The guy who invented Judo was named Kano.
Thank you, I felt bad for not remembering that.
You're the first one I've heard say the Gracies developed their art by fighting at parties instead of in the vale tudo ring and with each other.
I picked that up from another forum who gave more or less the same history i gave (though he had more detail. That's what I get for being out of the loop for so long).
Honestly, I'd wager it was a mix of both. They had to train somewhere before they reached the ring. Do you have any idea where that might of occured? While I like the party idea, if it is in correct, I'd rather stop spreading it.
EDIT:
http://www.bjjboulder.com/adult/about.php
The mean streets of Brazil acted as very good testing grounds for these new modifications. Tested over and over again in challenge matches and professional Vale Tudo (No holds barred) fights, these new fighting techniques proved to be the most effective form of self defense around.
Some mix of both seems to be a good guess actually. Though I'd wager if the party stuff did occur, it would be the sons and not Helio and Carlos since when I was told it, the comment was that it was a large collection of them that could keep the fight small between just the two.
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/5389/gracie.html this also supports the street fighting part of the training. It also lists some BJJ vs Judo fights I didn't know about.
The Gracies did not leave Brazil. Helio Gracie and, I believe, his brother were taught Japanese jiu-jitsu by a visiting Japanese citizen to whom their father had been a help.
Thanks for the correction. I felt that I was wrong saying that how I did, but I couldn't remember if some of them went to japan or a sensei came to them.
You're also the first guy I've ever heard characterize BJJ and Gracie JJ in particular as "brutal," especially in comparison to Judo.
I had heard that frequently from various sources. Generally in the same breath that they are saying that it is the most effective martial art in the world. So yeah, I'm hearing it from idiots who may not understand the context.
On a side note, you find judo more brutal?
Most of the differences between GJJ and JJJ are in the Gracies' use of the "guard" and their freewheeling approaching to rolling and setting up submissions, the result of adapting the art to no-holds-barred and MMA competition..
Thanks, I never was clear on that difference.
Any other corrections that you would like to add? (no really, I would rather that long post be correct, then long and full of inaccuracies to confuse people).
A more complete history:
http://www.kobukaijujitsu.com/sensei6.html
EDIT:
Gah, I hate histories that say that Jiujitsu originated in india. I understand why they say that, but they really don't need to. Since I feel like venting.
there were a couple fighting styles that started in india and what not. Now, kung fu actually derived from this because the man that taught the monks came up from india (fun story). Since that area of asia is so well travelled, it spread pretty easily.
Eventually a grappling style came about in japan which was similiar to the stuff coming out of india a long time ago. Whether it was samurai going to the mainland and studying there or just witnessing it and trying to figure something out on their own that's similar, or just coincidently developing a similar style I've not yet heard anything conclusive on, but most of the discussion i've heard leans towards the latter two.
Really doesn't matter though. All sufficently old cultures will develop a fighting style. Even the French.