Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 101: The History

If you're going to learn the chokes, you need to know the history. Produced in collaboration with Art of Manliness, this is the first of a three-part video series on Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. From the early Helio Gracie technical modifications, to the Gracie Garage challenge matches, this condensed history lesson breaks it all down in perfect "Renergy" fashion!
Parts 2 and 3 coming soon!
Learn Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or find a school at: www.GracieUniversity.com
Learn more manliness at: www.ArtofManliness.com

[@ChessNetwork]

Great video! I especially enjoyed seeing the older video clips and photos. What a perfect representative Royce was for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to get kicked off. I can recall viewing one of those early UFC's and watching Royce (thinking his name was pronounced with an "R" at the time :) ), and pre-deciding who would win based on size alone. By the end of the fight, myself and I imagine much of the world had to reassess our thinking. :)

[@jeffreyschutte4477]

Wonderful video and lesson! Much appreciation and respect.

[@Linux4UnMe]

I wish there was some schools down here that focused on Jiu-Jitsu street self defence. Sadly it is all competition Jiu-Jitsu.

[@mwolfman321]

You know what you learn in competition Jiu-Jitsu will be applicable in "street" self defense as well. The fundamentals would basically be the same with just different methods of using your skills. Better than nothing if you want to learn it.

[@77jiujitsu]

Man, I totally understand how you feel and that make the 2 of us

[@OrganicGonzalez]

I'm with u bro, I came from a hole in the wall MMA facility and I'm glad I did because it's not a big deal getting a knee or elbow to the face when I'm rolling, my BJJ academy is all sport bjj.

[@mariojuana]

Excited about this series

[@noahnguyen3317]

Aye its mario juana!

[@badoocee1967]

Great Representation. Much Respect.

[@MegaDaniboy1989]

beautiful!

[@UncleVictor]

Nice!

[@yongjiean9980]

What about Fadda Jiujitsu by the late Oswaldo Fadda known for specialiation in their leg locks? Gracie Jiujitsu is a style of Jiujitsu developed in Brazil.

[@KGMAC]

Gracie Jiu Jitsu is changing my life thank you, I train at LAGJJ I wish i could make the upcoming event

[@EspinozaGuillermo]

Mr. Gracie, it would be very good if you opened an academy in Costa Rica Central America. I have learned a lot in your videos thanks pura vida. We hope you come to Costa Rica one day.

[@PainTensei551]

Thanks for sharing ;)

[@Charlesb1]

Respect

[@mwolfman321]

I think BJJ is definitely a solid art to learn by itself or in addition to other styles for sure. Growing up, I always ended up using grappling submission's when ever in a fight mostly because the few fights I had were punches were used, I always felt bad for the guy that ended up bloody or swollen eye, broken nose etc. I was also always the guy to try to calm down the aggressor even if it was some random person or one of my friends rather than to instigate fighting which was usually for some dumb reason anyway. You do however get the "Tough Guys/Wannabee's" who work out and obviously in shape who just want to prove something to themself or want others to view them as Superior. Those types are already dead set on fighting, so sometimes it's unavoidable but generally I would ask those types "If you want to fight so dam bad, then why don't you go fight Professional and make some money against someone else who likes to do the same thing and prepared just as physically/mentally you are? Why go out to pick a fight with some out of shape slub or a drunk at the bar, since that's were a lot end up happening with alcohol especially. Amazingly enough it has worked quite a bit to calm down the aggressor and avoid a friend or other party in the exchange from engaging. After all IF it's not a controlled setting, you just usually end up in jail and have to pay money for fines/bail to keep it off your record or end up losing your job because of time missed etc, To me unless it's self defense or competition then why go through the trouble to fight for no reason(the guys that are out to pick a fight that is)especially when these days more and more are carrying a firearm or other lethal weapon, looking for a reason to use it. Hell some will use a gun just to avoid a fight (Scare Tactic) when the other has no weapon, which is crazy these days. It seems that Gracie JJ tends to train and advocate the same kind of strategy I've always believed in. Funny I'm just learning that now in my mid 30's what the Gracies advocate with the Art. Oh well guess I could always start to learn some advanced techniques I don't know and broaden my play book of options and submissions LOL

[@ColdBoyBlue54321]

Bahamas flag at 5:12 !! Yellow,Black and Blue !! Where I'm from !!

[@artnos]

but rener your father wasnt the first to come to america, no? wasnt it clark gracie's dad that came first?

