Rashguards like any other apparel used in Jiu Jitsu or Mixed Martial Arts will need to be washed after each use not just for your own safety and hygiene but for the safety and hygiene of your training partners as well. Here’s everything you need to know about how to wash a rashguard and keep it clean.
It’s not uncommon for your Rashguard to pick up some stains while training and luckily there is an easy method for getting them back to their former glory.
Rashguards are durable and tough but if you’re looking to maximize their longevity here are some tips to keep them in good shape for as long as possible.
Rashguards are a great addition to your Jiu Jitsu or MMA arsenal and keeping them clean and in good working order will make sure you get the most out of your gear.
Q: How often should I wash my Rashguard?
A: You should wash your Rashguard after each use.
Q: Do Rashguards shrink in the wash?
A: Yes, but to reduce this risk wash on cold and hang dry.
Q: What happens if you dry a Rashguard?
A: The heat from the drier can cause damage to your Rashguard over time and even cause it to shrink. Since they dry so quickly it’s best to hang dry your Rashguards.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
A Rash Guard is an athletic t-shirt usually made from nylon, spandex or polyester that gained popularity with surfers and other water sports enthusiasts for its ability to reduce the risk of skin irritation from sand, and protection against the sun’s rays.
Rash Guards started being used in Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts for their moisture wicking properties and skin protection from Gi burn and skin infections.
In Jiu Jitsu the Rash Guard is worn underneath the Gi or often on its own for No-Gi and comes in both short sleeve and long sleeve variants.
Now that we know a little more about what is a Rash Guard, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using one for Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.
1. Moisture Wicking
There’s nothing worse while grappling than the feeling of being too sweaty, or even worse, coming in contact with someone else’s sweat.
A good Rash Guard helps protect against both of these by not only absorbing and quickly drying your own sweat but blocking someone else’s.
2. Mat/Gi Burn
While grappling in the Gi it’s common for the more abrasive Gi material to rub against your skin and cause mildly painful abrasions that could potentially become infected, a Rash Guard can’t protect against every instance of Gi burn but it will overall lessen the amount you are exposed to.
In No-Gi the mat itself can often become the vector for an abrasive burn and a Rash Guard is perfect for prevention.
3. Muscle Compression
Compression attire has been used for a long time in athletics for their purported ability to increase blood flow to the muscles while engaging in physical activity.
This increased blood flow is thought to aid in both recovery and performance, and a well fitting Rash Guard not only performs as a tool for protection but also compression.
4. Hygiene
One of the inherent risks of skin to skin contact that occurs in grappling and MMA is the contraction of skin infections like ringworm and staph.
While best practice is always to only use fresh, clean gear, use antibacterial soap and to shower right after training, wearing a Rash Guard while training goes a long way to help protect against these infections as well.
What is a Rash Guard made of?
Rash Guards for Jiu Jitsu and MMA are typically made of Polyester, Spandex or Lycra or a mixture of those materials.
These materials allow for a tight compression fit but also stretch for full mobility so you won’t feel encumbered by wearing one.
They also normally have a multi paneled design and reinforced stitching to ensure they can withstand the rigors of hard training.
When am I allowed to wear a Rash Guard?
The majority gyms and academies in Jiu Jitsu and MMA will allow the use of a Rash Guard, but certain tournament organizers, most notably the IBJJF does not allow a Rash Guard for Male Gi competitors.
Always be sure to check the rules for whichever tournament you sign up for to make sure they allow Rash Guards under the Gi.
What’s the difference between a surfing Rash Guard and a Jiu Jitsu/MMA Rash Guard?
Most Jiu Jitsu and MMA Rash Guards are lighter weight and may not protect as much against the sun compared to surfing and water sports Rash Guards.
Many other design features are similar enough so that you can wear one of our Rash Guards to surf but you may not want to wear a heavier surfing Rash Guard to grapple, plus our grappling specific aesthetic designs are too cool to pass up.
Rash Guards not only offer protection from skin, aid in muscle compression, and help wick away sweat and moisture, but they can also help you make a bold aesthetic statement as a grappler.
At Flowhold we’ve wanted to connect our love for Jiu Jitsu and MMA with our love of Surf culture and Rash Guards are a perfect crossover item from those two worlds.
We’re proud to offer a wide range of different styles and designs while always staying true to the highest quality materials, so whether you’re into MMA, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Crossfit, Lifting, or even Surfing, we’ve got you covered.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
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As a Jiu Jitsu practitioner the one thing you may end up spending more time on than anything is doing your laundry.
Your Gi is gonna get gross after collecting blood, sweat, tears, and all kinds of microorganisms from an intense training session, and you need to wash it to keep you and your training partners safe.
So, what are the best practices? First let's talk more about why we should wash our Gi's after every use.
There are more risks while wearing a dirty Gi than being the smelly guy that no one wants to roll with, in fact your dirty Gi could be a health risk to yourself or your training partners.
Here are some of the common infections that can result from a dirty Gi and how to avoid them.
If you think you may have been infected by one of these, it's best to avoid training until the treatment is completed to lessen the risk of transmitting it to someone else.
1. Ringworm
Ringworm is an itchy circular skin rash caused by a fungal infection.
It’s common in situations where skin to skin contact is prevalent and thrives in moist environments, like sweaty mats.
Wearing a perfect Gi and belt and rolling on clean mats reduces the risk of transmission greatly.
If you notice a ring shaped rash on yourself there are many over the counter antifungal creams that’ll do the trick.
2. Staph
Staph infections are caused by a very common bacteria that is most commonly found on the skin or nose and most often becomes infected in cuts or abrasions on the skin.
The bacteria can spread through skin to skin contact, sharing towels, or by contact with an unwashed Gi.
It appears at first as a blister or pimple but can grow more serious if left untreated, and it may be best to seek medical treatment if you think you are infected as it can require antibiotics.
Along with keeping your Gi clean it’s extremely important that you shower after training with an antibacterial soap.
Don’t worry, if your Gi is tough enough to handle a nasty spider guard it’s just as able to withstand a washing machine.
So what do you do if your nice white Gi is starting to yellow and you can’t use bleach?
Some swear by adding a little oxiclean to their laundry load to keep those white Gis nice and bright, but one method that seems to work pretty well is what I call the bucket method.
While there’s no perfect way to keep your white Gi as good as new I’ve had success with this method over the years.
Maybe you’re traveling the world and dropping in on gyms to train, or maybe the repeated trips to the coin laundry are just getting annoying, there is another way to wash that’s a whole lot better than not washing.
