Following on from our previous article that showed some interesting and nerdy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu facts, here’s some more that we’ve dug up. Even the most ardent BJJ fanboy probably won’t be aware of some of the more obscure ones on this list. From the most popular submission in the UFC to the first ever Gracie Barra gym in Europe’s location…here are 15 more fun and obscure BJJ facts for you to look over.
- The first USA father and son black belts was Rafael Lovato Sr and his son Lovato Jr. They were also the first black belts in the Oklahoma region.
2. Although John Danaher grew up in New Zealand, he was actually born in Washington, DC in the USA. This is why he could move to the US on a full-time visa.
3. The most common choke in the UFC is the Rear Naked Choke. This makes up nearly 50% of all choke submissions in the fighting promotion. It is also the most popular overall submission
4. The Kimura submission is also commonly referred to as the ‘Double wristlock’ in Catch wrestling.
5. BJJ is considered the most expensive martial art to learn. For some reason, it is not cheap and may cost significantly more than other arts. However, this depends on case to case.
6. The famous Gracie family were originally from Scotland. Scottish immigrants who settled in Brazil carried their name. If you think about it, the name ‘Gracie’ doesn’t actually sound very Brazilian or Portuguese.
7. Submission wrestling has been around for thousands of years. In ancient greece, there are images of centaurs being heel hooked by men.
8. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu originated from Ju Jitsu which is an umbrella term for various forms of grappling, including Judo, Aikido and Japanese Ju Jitsu.
9. Unlike other traditional martial arts, the stripes on your belt aren’t referred to as ‘dan’. However, once you get to black belt and beyond, the correct term is actually ‘dan’. For example, technically you can be a second ‘dan’ black belt, but not a second ‘dan’ blue belt.
10. In UAE (United Arab Emirates), the national sport is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It’s no secret, the country is mad for BJJ and pours a lot of money into competitions over there.
11. In BJJ, kids have a different belt system compared to adults. As a result, kids can wear colors such as yellow and green that cannot be worn by grownups.
12. In the early stages of the UFC, fighters could wear gi’s. As a result, Royce Gracie managed to submit people with cross-collar chokes and sometimes even Ezekiel chokes could be used.
13. In no gi matches, you are technically allowed to grab your own shorts. However, grabbing of the opponent’s clothes is illegal.
14. The first ever Gracie Barra gym in Europe was opened in Birmingham, England. It was owned by Roger Gracie’s father, Mauricio Gomes.
15. The BJJ scarfhold position is significantly different from the Judo scarfhold position. The top player holds an underhook on the arm, as opposed to a headlock.
