What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial art and contact sport that focuses on grappling, ground fighting, and submissions. A Jiu Jitsu fighter oftentimes uses a combination of stand-up game and take-down techniques to either throw or wrestle and eventually bring the fight to the ground. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques involve joint manipulation, chokes, and submissions.
The trailblazers for the adaptation of traditional Japanese “jūjutsu” are the Brazilian Gracie brothers, wherein created their own version of the self-defense system with the concept that a smaller person can defend themselves against a bigger opponent through specialized techniques.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu became popular during the era of UFC 1 where Royce Gracie effectively applied the necessary groundwork and get submissions against bigger and stronger opponents. Jiu-Jitsu tips from his family are evidently seen in his fighting style and all of their hard work certainly paid off. Brazilian jiu-jitsu became essential to Mixed Martial Arts making it more exciting than ever.
Jiu Jitsu for MMA
As Mixed Martial Arts evolved over the years, we noticed that fighters became more versatile with their fighting styles. One of the most notable MMA Champions in UFC is Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has a solid background in wrestling, combat sambo and judo but it is not surprising that he uses grappling techniques as part of his fighting arsenal. Check out his Jiu Jitsu demo wherein he gives one of the most basic but essential Jiu Jitsu tips for Mixed Martial Arts.
How important is Jiu Jitsu in MMA?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an essential part of MMA. Jiu Jitsu gives an MMA fighter the confidence of attacking while managing the distance of their opponent. An MMA fighter can do calculated risks if they know how to play their cards well. Jiu Jitsu tips not only help with self-defense but also gives the fighter options to get to advantageous positions to dominate their opponents. It becomes inevitable when the fight goes to the ground and jiujitsu is a necessary tool to either attack or defend.
Conclusion
MMA or Mixed Martial Arts combines various forms of martial arts. It is a full-contact combat sport involving various fighting techniques and a mixture of skills from different combat sports. MMA commonly includes striking, grappling, and ground fighting. Athletes from other forms of martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo can compete in a Mixed Martial Arts rule set.
To answer the question if MMA fighters need to train Jiu Jitsu, the answer is a big YES! Mixed Martial Arts is about being able to apply techniques from different positions, and during a fight, you will be spending a good amount of time on the ground. Once the fight is already on the ground, grappling begins. Basically, the more an elite fighter knows about any discipline, the better! It is the art of having composure under pressure by being familiar with all positions and being able to deliver a good fight.
