A modern martial arts discipline, with ancient roots. ... The word “jiu jitsu” derives from the Japanese “Jū” meaning “gentle” and “Jutsu” meaning “art”; ...TogglenavigationShop  Contact&DirectionsAboutUsOverviewWhatisJiu-JitsuInstructorsFAQsTestimonialsPhotoGallerySponsorsScheduleaSeminarVisitorInformationBecomeanAffiliateProgramsProgramsOverviewKidsClassesAdultClassesCompetitionClassesEJJONLINEScheduleNews&EventsEJJONLINEWhatisJiu-JitsuAmodernmartialartsdiscipline,withancientroots.Theword“jiujitsu”derivesfromtheJapanese“Jū”meaning“gentle”and“Jutsu”meaning“art”;essentially,jiujitsuisthe“gentleart”.BrazilianJiuJitsuisapredominantlyground-basedmartialart,usingtheprincipalsofleverage,angles,pressureandtiming,aswellasknowledgeofthehumananatomy,inordertoachieveanon-violentsubmissionofone’sopponent.Unlikeothermartialartsthatfocusonstrikesand/orkicks,jiujitsufocusesonclose-contact“grappling”holdsandtechniques,andtheapplicationofchokesandjoint-manipulations.HistoryTheBrazilianstyleofjiujitsuresultedfromtheimportofJapanesejiujitsuandjudototheSouthAmericancontinentintheearly1900s,anditstransformationintoanewmartialartstylebyacoregroupofBrazilianpioneers.BeforeitarrivedtotheshoresofBrazil,however,theoriginsofjiujitsuarebelievedtogobackthousandsofyears.Thereareseveraltheoriesconcerningitsveryfirstbeginnings,butmanyagreethatitcanatleastbetracedback4,000yearsago,toBuddhistmonksinIndia,whoneededtoprotectthemselvesduringtheirtravelswithoutinflictingharmontheirattackers.ItthenspreadtofeudalJapan,whereitdevelopedintoaneffectivehand-to-handcombatduringwar,beforetransitioningtobecomemoreofanartformandacompetitiveactivity.SomeevenargueformucholderoriginsthanIndia,datingbacktotheearliestformsof“grappling”,whichareimmortalizedonthewallsofancientGreekandEgyptianruins.Thenin1915,aworldfamousJapanesejudoka,MitsuyoMaeda,arrivedtoBrazil,wherehesoonbeganteachingandgivingdemonstrationsinjiujitsuandjudo,whichatthetimewerenotseenasseparatedisciplines.ThreeofMaeda’sfirststudentswentontobecomethefo