setting.

A Brief History of Jiu-Jitsu

The story of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu begins in the early 1900s when a Japanese judoka and prizefighter named Mitsuyo Maeda emigrated to Brazil. Maeda, a student of Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo), began teaching his art to the Gracie family in Belem, Brazil. Carlos Gracie and later his brother Helio Gracie adapted these techniques, placing greater emphasis on ground fighting and leverage-based movements that allowed a smaller person to overcome a larger attacker.

Over decades, the Gracie family refined and tested their system through open challenges and vale tudo (anything goes) fights across Brazil. When Royce Gracie entered the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993 and defeated opponents much larger than himself using Jiu-Jitsu alone, the art exploded in popularity worldwide. That single tournament changed martial arts forever and proved that ground fighting skill was essential for any complete fighter.

Gi vs. No-Gi Training

BJJ is practiced in two main formats. In Gi Jiu-Jitsu, practitioners wear a heavy cotton uniform called a Gi (or kimono) that includes a jacket, pants, and a belt indicating rank. The Gi itself becomes a tool: you can grip the collar, sleeves, and pants to control your opponent, set up sweeps, and apply chokes.

In No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, athletes wear a rashguard and shorts or spats instead. Without the Gi fabric to grip, No-Gi tends to be faster-paced and relies more on underhooks, overhooks, and body locks for control. Many modern academies, including Current Jiu Jitsu, offer both formats so students can develop a well-rounded game.

Positions and Hierarchy

BJJ revolves around a hierarchy of positions, each offering different levels of control and attacking options. Understanding positional hierarchy is fundamental to improving in Jiu-Jitsu:

• Mount - Sitting on top of your opponent's torso. One of the two most dominant positions, giving you access to strikes and submissions while severely limiting your opponent's movement.
• Back Control - Controlling your opponent from behind with your legs hooked around their hips. This is widely considered the single most dominant position because your opponent cannot see your attacks.
• Side Control - Pinning your opponent from the side with your chest across theirs. A strong controlling position with many submission and transition options.
• Guard - A unique BJJ position where the bottom player uses their legs to control, attack, and sweep the top player. The guard is what makes Jiu-Jitsu fundamentally different from wrestling.

The goal in BJJ is either to advance to a dominant position and finish with a submission, or to use your guard to attack from the bottom. This positional chess is what makes Jiu-Jitsu endlessly deep and intellectually engaging.

The Belt Ranking System

BJJ uses a belt ranking system to track a student's progress. For adults, the belts progress through White, Blue, Purple, Brown, and Black. Each belt represents a significant milestone in skill, knowledge, and mat time. Most practitioners spend 10 to 15 years earning their black belt, making it one of the most difficult black belts to achieve in any martial art.

At Current Jiu Jitsu, our head professor Toma Dragicevic holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt under 8x World Champion Robson Moura. This direct lineage ensures that our students learn authentic, competition-tested Jiu-Jitsu from day one.

Submissions: How Fights End

In Jiu-Jitsu, the ultimate goal is to force your opponent to "tap out" by applying a submission. Submissions fall into two main categories:

• Chokes - Techniques that restrict blood flow to the brain (like the triangle choke or rear naked choke), causing your opponent to submit or lose consciousness safely.
• Joint Locks - Techniques that hyper-extend or rotate a joint beyond its natural range of motion (like the armbar or kimura), forcing a tap to prevent injury.

The "tap" is a fundamental part of BJJ culture. When caught in a submission, you tap your partner's body, the mat, or verbally say "tap" to signal you are done. Your partner immediately releases. This mutual respect is what allows practitioners to train at full intensity while staying safe.

Why People Train BJJ

People come to Jiu-Jitsu for many reasons, and most discover that the benefits go far beyond what they expected:

• Self-Defense - BJJ is widely regarded as one of the most effective martial arts for real-world self-defense, especially because most confrontations end up on the ground.
• Physical Fitness - Training develops full-body strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and body awareness in ways that a gym workout simply cannot replicate.
• Mental Resilience - BJJ is often called "human chess." The problem-solving, patience, and composure under pressure that the mat demands carry directly into everyday life.
• Community - The bonds formed through training together are unlike any other sport. Your training partners become close friends and a second family.
• Competition - For those who want to test themselves, BJJ has a thriving competition scene with organizations like the IBJJF, ADCC, and NAGA hosting events at every level.

What to Expect at Your First Class

If you are curious about trying BJJ, check out our detailed guide on what to expect at your first class. The short version: wear comfortable athletic clothing, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and bring an open mind. No experience is required. Every black belt started as a complete beginner. At Current Jiu Jitsu, we offer a free 1-week trial so you can experience our programs with zero commitment.

Open Mat and Continued Learning

Beyond structured classes, many academies offer open mat sessions where students can train freely, drill techniques, and roll with different partners. Open mat is one of the best ways to accelerate your development and build camaraderie with your training partners.