Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position then using joint locks and/or chockholds to force an opponent to submit or be knocked out depending on what submission method is used. The art was based on early 20th Kodokan Judo which was itself then a recently-developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments (Gi and No-Gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') live drilling play major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.
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Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was formerly introduced to Hawaii by Relson Gracie, 8th Degree Red/Black Belt and son of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu innovator Professor Helio Gracie. Although Relson was not the first Gracie to come to Hawaii, he was the first to settle and start a school. A Brazilian named Carlos "Cao" Valente arrived on the island of Kauai in 1980 and then moved to Oahu in 1983. Carlos invitued Relson to Hawaii in 1986 to put on a seminar and give some private instructional classes. More...
The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Combat in English), a Japanese expert judoka and member of the Kodokan. Maeda was one of five Kodokan's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighrters and various other martial artist before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914. More....