Do you want to learn Jiu-Jitsu? Do you keep on checking to know whether any style exists other than Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?
Well, we are happy to tell you there is another modern style of training that exists with the name Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). There are many similarities between these two Jiu-Jitsu styles, yet both are distinct from one another.
In this article, we will explain these two Jiu-Jitsu Jitsu styles in detail by exploring the distinctions that prevail between them.
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)?
BJJ is one of the kinds of martial arts that revolves around grappling, ground fighting, stamina-efficient techniques, and compliance grip. Jiu-Jitsu emerged in Brazil, where many people memorized Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and felt they needed to modify its standards for themselves. So, as a result, BJJ is formed.
Jiu-Jitsu’s primary objective is to improve the warfare style of fresher and weaker combatants. It also helps them defend themselves in a fight against a more valuable and powerful opponent; if we talk about the old form B. Jiu-Jitsu, which is only concerned with the fragile man vetoing the gigantic man.
Nowadays, BJJ has thrived into the biggest combat sport in the contemporary world. It concentrates entirely on the game characteristic of it. The foundation of UFC in 1993 supported stabilizing the place of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a game-oriented martial skill.
What Type of Training Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ) Is?
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu unfolded itself from the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This style of Jiu-Jitsu is widely known as a distinct discipline that concentrated on self-defense instead of battling in sporting tournaments.
All combat techniques in GJJ are formulated with a purpose, and learners can use them for self-defense and real-world combatting strategies.
Moreover, techniques that are not in use in conventional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are mostly exercised in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. That is due to their usefulness in real-world battles. The moves in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu shift the emphasis from physical attributes to the extensive seizures that opponents perform on you to defend themselves.
Now that you have understood these two techniques. Let’s move ahead and discuss the differences between these two pieces of training.
Also read: What To Wear Under A BJJ Gi?
Origin of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Versus Origin of BJJ
Gracie and BJJ have two entirely different dates of origin; however, as we will see in the detailed comparison below that at the core, they follow more or less the same fundamental principles.
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
If we talk about the traditional Jiu-Jitsu martial arts, its roots go back to 780 AD – 1200AD. However, by 1300, it started being used by samurai to protect themselves from armored and armed competitors on the battleground if they failed their primary weapons.
In the 17th century, during the Edo period, hand-to-hand fighting strategies like jujutsu thrived in popularity. At that time, these wrestling arts commenced being recognized altogether as jujutsu.
However, in the 1800s, a practitioner of jujutsu called Jigoro Kano amended the art. Also, it laid the emphasis more on the submissions and throws. He named the modern art Kodokan Judo and started teaching it at Tokyo’s Kodokan Institute, where the birth of contemporary judo took place.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The story of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu started up after the creation of judo. Some judo specialists started to explore the world. Mitsuyo Maeda, who mastered judo and boxing, journeyed around the nation in the 1910s-1920s. He demanded experts of other warfare arts at civil carnivals.
During his journey, Maeda crossed paths with Conde Koma, after which he may have taught him. After that, Maeda furthermore educated others in Brazil, more importantly, Carlos. After training, Carlos and his brother Hélio modified what they understood and began working in groundwork methods. In the mid-1920s, Carlos then inaugurated a gym and thus led to the birth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Finally, BJJ entered the world phase after the first UFC in 1993. Also, nowadays, BJJ has become a foundational martial art operated by MMAs and gained a lot of popularity around the globe.
The Goal of GJJ Versus BJJ
The chief goal of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the development of learners for street fights. That is why it is known as a method of self-preservation in street fights. Its focus is on teaching the students to utilize their physique to inhabit a prosperous life.
Also, it includes resisting toxic elements such as alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. Further, GJJ is not a combat style alone but offers a life path.
On the other hand, BJJ lays more emphasis on the development of the sporting element of Jiu-Jitsu. The learners started learning with the motive of protection. Instead, they comprehend more about wrestling with other skilled pupils. BJJ learners get an education to accept their opposition in a rule-based and structured recreational environment.
Nature of Opponents Targeted: GJJ Versus BJJ
The opponents taken as targets under GJJ are more powerful, bigger, and unskilled fellows from the public. Helio Gracie, chief of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, was a small man and formulated his strategies on the theory that the maximum of his opposition would be more active than him.
On the other hand, BJJ gives training to their learners to wrestle with other learners or other skilled boxers. BJJ asserted that competitors are ordinary people that have equal skill levels, with learners being motivated to wrestle with people having a related belt or somebody more trained.
Techniques of Fight: GJJ Versus BJJ
The GJJ strategies must embrace three principles are as follows:
- Techniques must be effective in energy.
- Employ impulsive movements.
- They must be favorable in everyday situations.
Although attaining efficiency in the use of energy is significant in every BJJ technique, the practice of acting as per natural actions is more prominent in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu so that any individual can easily acquire these skills.
