FIGHTING STYLES

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) exploded in popularity in the early 1990s when Royce Gracie used it to win three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Fighters and fans alike were impressed by the way Gracie defeated larger opponents at a time when weight categories didn’t exist.

As a grappling art, BJJ is similar to judo but with the emphasis on joint locks and chokeholds rather than throws. It works well for self-defence and is an essential skill for mixed martial arts (MMA), but there’s also a competition circuit where striking isn’t allowed and points are scored for gaining positions that would be advantageous in a “real” fight. You can win at any time during these bouts by using a submission hold to make your opponent “tap”.

ROLLING HARD

Thanks to the lack of striking, sparring in