This method will take a little bit more work than the washing machine but it works in a pinch.
Be mindful of your own health and the health of your training partners by showing up to class with a perfect Gi, and no matter what the legends say, ALWAYS WASH YOUR BELT TOO.
Check out our latest drop, a black jiu jitsu gi made of the finest material.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
In the past a common argument among combat sports enthusiasts and martial artists was whether grappling or striking was the superior style.
Now-a-days with the benefit of head to head testing in the octagon it’s clear that a merging of the styles is necessary to compete with the best of the best, and neglecting to train one or the other could prove disastrous for a fighter.
In this post I want to lay out the differences and similarities between two of the most common and effective arts in their respective styles as we try to discover how aspects from both styles became so essential in Mixed Martial Arts.
In order to properly contrast these martial arts for those who aren’t familiar with one or the other, I’ll give a quick primer on Jiu Jitsu vs Muay Thai below.
Jiu Jitsu or often commonly called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a submission grappling martial art and was founded by brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie in the 1920's.
They adapted Judo techniques in such a way that allows a smaller opponent to use leverage and the momentum of their opponent to gain a dominant position and ultimately submit them.
Jiu Jitsu players will often compete against one another in pure submission grappling matches under a variety of rulesets.
It really started to gain mainstream notoriety as an effective art in the early days of the UFC (which was founded by Rorion Gracie) when Royce Gracie was able to submit much larger opponents to the shock of audiences around the world.
Now a Jiu Jitsu gym can be found in nearly every US city and countless other countries to become a truly world wide phenomenon.
Muay Thai, also known as Thai Boxing, is a primarily striking martial art known for its use of clinches, elbows, knees, shins and fists in what is known as “the art of eight limbs”.
Founded in Thailand and tracing its origins as far back as the 16th century, this ancient and effective boxing style started to grow in prominence to western audiences more recently and is now practiced in many other countries.
Muay Thai is more commonly seen in practice in pure Muay Thai boxing matches but many UFC fighters such as Cowboy Cerrone and Jon Jones have adapted its techniques to great effect in the octagon as well.
Now that we know a little bit of background on each martial art let’s take a look at what they have in common.
To begin to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each art in their pure form compared to the other, here’s a quick breakdown.
Jiu Jitsu | Muay Thai |
Primarily Grappling | Primarily Striking |
Utilizes Takedowns or guard pulls to get the fight to the ground | Uses the clinch and distance management to keep the fight in striking distance |
Rarely trains striking defence | Rarely trains takedown defence |
Ends fights with submissions | Ends fights with knockouts |
Emphasis on closing distance to engage in a grapple | Emphasis on distance management to engage in strikes |
On its face it may seem that a striking art and a grappling art have almost nothing in common, but one thing that I think helps to explain their effectiveness in real combat sports is a similarity between the two, that is, sparring.
Both Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai feature the ability to test their various techniques against fully resisting opponents in a controlled setting.
This basically means that a practitioner of either art can be confident after many hours on the mats that their techniques will work in a real fight scenario, whether that be in a match or in self defence.
Any martial art that can be practiced at full speed against a resisting opponent will always have an edge over those that don’t.
This fact has been demonstrated again and again and can be seen in such places as the original Gracie Challenges (a precursor to the UFC) and countless other examples all over the internet.
So in a fight, Jiu Jitsu vs. Muay Thai, who wins? Admittedly the answer to this question will likely be disappointing to some because ultimately it depends entirely on the fighter.
Muay Thai has a distinct advantage while standing, but on the ground Jiu Jitsu dominates.
You can find plenty of examples of great grapplers being knocked out before ever managing to take the fight to the ground and conversely many high level strikers have been choked out while being unable to employ their skill set on the ground, and there are many videos on YouTube that show both scenarios.
So like many things in combat sports there’s no clear answer, there are just too many variables to make a blanket statement.
As stated in the opening of this article it's far less common today than in the early UFC to see purely one style fighters, most if not all are training some form of both grappling and striking as both are needed to keep up in today's MMA environment.
Maybe you came to this article not so much to find an answer to which art is “better” but are interested in training a martial art and are curious which might be best for you.
I think that answer comes down to several factors, if you’re more interested in striking in general then Muay Thai is for you, if you think grappling sounds like more fun then go find a Jiu Jitsu gym, and if you want some of both there are MMA gyms all over now to teach you a more complete system.
If you’re more interested finding a fun way to stay in shape and want to be able to train as long as possible, it's fair to say that both arts can offer great cardio workouts, but from what we now know about traumatic brain injuries and general longevity, it’s always going to be safer to not be repeatedly hit in the head and any style of boxing is going to carry more risk toward that end, so Jiu Jitsu may prove to be safer in the long run, but it is not without its own share of injury risk.
No combat sport is risk free so measure your level of comfort for risk and make your decision based on that.
Both arts are going to offer great environments for discipline, self improvement, camaraderie and ultimately developing a skill set that will be tested in such a way that you can feel confident that what you’re learning actually works in the real world.
Happy training!
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
What to Wear for Jiu Jitsu is a question that can be answered a few different ways.
Maybe it’s your first class and you don’t even have a uniform yet, or maybe you're a seasoned veteran on the mats looking for the best of the best gear. Either way, by the end of this article you’ll know exactly what to wear for Jiu Jitsu.
The obvious place to start is with what you should wear while actually training jiu jitsu, for either Gi or No-Gi classes.
Gi Class
We covered what the perfect gi is in a previous post so to keep it brief we’ll get straight to the point here, you’re gonna need a Gi for Gi class, and we’ve got you covered with our new Life/Death Gi.
Many gyms won’t require this next item but many practitioners prefer it not just for its moisture wicking capability but also for its protection against possible skin infections like ringworm and staph. We have them available in both short and long sleeve. Either will be fine to wear under the Gi but the long sleeve variant will add even more protection from Gi Burn.
Another added layer of protection from the above risks, but worn under the Gi pants as an under garment. Many companies make these compression pants and affordable options can be found easily at your local sporting goods store or on Amazon.
Something that should always be in your gym bag is a good pair of slides. It's a major Jiu Jitsu faux pas to walk barefoot from the locker room onto the mat tracking all the dirt and germs along with you, so grab a pair and make them a part of your daily gear.
While not a requirement for training Jiu Jitsu since we aren’t training with striking, accidents can happen, and for some of us hobbyists the last thing we need is to show up to work the day after training with a missing tooth. I’ve been wearing this particular brand for years now, but there are many different varieties out there to choose from.
