BJJ - 100 Years of History

There are untold millions of people in the world today practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Travel to any major city on the globe, and you'll likely find a BJJ academy, or two, or ten. Those countries in which it has had several decades to take root, you'll even find at least one place to train in nearly all the small towns, too.

There is no doubt about it: BJJ is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. However, amidst the excitement of each new competition season, and the latest wave of BJJ superstars, it's important that we don't forget BJJ's history. 

If you start with the creation of the very first Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy in the world, BJJ is really only 100 years old. Yet, it's roots - the roots of all grappling-style martial arts - run far deeper. And there's no denying the influence Japanese jujutsu and judo had upon this sport we all love so much. Feel free to go down that rabbit hole if you have the time.

However, that mere century is full of remarkable events that had they never occurred, you might not be here, reading this, today. So, in honor of those moments, take another moment to brush up on the last 100 years of BJJ history. Don't worry, we've kept it short a sweet.

Read the full article at the USA site here, which covers: 

• The Birthplace of BJJ
• BJJ's Worldwide Expansion
• The Evolution of BJJ Competition