[@edgarbiii4661]

Carley

[@iraqbeentheredonthat]

GJJ for life

[@harliiquinnstarlight]

Amen

[@solmarierivera3891]

👍🏼

[@jaket5854]

There should be a movie about Helio Gracie and his brother Carlos..

[@nishadjoshi425]

I'm dying to learn this martial art I don't like to learn through the videos does anyone knows any training center in India especially Mumbai?

[@x78340]

hope u didn't die bro

[@tonysoza8665]

Wouldn't jiu jitsu be considered more dangerous in the eyes of the law? Cause if you learned to box or kickbox and you beat up the guy you can say you were defending your self cause all fights start standing and if he hits you you can hit back in self defense, right? But if you take him down then break his arm or choke him out won't that be considered attempted murder?

[@tonysoza8665]

***** thanks for your input. I guess I never thought of just controlling him till he tires out

[@tonysoza8665]

***** lol ya that's what I was thinking

[@johnboyu]

Mayhem laws apply

[@cuzz63]

Breaking an arm wouldnt be considered attempted murder. Chokes/strangulations on the other hand can be considered deadly force. If I was on trial for choking someone I would just demonstrate in court on a willing person and show that its not deadly.

[@texasblue9206]

it depends on the totality of the circumstances. If your attacker is trying to assault you, and doesn’t stop trying to assault you, you have the right to defend yourself from the attack using BJJ just don’t choke the guy to death unless the person is trying to kill you…

[@eastpolyglotlife1107]

What about sakuraba ?

[@MyZ001]

what does that have to do with the content of this video?

[@eastpolyglotlife1107]

@@MyZ001 its important because that's the part of the Gracie BJJ history

[@JEFFMAN90]

​@@eastpolyglotlife1107 No its not. Only gracie haters like yourself care about that dude

[@claudinnhodo70rosa45]

you are is campean de rio de janeiro sou daqui

[@netovilanova6529]

Open a Gracie academy in Ireland EU.. the country is growing up so fast and they love BJJ

[@OldManDave1960]

Why does he pronounce it “Henner” when it’s spelled Rener?

[@MyZ001]

cause Portuguese language rules

[@cryptolarry710]

Actually it was Judo

[@OldManDave1960]

And if his grandfather’s name was Helio, why wasn’t it spelled “Relio”? 🤔

[@patrickfowler590]

It was very good, but you are misinformed. It was neither the Gracie family nor Jigoro Kano who is responsible for our art. This has been shown by many historians, backed by many primary and secondary sources. Kano did not like ground fighting, and famously said "Human beings were meant to walk, not crawl" (Stevens). It was only after Mataemon Tanabe's Jiu Jitsu beat Kano's students, in the many challenge matches between his Kansai ground fighting heavy Jiu-Jitsu and the Kodokan, that constant defeats at the hands of Tanabe's school, during the late 1890s to early 1900s that Kano finally gave into incorporating ground fighting into Judo. A few of his matches include beating a decorated 3rd Dan Judoka two years in a row, and even winning a challenge match by leg lock in front of the Imperial family (Barioli). He even challenged the famed, Shiro Saigo, the historical basis for the famed Kurosawa character Sanshiro Sugata, but he never received an answer. These many challenge matches inspired Judoka, Kodokan or the likes, to learn more ground fighting or were taught by Tanabe directly. It is well documented that Tanabe was slight in stature. He developed his leverage dependent style as a consequence (Great Japan Judo History). Even students of his, including Yukio Tani, who was only 5 feet tall, defeated hundreds upon hundreds of larger and stronger catch wrestlers, folk wrestlers, strongmen, etc, who often weighed over 225 lbs (EJ Mas). Which makes this even greater of a feat, and is by his own humble admission, he admits that he was "third rate" when comparing his skill to his contemporaries back in Japan. Contemporaries who's skill easily beat the Kodokan using leverage based ground fighting. Maeda was one of these Judoka who learned Jiu-Jitsu ground fighting. After Maeda left Japan, ground fighting started to become more and more popular, and people like famed kosen rules practitioner Oda did research and training outside of Judo to learn more ground fighting (he did not get his black belt until around 1910). However, even though Oda insisted to make judo a "50% to 50%" style, directly to Kano, Kano resisted, and stifled kosen competition in 1914, and all but put an end to kosen rules by 1925, banning guard pulling, leg locks, etc. With the exception of the 7 Imperial Universities competitions, which still go on today but have been so diluted by the focus on Olympic rules training that the ground fighting is a shadow of what it was 100 years ago. Maeda might have waived the Judo flag but his ground fighting was neither from Judo or Kano, it was from the "Kansai" Jiu-Jitsu style that Tanabe developed, which was bolstered by the contributions of many thousands of previous Japanese; and when introduced to Brazil it was further developed by many thousands of Brazilians. The Gracie family does have a larger role in "Kansai" ground fighting heavy Jiu-Jitsu of Tanabe, they kept it outside the hands of the medaling governing bodies of judo. Being so, and for the latter reasons and evidence above, our Jiu-Jitsu, "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" is neither developed by Kano or Gracie.