This piece of gear isn’t nearly as widely used in Jiu Jitsu as it is in other grappling sports, but if you want to avoid cauliflower ear long term there’s really only one surefire way: wear headgear.
The most common headgear you’ll see used in sparring is of the softer variety, as opposed to the classic wrestling style headgear.
If you’re new to Jiu Jitsu you may have been wondering why a bunch of the guys you train with all sit around before class starts wrapping their fingers in athletic tape. The short answer is it reduces risk of injury to the finger joints such as after a nasty grip break, and can even help increase grip strength. Over the years I’ve asked a ton of people in the Jiu Jitsu community which tape they prefer, and let me tell you, people are passionate about their brands. In my experience, the most popular among my training partners is the Johnson & Johnson variety.
No-Gi Class
The No-Gi gear loadout is much more simplified and can vary based on what your gym requires. While some tournaments may let men compete shirtless, while training in the gym it's generally best to wear a rashguard, whether long sleeve or short sleeve is up to you.
No-Gi is generally practiced in a pair of pocketless shorts, and we’ve got you covered with our Fundamentals Shorts. They are manufactured from a premium 4-way stretch material, featuring a tailored 16” outseam, a double velcro closure system, internal drawstring to ensure tightness, and a pocketless design to prevent unwanted snags. Designed to fit like a favorite board short while still functioning like a fight short should and they’re IBJJF Approved.
For similar reasons as with training in the Gi, you may want to add a pair of these under your fight shorts.
Now that you know what to wear for Jiu Jitsu let’s get you kitted out with your off the mat look. We here at Flowhold have not only created high quality training gear but have also drawn from our love of surfing and jiu jitsu culture to create a line of merch we’re sure you’ll love.
Maybe you need a shirt to commemorate your favorite submission, or a hat to hint at your go to guard. All of our off the mat goods are made from high quality materials and feature sleek modern designs to suit your personal style, like the runaway favorite from our recent collection the Shoulda Tapped T-Shirt. Now that fall is here and winter is coming be sure to grab a classic Hoodie, and if you’re Christmas shopping for a Jiu Jitsu enthusiast we’ve got the perfect stocking stuffers, socks that they’ll actually want to wear, buttons for their jackets or gym bags, or even the perfect jiu jitsu bumper sticker.
Make sure to create an account with us so you’ll be the first to know about all future product drops, whether you’re training Gi or No-Gi, on the mats or off, we’ve got everything you need to wear for jiu jitsu.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
What makes the perfect Gi? In this article we will examine the following criteria: how the best materials, fits, colors, styles and designs all work together to make what we think is the perfect Gi.
To start you may be asking, where did the tradition of wearing a Gi come from and how did it make it all the way to Brazil? The answer to these questions takes us back to the late 19th century in Japan.
The standard uniform in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many other martial arts is called a Gi, it consists of three parts: a jacket (Uwagi), pants (Zubon), and a belt (Obi), which generally signifies rank. While the origins of the design of such uniforms stretches much farther back to the traditional Japanese Kimono and other similar garments, their use in martial arts in modern form doesn’t go back as far as you might think.
It wasn't until the late 19th century that the Gi in its current design was developed by Kano Jigoro, the founder of Judo, known as the Judogi. Kano wanted to design a garment that could stand up to his grappling style without needing constant repair– designing a uniform with heavy lapels and reinforced paneling. Early on it is likely that his students were simply given the design plans and instructed to make their own Judogi or commission a tailor. Once Judo started gaining in popularity the Judogi would soon become commercially available to keep up with demand.
Before Kano’s innovation it’s likely that many Japanese martial arts practitioners would have trained in regular clothes, like the traditional Kimono, but by the early 20th century the Gi had caught on as the standard design and was adopted by many other martial arts all over the world.
Its use in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is easily traced back to Mitsuyo Maeda bringing Judo and its uniform to Brazil in 1914 and going on to teach a young Carlos Gracie who–along with his brother Helio–would adapt Judo techniques and create Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Certain alterations were made to the Judogi for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu particularly, like tighter cuffs on the jacket and pants, and a shorter skirt, so there would be less material for an opponent to manipulate.
To non-Japanese speakers the term Kimono has become a popular colloquialism to refer to the jacket of the Gi, especially in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community, whereas the bottoms are generally just called pants.
Though the Gi has been adapted and changed over the years the attributes that have remained constant are its cotton weave material, heavy lapel, and reinforced paneling on the most often gripped areas.
The final element of the Gi is what holds it all together, the belt. Belts weren’t always a signifier of rank, in fact they were worn for only one purpose to start with, just to keep the Kimono closed. Let's go back to the late 19th century again and explore the origins of this martial arts tradition.
The now iconic colored belt ranking system used in most martial arts in modern times is also a fairly recent innovation. Contrary to popular myth the colored grading system doesn’t originate from a student starting with a white belt that is never washed that changes colors from the accumulation of sweat, grass, blood, or dirt as an outward symbol of the time one spent training. (Seriously though, wash your belts.)
In fact, this is yet another innovation of Judo founder Kano Jigoro.
Around the 1880’s Kano began dividing his students into one of two ranks based on experience level–white belt and black belt. The idea of a belt ranking system soon spread to other martial arts most famously in 1924 when the father of modern Karate Gichin Funakoshi awarded the first Karate black belts.
It wasn’t until the 1930’s, while living and teaching Judo in Paris, France, that Judo Master Kawaishi Mikonosuke devised a colored belt ranking system similar to the one we know today. This was likely a way to incentivize his students' continued training and improvement and give them something to strive for on their way to the black belt.
In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the colored ranking belt system is famously strict with the IBJJF requiring minimum ages and certain increments of time in between belts in order to formally recognize ranks. In fact the average time between belts is 2 years meaning that it takes an average of 8-10 years to reach the black belt level For adults the IBJJF requirements are as follows:
Now that we know a little bit more about where the Gi and its tradition comes from, we can start to examine what makes the perfect Gi.
The obvious place to start when choosing a Gi is knowing what it’s made of. A modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Kimono is typically made from cotton in one of 4 of the most common weaves, those being Single Weave, Double Weave, Gold Weave and Pearl Weave.
Weaves are measured in GSM or grams per square meter which roughly translates to the weight of the material. In order to know what makes the perfect Gi let’s take a closer look at those four weaves.
Single Weave is the most lightweight and typically least expensive of the modern weaves, the downside is jackets made from this material tend to be less durable.
The nature of this weave makes for a heavier and durable material but also one that can feel comparatively uncomfortable and restrict movement making this the least common weave, especially in a competition setting where weight and mobility are key.