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there are few methods that individuals of a specific age or size cannot perform, like flying armbars. These methods look stunning, but they are not adequate in the process of Gracie because they lack realism in every circumstance. So, these methods rely on biological traits, such as strength, speed, height, etc., which some folk may toil.
Generally, we could say that all GJJ methods are components of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but not every BJJ technique needs to be GJJ. Also, there are many unnecessary procedures still considered in Gracie’s technique.
Testing in Both the Games
Often people do not like testing schools, but Gracie Jiu-Jitsu expects testing to get done, whereas BJJ does not. If you get training at the regular School of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you will receive belts based entirely on commitment, performance in the tournament, and the school.
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu considers all these things, but it is required to do testing based on self-defense. This testing is further very effective in transferring from one school to another.
Also read: The BJJ Belt Ranking System
Belt System in Both the Games
The belt system in both games originated from the martial arts of Japan. They both observe a color system in which authorities awards the following belts:
- White Belt
- Brown Belt
- Black Belt
- Blue Belt
- Purple Belt
- Red Belt
Moreover, a tip procedure is another component of the belt system. It is a system in which when the performance of a student improves, within a specific belt, the authorities award stripes on their belt.
However, the system of awarding belts under Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is suspicious among BJJ students. It is because learners do not involve in any athletic sparring that leads to earning a blue belt.
Furthermore, the other reason is that this method concentrates only on preparing the learner with the capabilities they require to protect themselves in street fights, straight from the beginning of training.
The most important thing is that a student in Gracie will only earn a blue belt if they learned the thirty-six core strategies needed to uphold themselves in front of a more solid, bigger, and more powerful competitor. They must illustrate quick reflexes and try to respond based on instinct.
On the other hand, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the authorities award belts when learners demonstrate the system they can wrestle with a person of that category. For instance, a blue belt could only evolve into a purple belt when the person has demonstrated that they could relinquish the purple belt of another person. There exists less facility to the belt system of beginners as compared to GJJ.
The Cost Involved in Both the Sports
The first costs related to BJJ include gym fees, gi, and no-gi clothing. Plus, it involves a mouthguard. BJJ costs almost 175 dollars per month for jiu-jitsu classes, 80-160 dollars for gi, and 20 dollars for a mouthguard.
When you spend on these basics, you need to pay other expenses like optional gear, instructional, and competition fees.
If we talk about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, the cost ranges between 90 dollars to 200 dollars a month.
Yet, the cost of training relies on the academy, whether you like to acquire different martial arts that the academy may teach, and how many training sessions a week you want to attend. It also relies on the overhead costs of an academy. For example, an academy in New York will amount to more compared to the other in Arkansas.
For people who are striving to find which one is better, read the next section for clarity.
Also read: How To Start BJJ At 30?
Which Is Better, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Versus Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?
Given below are some distinct reasons somebody might consider while making the selection between the two.
Promising at Gaining a Victory in a Battle
Out of two warfare styles, people commonly want to recognize which kind will reap victory in a battle.
After considering its quality, GJJ focuses only on defeating street fights. Thus, it is good in situations of self-defense. However, if you want to win a competition, BJJ educates you to follow the codes of combat. It aims at getting the maximum points, and at last becoming a skilled competitor.
However, this does not mean GJJ can never be on top. Behind the creation of UFC, Gracies were there. Moreover, Royce Gracie earned the world champion title plus, no one can grapple him in martial arts.
Another decent example is Death Squad by John Danaher. He got to train under the supervision of Renzo Gracie. His followers are famous for their competent grappling techniques. Presently, his pupil Gordon Ryan won the title of the most excellent grappler out of the world.
If we glance back to history, we can conclude that the fighters who trained under the Gracie group or following the Gracie style became the finest grapplers of the world.
This also implies that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is not self-defense alone, but you can participate in championships to represent this technique at the national or international level. Through this, we can finally infer that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is more promising out of both.
Thoughts of Learners on BJJ
Some additional components exist which enable you to believe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is more promising than GJJ. The elements are as follows:
- Which training is more fun?
- Which training makes you healthy?
- Which training is more costly?
As per the thoughts of some learners who trained in BJJ and GJJ, BJJ is more fun. Some said that GJJ is very beneficial for health as it is slightly lenient on drugs, smoking, and alcohol.
If we talk about entertainment, then both these kinds of grappling are amazing to watch. Also, we have already discussed costs in the previous section of the article.
Also read: How Much Does A BJJ Gi Weight?
Final Thoughts
Both these martial arts come up with a prosperous history and an immense fraction of variety. The main differences between them are their varied origins, development processes, and the purpose they are designed.
BJJ and GJJ are stringent procedures of warfare and valuable. Your selection will depend on your characteristic of the martial art you would want to concentrate on. You can rely on both to uphold yourself in competition.
We hope that we briefly described both these arts that help with the issues you possessed about the topic concerned. Also, if you were glancing at the distinctions because you like to begin learning, we hope that your queries are resolved now.