[@iansinclair6256]

Excuse me Patrick Fowler. "It is well documented that Tanabe was slight in stature. He developed his leverage dependent style as a consequence (Great Japan Judo History). Even students of his, including Yukio Tani, who was only 5 feet tall, defeated hundreds upon hundreds of larger and stronger catch wrestlers, folk wrestlers, strongmen, etc, who often weighed over 225 lbs (EJ Mas). Which makes this even greater of a feat, and is by his own humble admission"....Where did you source this information? How credible is it really? In all honesty, i find that hard to believe personally.

[@Calwinn]

BJJ lineage = Jiu Jitsu -> Judo -> BJJ

[@luisphilipesilva]

You mean Ju-jutsu -judo - Brazilian jiu-jitsu

[@danielsoliz8322]

Right... like he's getting choked out... smh... It pains me that there are untrained people out there who think they could choke Hener out.

[@danjthemanj]

Ur father was definitely better than Royce but the reason he didn’t compete is because he wanted that money money

[@JorgePerez-gj2iq]

They should definitely include their king Sakuraba cause he punked all the cry baby gracies made all of them his bitches.

[@stur6722]

I give the Gracie’s respect for getting in the ring. Not knowing the outcome. Gotta ask yourself. Would you get in there and fight? It’s easy to laugh at someone doing a thing. And they fail. Then ask yourself. Could you have done better against Sakuraba or any of the Gracies.

[@stur6722]

@@THE_Secular_Conservative I know. And they would never talk that crap to a Gracie. 😂😂😂😂

[@stur6722]

@@THE_Secular_Conservative All martial arts have flaws. There is no perfect martial arts. And remember, that martial arts was meant to protect yourself in s self defense situation. It was not meant for tournament. So if you were beaten by a person from from another art. They probably have been training longer then you. I would say. You should switch to a sport jujitsu school. Than a Gracie jujitsu school. Because, you won’t be equipe to win a tournament. There are many academics that focus more on sport jujitsu then self defense. Oss!

[@THE_Secular_Conservative]

@stur6722 Sport jiu-jitsu and Gracie Jiu-jitsu have their differences and from my experience training in the past, being in actual street fights, and self defense scenarios, the system I currently take is the best for my needs. U should do more research in the actual gracie system. We have 3 types of sparring plus we train against punches, slams, and other strikes while sport BJJ does not. Check out Gracie University. The cool thing about it is I can go to any Gracie center, around the world, and roll with various people, which is perfect for me. I have no desire to compete. And in all honesty, at 6'1 195 lbs, doing weight training, cardio, and gracie jiu-jitsu, its unlikely that the vast majority of opponents that I would encounter, would be able to take me, especially with my increasing level of skill and where I will be once I get around 200 hours.

[@stur6722]

@@THE_Secular_Conservative lol. Your funny. Never assume. There was nothing i said that hinted. I did not have any knowledge of Gracie jujitsu. I trained in Barra da Tijuca with professor Relson Gracie. I am closer to the source. Who are you training with?

[@loremipsumpj3567]

Ripoff BJJ too learn difficult. Much better Muay Thai faster learn fight winner. Brain dammage nothing almost.

[@JeremyHartley13]

Wish Rener was still like this. So cringe watching him constantly trying to sell his content these days. Dude has no shame

[@devilhunterred]

I respect BJJ, but this highly idiotic grappling vs. striking nonsense debate and the myth about BJJ >>> every other style must stop. The best grappling master in the world isn't going to win a fight if he isn't trained and conditioned to take strikes to the face or body. He will hunch over in pain at best, get knocked out at worst. And this myth that a weak frail person can win in any fight by being proficient at BJJ must also stop. Athleticism, good conditioning, stamina, speed, flexibility, strength, reaction time, etc, will always contribute hugely in any fight. BJJ isn't some kind of superweapon. The reality is striking remains to be the best way to create distance between you and your opponent in any fight scenario, be it street fight or a ring fight, it is also the best method currently to cause instantaneous damage and pain to an opponent. You need to be well-rounded and balanced to be an effective fighter these days, that means being proficient at both grappling and striking.