For many practitioners, this fairly lightweight weave was the go-to for years but with its tendency to shrink, and with the popularization of other weaves it is not as commonly used as it once was.
Named for its unique weave pattern resembling a string of pearls, this lightweight and durable fabric has become the industry standard in Jiu Jitsu.
Now that we have a better idea of what materials are available for jackets let’s talk pants.
Pants typically come in two materials, either Cotton or Ripstop.
Long lasting, time tested and available in a variety of thicknesses.
A fairly modern innovation using a unique reinforced stitching to create a lightweight but durable material.
Now that we know a little more about what a Gi is made of let’s get you fitted with the right size.
Gi sizing has been more or less standardized into a system based on height and weight, but it’s important to check each brand’s sizing chart in case there is slight variation.
Here’s how our sizing breaks down.
Materials and size aren’t everything though, often choosing a Gi has even more to do with personal style and self expression. Throughout its history the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi in particular has been an outlet for both of these values, whether through the inclusion of Academy patches and logos, to the now numerous brands and sponsors seeking to add their own flair to the tradition. Just as with athletes' individual games and grappling styles, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a sport encourages individualism and uniqueness that many practitioners will choose to display in their choice of Gi.
Here at Flowhold we believe we’ve struck the perfect balance between form and function with our Jiu Jitsu Kimono, the Fundamentals Gi.
The Kimono itself is made from the lightweight and breathable premium quality 450 GSM Pearl Weave, combined with 10oz Cotton Pants and available in black as well, we believe we’ve created a Gi that not only will take whatever punishment you throw at it on the mats but also look damn good while doing it.
Okay, so now we understand a little history on the Gi, the materials used in the manufacturing, and some background in the development of the stylistic components, you might be wondering what about those undershirts a lot of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners are wearing these days? Those are generally referred to as rash guards and here’s what they do and where they come from.
Rash Guards are a lightweight, stretchy garment usually made from Lycra, Spandex or similar material, often worn under a Gi. They can come in either long sleeve or short sleeve and are often paired with a similar undergarment for the pants generally called Spats.
(Note that rash guards and spats are currently illegal to wear under the Gi during IBJJF Gi tournaments. Rash Guards are required for No-Gi and are worn with Shorts. Check here for all current IBJJF uniform restrictions.)
Rash guards originally come from surfing culture, named for their ability to reduce the risk of friction burns from surf board wax or sand. Because Surfing and BJJ have often been practiced by the same people it’s likely that the use of the rash guard simply jumped from one sport to another.
In BJJ the rash guard also lives up to its name by both reducing the risk of friction burns, and also the transmission of skin infections from grappling. These reasons along with their moisture wicking characteristics have made them a very popular addition to the traditional Gi uniform.
Like many developments in martial arts uniforms, rash guards began as fairly simple designs, often just solid colors. The designs have gradually become more and more elaborate over the years incorporating various styles and colors as yet another way for a BJJ player to express themselves.
What makes the perfect Gi? We’ve talked about history, philosophy, fashion and textile manufacturing in the pursuit of this one question and the key is finding the perfect balance between comfort, weight, durability and style.
So, what makes the perfect Gi? We do.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
Giving gifts is always a tedious task and you must walk a fine line between getting a person something they not only will enjoy but will actually use at some point. Too often people give mundane gifts to others without putting any thought into the personality or hobbies the gift receiver may have.
If that special someone in your life is an avid Jiu Jitsu athlete, the odds are that person spends a large part of their time and energy either training Jiu Jitsu or thinking about it. For this reason, it only makes sense to dive into the world of Jiu Jitsu accessories to find a gift that person will appreciate.
This article will include a list of the top 10 Ju jitsu gift ideas for the athlete in your life, in no particular order. Your budget for the gift may differ from others so the list will include items for under $50 as well as more expensive items if you really want to give that person a gift they won’t forget.
A New Gi
This is the obvious first thought when brainstorming a BJJ gift for someone. Not only is the Gi an integral part of the sport of Jiu Jitsu, but it is something that Jiu Jitsu athletes wear often, sometimes even every day.
Whether you are gifting for a ten-year Jiu Jitsu veteran or someone that is just starting out, a Gi is always a safe bet to give. Overtime Gi’s can become dirty or torn and part of the mental aspect of jiu jitsu is presenting yourself on the mats in the right manner.
For many of the gift ideas in this article, the old saying “feel good, perform good” holds some merit. A Jiu Jitsu athlete with old accessories and uniforms will likely not perform with the same confidence that they would if they had some new threads to rock on the mats.
The price range of a Gi can vary based on the quality and design of it. A simple Gi without exceptional quality can range anywhere from $70 to $90. A higher quality Gi with a more complex design and style can range anywhere from $160 to $250.
The Gi above is the Flowhold Life/Death Gi which will cost you $179.95 on the Flowhold website. This Gi is much higher quality and also has both interior and exterior designs that are sure to be the talk of the gym.
An interesting aspect of Jiu Jitsu is the wide range of teaching methods and philosophies employed by the countless different BJJ gyms throughout the world. For this reason, training in a new gym or attending a BJJ camp with new-to-you instructors can have wide ranging effects on your abilities.
The benefits of a BJJ camp or lesson from a new instructor is wide ranging and varies based on the individual's experience and skill level.
For example, a Jiu Jitsu athlete that has been participating in the sport for years may not go to a camp to learn the basic fundamentals but would still attend the camp to learn a nuance or aspect of their game they had not recognized or trained.
Jiu Jitsu, and martial arts as a whole, is all about continuously improving every time you train. For an experienced Jiu Jitsu athlete that feels they have hit a ceiling at their current gym, a BJJ camp or lessons can be the perfect way to kickstart a new era of progress in that athlete's career.
For a Jiu Jitsu athlete that is just starting out, a BJJ camp or lessons can be useful in the athlete’s ability to determine how they would like to approach and train BJJ. A novice Jiu Jitsu athlete could also utilize camps and lessons to train and perfect the basics of the sport.
The price of a BJJ camp or lesson varies greatly depending on the prestige of the camp and the location. Some camps can be thousands of dollars for a few days of training, while others, typically for beginners or kids, can be a few hundred dollars.
You are probably starting to realize that although Jiu Jitsu is a sport focused on controlling the mind and body of oneself, training in Jiu Jitsu involves a plethora of different gear and accessories. One of the best gifts you can give to the Jiu Jitsu athlete in your life is a gym bag.
