The words Jiu Jitsu means “gentle art”. BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique, taking the fight to the ground – most notably by applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. A guiding principle is to make the most efficient use of mental and physical energy. The objective of Jiu Jitsu is to dominate the opponent; however, the basic principle is to defend oneself.
There are three skills that must be mastered by the practitioner of Jiu Jitsu: Movement, balance, and leverage. The movement is used to create situations of unbalance in the opponent. The proper balance must always be maintained to have control of movements. The leverage is used to increase strength and allow a person to move an opponent or even attack him. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition or self-defense. Sparring (commonly referred to as “rolling”) and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system. The practice of Jiu Jitsu provides students with various gains, such as increased flexibility, weight loss, physical strength, increased self-confidence, and self-esteem.