What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

A match begins with both athletes standing. A takedown brings an opponent to the mat; an athlete can also deliberately sit or lie down into guard, using the legs to control the opponent from below.Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review [1]·IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]

On the ground, the top athlete may try to pass the opponent’s legs and establish control. The athlete below may defend, come up on top, stand up, or attack a submission.Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review [1]·IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]

Under IBJJF rules, a submission can end the match immediately. If time runs out, points and the rules for tied scores determine the result. Stoppage and disqualification are also possible outcomes.Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review [1]·IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]

A position describes where the athletes are in relation to each other. In side control, one athlete holds the other from the side; in mount, the top athlete straddles the opponent’s torso. A submission is an attack intended to end the exchange, such as a choke or joint lock.Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review [1]·IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]

Rules translate some positions into points and define how a submission can decide the match. The exact scoring and legal techniques depend on the organizer and division.Physical and Physiological Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: a Systematic Review [1]·IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]

Start with What is the guard? to understand how an athlete can attack from underneath, then use BJJ positions explained for the wider map.

The International Judo Federation’s history describes Jigoro Kano as synthesizing older jujutsu traditions, naming judo, and opening the Kodokan in 1882.Judo History and Culture [3]

Early accounts used “judo” and “jiu-jitsu” in ways that do not always match today’s labels. Following the teachers and schools helps explain how Japanese practice became part of BJJ’s history.Primórdios do jiu-jitsu e dos confrontos intermodalidades no Brasil: contestando uma memória consolidada [4]·Modernization, Nationalism and the Elite: The Genesis of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1905-1920 [5]·Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934-1943 [6]

For a focused comparison, continue to BJJ vs judo.

Jiu-jitsu was practiced in Rio de Janeiro in 1908, before Mitsuyo Maeda’s arrival in Brazil. Historians Lise and Capraro document that earlier activity through contemporary newspapers.Primórdios do jiu-jitsu e dos confrontos intermodalidades no Brasil: contestando uma memória consolidada [4]

Cairus’s research places Carlos Gracie’s early instruction with both Maeda and Maeda’s senior student Jacyntho Ferro. His later work analyzes how the Gracies helped transform Japanese-derived practice into a Brazilian combat sport in the 1930s and 1940s.Primórdios do jiu-jitsu e dos confrontos intermodalidades no Brasil: contestando uma memória consolidada [4]·Modernization, Nationalism and the Elite: The Genesis of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1905-1920 [5]·Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934-1943 [6]

The Gracies’ contribution sits within that wider history of teachers, schools, and contests. Read Who invented BJJ? for the people and roles behind the origin story.Primórdios do jiu-jitsu e dos confrontos intermodalidades no Brasil: contestando uma memória consolidada [4]·Modernization, Nationalism and the Elite: The Genesis of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1905-1920 [5]·Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934-1943 [6]

IBJJF publishes separate uniform requirements for gi and no-gi competition. The gi creates legal clothing grips under its rules; the no-gi format uses fitted garments and different grip constraints.IBJJF Rule Book (v6.0) [2]·IBJJF Uniform Requirements [7]

Compare the clothing, grips, and rules in Gi vs no-gi BJJ.

Planning to try a class? Read BJJ for beginners for clothing, common terms, and the stop signal. If you are watching a match, start with BJJ positions explained.