If you are looking for a gift with a tight budget, then your mind probably went right to buying just a regular backpack or duffle bag and gifting it as a gym bag. Although any bag will obviously do the trick, it is likely that the person you are giving a gift already has a backpack for their gear.
Instead, you should think a little harder and dive a little deeper to get a gift that will surely leave them filled with appreciation and gratitude. A gym bag for a Jiu Jitsu athlete not only carries their equipment but can show the personality or gym affiliation of that athlete.
The price of a gym bag can vary greatly and typically depends on the size and quality of the bag. The quality of backpacks and duffle bags can vary and has a large impact on the life span and utility of the bag.
The first bag option you could buy is produced by Gold BJJ and is available on Amazon for $69.95. This bag not only can hold a large number of items but is made of high-quality materials. Another option is the bag made by Acosat and is available on Amazon for $19.99.
NFL fans like wearing NFL apparel. NBA fans like wearing NBA apparel. It should come to no surprise to you that BJJ athletes and fans love wearing Jiu Jitsu Apparel.
There are countless BJJ clothing brands and online stores so it can be tricky finding a brand and design that someone will not only enjoy but actually wear!
One of the hottest Jiu Jitsu apparel brands right now is Flowhold’s clothing collection. They have anything from flat brim hats to BJJ shorts and even a bumper sticker that says, “I voted for Helio'' which pays homage to the great Helio Gracie.
Check out Flowhold’s inventory and you are sure to find something that the Jiu Jitsu athlete will never want to take off.
One staple of a Jiu Jitsu athlete is they are usually always sore. Jiu Jitsu puts strain on almost every muscle of your body and rolling around a mat will give you a few bumps and bruises.
Instead of buying a gift aimed at improving their style you can gift a massage gun or foam roller to help improve their recovery and training. Depending on your budget there are a few routes to go down for this gift.
If money is tight, the foam roller can be a great gift for a BJJ athlete. Not only will this help the athlete roll out some of those knots in their legs or backs, but it will promote consistent recovery for the athlete. Foam rollers like the one here can be as inexpensive as $10.
If you have a larger budget to spend on the BJJ athlete in your life, a massage gun can greatly enhance the recovery of an athlete. Massage guns assist athletes in massaging various muscle groups to relieve soreness.
Although massage guns can get quite pricey for the top quality, they can go for as low as $35. The massage gun here sells for $36.75 on Amazon.
A great gift will either enhance the life experience of a person or lower the total costs that person will incur when doing something they enjoy. A little-known fact about BJJ is the hidden costs involved in competing, at any level.
Traveling is one of the largest expenses an avid Jiu Jitsu athlete will incur if they actively participate in tournaments. For this reason, gift cards can be a great gift to Jiu Jitsu athletes.
The gift card can accomplish a variety of goals including providing support for fuel costs, gift cards for various chain restaurants that are common in most places, or gift cards to entertainment or nightlife in the region the tournament is taking place.
Not only will a gift card provide financial support to the Jiu Jitsu athlete in your life, but it will show that you took the time to think about what can be useful to them and support their passion.
Some Jiu Jitsu participants will spend as much time in the gym as they can, and they still feel like it is not enough. Adversely, some Jiu Jitsu athletes wish they could be training more but are constrained by time, money, or other obligations.
A quick and easy solution to both these problems is giving the gift of a home mat. Jiu Jitsu is a sport where one individual competes against another individual and all you really need is a mat. By gifting a mat to a Jiu Jitsu athlete, you are allowing them the chance to train any time they want.
Home mats can vary greatly in price based on the size, quality, and goal of the mat. A very expensive home mat can include an entire renovation of a room and include mats on the bottom half of the walls. A more practical and financially responsible gift could simply be a single, portable mat.
Jiu Jitsu mats must be sturdy but provide some cushion for the falls and blows athletes take during competition. For this reason, the quality of material must stay fairly consistent across the different brands of mats.
At home mats that can be rolled up and stored start at about $150 and can go as high as over $1,000. Here is a mat listed on Amazon that sells for $149.99.
As we have previously discussed in the article, tournament fees and hidden costs of participating in Jiu Jitsu competitions can quickly add up. If you want to show the BJJ athlete in your life that you support their passion to the fullest you can pay for the fees to enter a tournament.
Even in high level professional BJJ competitions where athletes get paid to win, they must provide the fees to enter the tournament. Tournament fees will obviously vary based on skill level, venue, crowd size, or prize money.
For the typical BJJ athlete a tournament will cost about $100 to $150.
Much like private lessons, instructional DVDs or videos can be a gift that will provide continuous benefits. The one thing about instructional videos that makes them an excellent gift is that they can be instructed by someone that athletes may never have a chance to meet or train with.
In many cases, the best of the best has the knowledge and support to make an instructional video or DVD allowing the BJJ athlete in your life a chance to take tips and tricks from the greats.
Gordon Ryan is widely considered one of, if not the, greatest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete ever. He has created multiple videos to teach technique for new or experienced BJJ athletes. Some training DVDs can go for over $100 but can be worth it if it is taught by a master of the sport.
Rashguards are spandex shirts that BJJ athletes wear when training or competing to mitigate the skin to skin and skin to mat contact the athlete has. This not only aids in reducing the risk of infection such as ringworm, but also allows them a chance to show their style in the gym.
Rashguards are found nearly everywhere and can vary in price based on their brand, quality of materials, or even where the item is being shipped from. Because there are so many options when it comes to gifting Rashguards, you should look for a brand or design that fits the athlete.
Rashguards can come in both long sleeve and short sleeve, so it is wise to learn what your BJJ athlete prefers. Flowhold is a Jiu Jitsu accessory and apparel brand that is turning eyes in the gym for their quality materials and awesome designs.
Below are some of the Rashguards offered on Flowhold’s website.
About the Author
This article was written by Noah Oliver, Founder of Flow Hold.
You can learn more about him here.
In this article we are going to break down the art of jiu jitsu. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a submission grappling martial art and combat sport developed in the 1920’s by brothers Carlos and Helio Gracie. Carlos taught the Judo techniques he learned from Japanese Judoka Mitsuyo Maeda to his younger and smaller brother Helio, who adapted these techniques to work in spite of his size disadvantage. These innovations allowed a smaller and weaker person to use leverage and the weight distribution of their opponent against them to gain dominant positions on the ground and ultimately submit their opponent with joint locks or chokes.
