Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?
A:
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a comprehensive martial art which provides
all of the tools necessary to defend oneself in a street encounter. Emphasis
is on ground techniques where most street encounters end up. It encompasses
throws and takedowns, positional control, positional escapes, and submissions.
Q: Where did Brazilian Jiu-jitsu come from?
A:
It started with Mitsuyo Maeda, a student of Kodokan Judo. Maeda
had competed in hundreds of challenge matches from 1904 to 1925 or so,
losing only twice in no-gi matches. Maeda moved to Brazil in 1915, where
he started teaching. Carlos Gracie started training with Maeda at the
age of 17. Carlos carried on the open challenge of his teacher, fighting
and winning throughout the 1920's and 1930's. Carlos opened his own
academy and taught his brothers, who together spread this style
throughout Brazil.
Q: So Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is the same thing as
Judo then?
A:
The short answer is no. While Maeda started out with Kodokan
Judo, it clearly evolved throughout his career of challenge matches.
Likewise, the Gracies, with their history of challenge matches, have
continued to evolve and specialize the techniques in this martial art.
This evolution led to the Gracies calling it "Brazilian Jiu-jitsu", to
clearly differentiate it from Judo.
Now, regardless of their exact historical development, modern Kodokan
Judo and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu differ in their emphasis. In Judo, you
spend 80% to 90% of your time working on throws. In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu,
you spend 80% to 90% of your time working on the ground. Simply put, you
will be good at what you train.
Q: Do we have to wear a gi?
A:
We highly recommend that every student wear a gi to the gi
classes, but we do not require it. We have a no-gi class where
students wear a t-shirt and gi pants.
Q: What are the ranks in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?
A:
The following table indicates the ranks and the average total
training time needed to earn a promotion to that rank. These time frames
are estimates based on when most folks earn a promotion. The promotions
are not automatic and can vary significantly. If you train more often
and have a good amount of natural ability, you will progress
significantly faster. Likewise, if you only train 2x/week you will
likely not progress as fast.
Earning your blue-belt is a significant accomplishment, and one not to
be taken lightly. We believe that nearly everyone, with enough
consistent training, can get there. Higher ranks definitely take a
certain amount of natural talent and desire that not everyone possesses.
These are adult ranks, you must be at least 16 to get promoted to
blue-belt. There are yellow, orange, and green between white and blue
for children only.
| Rank | Average Total Training consistent 3x/week |
| White | N/A |
| Blue | 1 to 2 years |
| Purple | 3 to 5 years |
| Brown | 6 to 8 years |
| Black | 8 to 10 years |
Q: What about the stripes I've seen on some belts?
A:
Some instructors will put one to four stripes on a belt. This is a general indication of progress towards the next rank. There is no consistency in earning the stripes. One thing to keep in mind is the number of stripes, or lack thereof, doesn't change the overall rank.