[@BrotherSimon888]

Gracie BJJ was undefeated for over 50 years because it's ground fight. The challenges were mainly by stand up fighter so they had no clue on the ground and the few that did were out of their league. And yeah the smaller man can easily win with BJJ because it's leverage and they avoid getting hurt by controlling space. Research the gracies before you dismiss them. They are the greatest. sorry but all those boxers have only 1 or 2 punches to knock them out before they are on their ass struggling while the JJ player is relaxed taking their time to get a better position and submit if they want. JIU JITSU

[@devilhunterred]

RightDeve, Inc. *_"You really have no clue at all, AT ALL. Try a proper clinch with someone who's based on striking, and I guarantee you he will lose his proper distance management even before he realized it. "_* I agree, you really don't have a clue at all. AT ALL. Because you've never heard of Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Sanshou, Sambo. There are actually quite a number of striking styles that utilize clinching.

[@devilhunterred]

RightDeve, Inc. I was thinking of *military sambo*, which certainly has a huge striking proponent. And what are your arguments against Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Sanshou using clinching techniques as part of their striking reertoire? Muay Thai, JKD, Sanshou and military sambo clearly show that striking styles can still be effective when in a clinching position. *You really have no clue at all, AT ALL.*

[@devilhunterred]

mathias maccabee *_"The same can be said about the best "striking masters" in the world, they are NOT going to win a fight against a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu "master" UNLESS they are trained in grappling and submissions and are "very" proficient in "ground fighting", or they get VERY VERY "lucky", which is VERY VERY unlikely."_* I never said otherwise. I believe I have mentioned again and again that you need to have grappling knowledge in order to fight against a proficient BJJ practitioner effectively. To an effective balanced fighter for either MMA or self defense you do have to have basic knowledge of how to prevent being submit, recognizing the positions, how to get dominant positions, and then ground and pound or stand back up. But vice versa you can't only train in BJJ, go into a no holds barred street fight or even a regulated MMA ring fight and expect to beat everyone with ground game alone when your body isn't conditioned to take punishment, or you have zero defense against striking. In BJJ matches one of the most popular strategies is to simply go on your back, full guard your opponent, roll with him and wait for him to make a mistake. In a street fight or MMA fight going on your back is the last thing you should do. The mentality that "BJJ is the best, once I master BJJ I would be nigh invincible on the streets" is a very dangerous mindset, especially for strictly self-defense purposes. Say you get into a fight in a bar with a stranger, and you have practiced BJJ and only BJJ extensively, being confident you would take him down and roll with him on the ground trying to submit him. But this is the LAST thing you should be doing in a street brawl with so many unknown factors. While you are rolling with him on the ground, what if his buddies show up? Now you are just a lying target to be kicked and stomped by his mob of friends. While you are trying to choke him out with a triangle choke or rear naked choke, what if his free hand pulls out a switchblade from his pocket? Now you are pretty much fucked. BJJ is actually highly dangerous to be used for volatile street situations where there is no referee, no rules, no regulations, and anything can happen. This is the type of situations where you would want to either run away or keep your distance using strikes, not go into grappling range. But BJJ is now being taught to people as an "effective means of self-defense", and that's extremely dangerous. *_"And one last thing, NO, Sambo, is NOT a "striking" art, it is grappling/submission/ground fighting art, with a focus on leg locks."_* Military sambo or combat sambo has a HUGE striking component, it is not just grappling and submission. And it uses a lot of clinching to set up strikes.

[@devilhunterred]

RightDeve, Inc. Oh good, you finally STFU because you realized how fucking stupid you are for not knowing Muay Thai, JKD, Sanshou, combat sambo and many striking arts actually use clinching a lot to set up strikes.

[@generatorx]

Sorry, but its not Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, its Judo. The closer truth would be BJJ is Brazilian Judo. Give credit where it is deserved and speak the truth please.

[@morrismcshaeni7484]

There's no such thing as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there is only Japanese Jiu Jitsu in Brazil.