The Gracies called their version of the art Gracie Jiu Jitsu and set out to prove it’s superiority, first by challenging students of other martial arts to matches known as the Gracie Challenges, and then ultimately with the formation of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship by Helio’s son Rorion Gracie, where Jiu Jitsu would cement itself as an indispensable weapon in any MMA fighter’s arsenal.
Whether you’re hearing about the art of Jiu Jitsu for the first time, just beginning your journey or a seasoned veteran, here’s everything to know in 2022.
So, you’ve been hearing a lot about Jiu Jitsu. Maybe you’re an avid UFC fan, a long time listener of Joe Rogan's podcast—where many BJJ legends make an appearance— or just happened to pass by a local gym and wanted to see what it’s all about. Here’s a crash course on the art of jiu jitsu to meet you wherever you're at.
Terminology
Rolling: Popular term used to describe sparring.
Sweep: To force your opponent to go from top position to bottom position.
Submission: To force your opponent to tap out by applying joint locks or chokes.
Takedown: From standing, force your opponent onto the ground and secure a dominant position.
Guard: Fighting from off the back, use your legs and arms to control, sweep and submit your opponent.
Pulling Guard: From standing, grip your opponent and pull them into your guard.
Passing Guard: To advance around or through the opponents guard and secure a dominant position.
Gi: The traditional uniform in Jiu Jitsu, consisting of a Kimono, Pants, and a belt.
No-Gi: A version of Jiu Jitsu where competitors typically wear shorts and a rash guard instead of the traditional Gi.
Coach: People of any belt level who are teaching or assisting teaching a Jiu Jitsu class.
Professor: A black belt who is teaching or assisting a Jiu Jitsu class.
Etiquette
While every academy will have its own rules and regulations here is a list of universals to keep in mind.
The Belt System
The ranking system in Jiu Jitsu differs from traditional martial arts in that the time needed to reach the next rank is often much longer than in other martial arts. This system adds legitimacy to the ranks and adds a true sense of accomplishment for reaching the next belt rank. Each Academy differs in how they progress students through the ranks, some electing to add white stripes on the black bar of the belt to track progress through the individual belts, and while the IBJJF requires minimum time spent at a belt in order for their next rank to be formally recognized there is no set standard for progression. Children who progress through the belts are eligible for their adult Blue Belt when they turn 16. Adults have a separate ranking system.
Children
Adult
How to Choose an Academy
Maybe the most overwhelming thing about starting out is knowing how to choose a gym to train in. The first question to ask yourself is what your goals are. Do you want to become a high level competitor? Then choose a gym that reliably churns out competitive talent. Are you just looking to get in shape and find a new hobby? Then choose a conveniently located gym whose gym culture and training style suits your personality the best.
Improvement
Like most activities, the best way to improve is to practice, but how you practice can make all the difference. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your training.
Keep a Journal.
Whether it be a note on your phone or a physical notebook, keep a log of your training sessions. Keep track of the positions you’re working on, or submissions you’re going for, and think of reasons for why they are or aren’t working. Keep notes on your sparring sessions for specific things to work on, and keep details of the technique taught in class to refer back to later for further study.
Drill
This is an aspect that many people skip over because they see it as tedious or boring, but drilling is a critical part of your development in Jiu Jitsu. So many sweeps, guard passes, submissions and takedowns are based on timing, and the more comfortable we are with our muscle memory the faster and more effective these techniques will become. Find a training partner you’re comfortable with and go back and forth working the various techniques you’re trying to improve, if you make this a consistent habit you will see improvement in sparring.
Spar Mindfully
It’s so easy especially as beginners for us to spar like our lives depend on it, to fight with everything we have just to survive. While survival, especially early on, is going to be a natural response, the best thing for us to do to see improvement is to spar with specific goals in mind.
The goals can be simple things like “just make it 30 seconds without getting tapped by the scrappy purple belt” or more complex things like “today I’m pulling De La Riva guard and working specifically on Berimbolo” either way we’ve set a goal for ourselves and can now track our improvement instead of just reacting.
Listen to Your Body
It’s really common, especially for people newer to the sport to overtrain. We are more susceptible to injury and burnout when our bodies are tired, sore or not getting the nutrients they need. Learn to listen to these signs and don’t be afraid to take a day off. It’s better to miss a class to rest up than to train tired and end up with an injury that takes you off the mats for weeks.
Have a Good Attitude
The people who improve the most are the people with the right attitude, period. Be realistic with your goals and with where you are. If you’re smaller and less experienced don’t expect to beat up the competitive blue belt, and if you’re older and work a full time job don’t be frustrated that you got tapped by the new guy who wrestled in college. The art of Jiu Jitsu is a really difficult but rewarding sport and the sooner you accept that you don’t know everything and that everyone in the gym regardless of rank can teach you something, the sooner you will see your skill level rise.
Affiliations
Jiu Jitsu practitioners are serious about their lineage, which in simple terms, is who promoted the person promoting them. These lineages trace back to several original sources and often feature different styles, philosophies, and histories, and then go on to form large organizations known as Affiliations. Here are the top ten Affiliations in Jiu Jitsu based on their 2021-2022 IBJJF tournament records.
Gracie Barra is one of the oldest and largest teams in Jiu Jitsu, boasting over 800 affiliated gyms. It was founded in 1986 by Carlos Gracie Jr. and has gone on to produce top athletes such as Roger Gracie.
Alliance was founded in 1993 by Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti and has gone on to produce many prominent competitors including 5x IBJJF World Champion and 4x ADCC World Champion Marcelo Garcia.
Though the roots of Grappling Fight Team stretch back much farther, they officially rebranded in 2007 and now has a network of over 250 teachers who have produced many top athletes such as IBJJF Gi and No-Gi champion Mayssa Bastos .
CheckMat was founded by the Vieira Brothers in 2008 and has expanded to 34 cities in the United States and become one of the top competition teams in the world. Their top athletes include 13x IBJJF World Champion and 2x ADCC Gold Medalist Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida.
New to the scene but making waves, Dream Art was founded with help of Alliance in 2018 by BJJ World Champion Isaque Bahiense with the goal of creating the infrastructure to support up and coming talent, not only in their pursuit of Jiu Jitsu but also with education and even medical support. They are now able to support over 40 athletes and are getting results with new World Champions and now the addition of top athlete Nicholas Meregali.
Founded in 2008 by Ramon Lemos and Andre Galvao, Atos has cemented itself as one of the premiere affiliations in the sport. With multiple world champions under its belt and currently bringing up some of the most exciting young competitors in the sport like Kade and Tye Ruotolo.
The Carlson Gracie Team is one of the most storied in the history of the art of Jiu Jitsu. Started by the legendary Carlson Gracie himself and producing singular talent like Ricardo De La Riva, the Carlson Gracie Team has remained a stable and dominant fixture in BJJ for decades and will surely continue that legacy for decades to come.
Nova Uniao has not only trained high level Jiu Jitsu talent but is also one of the top MMA training camps in the world. You may recognize among their ranks former Welterweight and Lightweight UFC Champion and Jiu Jitsu specialist BJ Penn.
An acronym for “Live Everyday to Achieve your Dreams” the Bruno Bastos-founded team has quickly risen to one of the most exciting new teams in Jiu Jitsu.
Rounding out the current top ten affiliations in Jiu Jitsu Cicero Costha Internacional. Founded by Cicero Costha and known for an extremely dedicated roster of athletes who would train all day and sleep on the mats, they have produced such talent as the Miyao brothers and Leandro Lo.
Competition
One of the most exciting aspects about the art of Jiu Jitsu for hobbyists and pros alike is the ability to compete at any age, weight or skill level. With the growing popularity of the sport worldwide there has never been more opportunity to enter a tournament and test your limits. This is what you’ll need to know to compete with success.
Age Brackets
Tournaments in Jiu Jitsu not only break down by gender, belt rank and weight class but also by age ranges as well. Below are the typical age brackets for sport Jiu Jitsu. Note that anyone who meets the minimum age requirement for a given bracket can compete there regardless of age. For instance, just because you turn 30 doesn’t mean you are no longer eligible for the Adult bracket, but you are now able to move up to Master 1 if you choose.
Rulesets and Scoring
In sport Jiu Jitsu there are many different rulesets, here is a breakdown of the three most popular and commonly used rulesets and scoring systems.
IBJJF
The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation was founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. and is one of the longest running and most prestigious tournament organizers in the sport. They use the CBJJ ruleset (Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu) which has become one of the most commonly used in sport Jiu Jitsu.
Scoring
For a detailed breakdown of legal and illegal techniques refer to the IBJJF website here.
ADCC
The Abu Dhabi Combat Club was founded in 1998 by Sheik Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and has become the premier submission grappling event of the year featuring many Jiu Jitsu specialists along with practitioners of other submission grappling arts. The ruleset differs substantially from most
particularly with no positive points being awarded until the first half (5 minutes) of the match is up, and giving a negative 1 point penalty for pulling guard. These changes incentivize a more aggressive and submission hunting style.
Scoring (after the first half of the match)
For a detailed breakdown of legal and illegal techniques refer to the ADCC website here.
EBI
In 2014, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu founder Eddie Bravo created the Eddie Bravo Invitational, a No-Gi submission-only tournament that doesn’t have a traditional scoring system and adds a unique overtime rule. If there is no submission within the 10 minute time limit then the referee will choose an athlete based on their match performance who will be given the choice between Offense and Defense. That athlete will then choose to attack or defend from full back mount or spiderweb armbar position, whoever achieves a submission or the fastest submissions wins. If both athletes are able to escape then the fastest escape wins.
Although EBI tournaments are not currently active this submission favoring rule set has become popular for No-Gi tournaments and superfights.
The art of Jiu Jitsu is not only a fascinating sport, and martial art but a mental practice that can help improve various aspects of our lives. Not only are we gaining confidence, getting in shape, and learning a new skill, we’re ultimately building a diverse community of like minded people focused on the shared goal of self improvement. That alone makes all the blood, sweat, and tears worth it.
Welcome to the family, see you on the mats.
About the Author
This article was written by Taylor Alexander, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt.
You can learn more about him here.
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Throughout the past 20 years many people have been introduced to the beautiful yet brutal world of combat sports. Traditionally boxing has been the giant in combat sports.
From the Rumble in the Jungle between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali to the legendary Mike Tyson boxing has captivated the eyes of millions of people since the invention of the television.
More recently, however, there is a new giant in the world of combat sports. Mixed martial arts has been on the rise as the new epitome of combat sports. The UFC has been a major component in its rise to popularity.
Celebrities and everyday people alike have been captivated by the skill of MMA fighters and the suddenness of the sport. MMA fighters are now considered elite athletes with massive followings, but this has not always been the case.
This article will trace the routes of mixed martial arts and specifically explore Judo vs Jiu Jitsu. It will explore their storied history, rules and basic concepts of the sports, and a comparison of the two.
First, let's look at some of the factors that led to the massive explosion of combat sports.
You cannot talk about the increasing popularity of combat sports without talking about the UFC. The Ultimate Fighting Championship based out of Las Vegas; Nevada is the largest MMA promotion company the world has ever seen.
The UFC’s magic lies in its fighters. Fighters from all training background and all countries unite under the UFC with one thing in common, they are the best fighters in the world.
Not only has the UFC showcased MMA as an exciting and rewarding sport, but it also opened doors for massive viewership and sports betting opportunities.
Another reason for the rise in combat sports is the universality of combat sports. Combat sports hold a storied history in almost any country you can go to. Unlike a sport like football, which is only played professionally in the United States, MMA can be understood and enjoyed by anyone anywhere.
The increasing popularity of combat sports has opened doors for jiu jitsu, judo, and other martial artists to gain fame and wealth from participating. This is inspiring young generations of fighters to pursue their dreams with big goals in mind.
Lastly, but arguably one of the most important reasons, is the rise of elite female fighters. Female and male fighters both participate in the UFC and other promotion companies.
Judo is a dynamic combat sport that utilizes both physical and mental awareness and capability. The takenouchi-ryu martial art system was founded in Japan in 1532. This is considered to be the beginning of Japan’s jiu jitsu forms.
Japan’s history of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat sports is storied and largely originates from the training of Japanese soldiers and samurais for hundreds of years. Judo in modern terms derives from Japan’s jiu jitsu forms and was founded by Kano Jigoro Shihan. In 1964 judo became an Olympic sport.
Kano Jigoro Shihan developed judo as a method of teaching martial arts without the risk of badly injuring or killing your opponent, although many of the techniques were originally designed to do so.
Judo was designed so that students could practice and apply these fighting techniques safely. To do this judo does not involve kicking, punching, or striking of any kind, does not put pressure on joints to throw an opponent, and involves no equipment or weapons.
The basics of judo involve two individuals who use the forces of balance, power, and movement to subdue their opponent. From a standing position, this will involve techniques that allow you to move and throw opponents onto their backs.
On the ground, judo involves techniques such as various chokeholds, submissions, and joint locks in an attempt to pin your opponent to the ground and control them.
Although Judo and the basic rules of it seem simple, that is where the complexity lies. Mastery of the most basic judo techniques is often a process that takes a huge amount of time and commitment including training of both the mind and the body.
Judo is designed as a combat sport that is safe to practice and compete in. The word judo is derived from the Japanese language. The first Japanese character ‘ju’ stands for “gentle”, the second Japanese character in the word ‘do’ stands for “the way”.
By this you can infer that judo stands for the way of gentleness, although that description can be deceiving. Judo is a highly physically demanding sport to participate in.
Judo utilizes an individual's agility, speed, flexibility, strength, and balance and continuous judo training will allow a person to strengthen these attributes. In terms of mental workload, judo trains individuals to improve their reaction time, coordination, and overall self-confidence.
Judo students must rigorously train their mind and body in unison to produce the skills they desire. The ability to master any skill is one that is important for success in many different walks of life. Judo pushes its students to strive for mastery as well as to constantly improve their basic skills throughout their judo career.
Another important aspect to note about judo is the use of a uniform or judogi in competition. Individuals competing against each other in judo will grip the opponents uniform in order to gain the leverage needed to control, adjust, or takedown an opponent.
Some typical rules of judo include:
Jiu jitsu originates from Japan and was developed for use on the field of battle by Japanese samurai, but its most famous roots lie in South America. In the early 1900s Japanese diplomat Mitsuyo Maeda began disseminating the martial art in South America and created what is now known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ.
Although Mitsuyo Maeda is credited with bringing the martial art form to South America, the Brazilian Gracie family brought what is now considered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu into prominence. When Mitsuyo Maeda traveled to Brazil as part of a Japanese immigration colony in 1914, he met a prominent businessman in Brazil.
This businessman was Gastao Gracie who helped Maeda establish himself in the new colony. In return, Maeda offered to teach Japanese jiu-jitsu to Carlos Gracie, Gastoa’s eldest son. Carlos eventually passed his knowledge of Japanese jiu-jitsu to his brothers.
The youngest of the infamous Gracie brothers was Helio Gracie who was defined for much of his early life as a weak and frail child. After moving in with his brother Carlos, Helio watched his brother’s teachings and at 16 Helio began teaching and training in jiu jitsu.
Helio, however, struggled to find the physical prowess to overpower his opponents, so he developed a new version of jiu jitsu that accommodated his weak body and focused on using leverage and timing over strength and speed.
This version of jiu jitsu is taught in most BJJ gyms and has gained traction as the most important fighting style to learn to compete in mixed martial arts at a high level.
The Gracie family holds such prominence in mixed martial arts that Helio’s son, Rorion Gracie, went on to create the UFC to identify the best martial art style for real hand to hand combat. Royce Gracie, Rorion’s younger brother, won the first ever UFC event in 1993.
Much like judo, jiu jitsu is a grappling-based martial art with the goal of controlling an opponent in a manner that forces submission. Control is generally easier to accomplish on the ground rather than standing, so much of the techniques in BJJ are centered around the art of taking an opponent to the ground.
Once an opponent is to the ground, BJJ fighters will look to accomplish dominant positions where the opponent is rendered harmless. The main theme of the sport, derived from the great Helio Gracie, is to overcome an opponent of greater size, aggression, and strength with lesser size and strength but greater technique.
Jiu jitsu has widely been considered a physical chess match because opponents continuously strive to maintain a dominant position while preventing their opponent from doing the same. This involves a depth of knowledge on weight control and how to respond to various positions from an opponent.
Some common rules in BJJ competitions are:
The main difference between judo and jiu jitsu is not found in their origins but in their evolution. Judo was created in Japan as a means of teaching martial arts to students without the risk of serious injury. Modern jiu jitsu, however, was created by the Gracie family to improve the fighting capability of martial artists.
Judo focuses mainly on takedowns and throws from a standing position. Although one aspect of judo is focused on ground techniques, termed na waza in Japanese, jiu jitsu’s main focus is to utilize takedowns to control an opponent on the ground.
The competitive aspect of both martial arts also varies greatly. Judo competitions are standardized across the world by the International Judo Federation. Jiu jitsu can have differing rules from tournament to tournament based on the organization promoting the competitions.
For example, some BJJ competitions are submission-only, and some have different weight classes. The goal of a judo bout is to score a point (ippon) or two half points (waza-aris) to win. In jiu jitsu a competitor can win by points or a submission which awards the submitting fighter an instant win.
Another key difference between judo and jiu jitsu outside of the competitive aspect is the rules for belt progression. Judo and BJJ do have similarities when it come to addressing progression in the martial art, the differences occur in the color and progression of higher ranked belts.
Both martial art forms are derived from traditional Japanese martial arts that were utilized for hundreds of years in battle. Judo’s focus throughout its evolution has been to highlight the mental and physical prowess needed to master certain skills and techniques.
Jiu jitsu focused on proving that a smaller and weaker opponent could win in hand-to-hand combat against someone bigger by utilizing the proper weight distribution, timing, and techniques needed to control an opponent.
Judo derives from the full form martial art jiu jitsu, but both martial arts emphasize throwing or taking an opponent to the ground and fighting for control. Both martial art forms have techniques for both standing combat and ground combat.
Although it is more common to see beginner fighters train BJJ or jump right into full mixed martial arts training, many of the techniques utilized in both judo and jiu jitsu are shared across the sports. Competitors borrow aspects of each other’s strengths to aid them in their own competitions.
Both judo and jiu jitsu utilize a gi as a competition uniform. Judo has much stricter specifications for what is allowed in a tournament than BJJ because judo techniques utilize hand holds on an opponent's gi.
For this reason, the size, length and thickness on a Judo uniform, also known as a Judogi, must be uniform to provide both fighters with an equal throwing capability.
Overall, diving into the world of martial arts in any capacity will only help in strengthening an individual's body and mind. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s popularity has been on the rise with the explosion of professional MMA competitions leading to a plethora of jiu jitsu gyms all across the country and world.
Jiu jitsu is widely considered to be the best martial art form to begin training if you have aspirations of fighting in mixed martial arts. If you are not looking for competitions and are just looking to improve as a person, judo offers a martial art form with less risk of serious injury but the same level of physical demand.
As more celebrities, wealthy CEOs, and normal people alike begin discovering their potential through mixed martial arts and are discovering the differences and similarities of Judo vs Jiu Jitsu, the only question for you remains, “What are you waiting for?”
About the Author
This article was written by Noah Oliver, Founder of Flow Hold.
You can learn more about him here.
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