For those that have trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for some time, you may not be aware of the art of Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu. This is understandable, as it’s actually quite obscure and isn’t practiced much at all these days. Worry not, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu isn’t going to overtake BJJ anytime soon. Having said this, it’s still interesting to see what Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu is and how it works.
In short, it’s close to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in some areas but is vastly different in others. If you’re wanting to train Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu outside of its native Hawaii then good luck as well. There may be the odd gym in mainland USA that teaches it but there’s not many. Even still, some of these gyms will not be great in teaching it in its purest and most effective form.
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What is the difference between Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Firstly, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu is an offshoot of Danzan-ryu and has its roots in Japan. In brief, it’s a mixture of grappling styles and is fairly eclectic. The first difference is the focus on hand-fighting which has its origins in Japanese Ju Jitsu. Basically, this means an emphasis on standing wrist locks. Whether used for takedowns or submissions, these are a big part of the Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu curriculum.
Ask most BJJ practitioners about standing wrist locks, and they’ll tell you that these lack control and are low percentage. Nonetheless, like Aikido, they feature heavily in Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu.
Next, there is an emphasis on takedowns. Unsurprisingly, for an art that dates back to Japan, the grappling style of choice is Judo. Here, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu uses a handful of Judo throws and is obviously not as in depth as Judo in this area. You may have figured by now that Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu also uses the gi whilst training.
Lastly, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu has some ground work, but not to the level as BJJ. In many scenarios, the idea is to be the top player in Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu, instead of playing guard which is more frowned upon. Whilst Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu practitioners may not be as well versed on the ground as a BJJ player, they still know a broad range of techniques.
As well as this, for the most part Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu focuses more on drilling and kata compared to BJJ. In some gyms, there is no real sparring which is often questioned by BJJ folk. Having said this, good Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu gyms will involve sparring in their curriculum.
To summarize, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu is a blend between Japanese Ju Jitsu, Aikdo, BJJ and Judo. Compared to BJJ, it’s also bigger on self defense and doesn’t have a competitive scene.
Who founded Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu?
Danzan-Ryu was founded by Seishiro Okazaki who emigrated to Hawaii from Japan in 1906. He was a lifelong martial artist and also a third dan black belt in Judo. With this said, there is no doubt that he knew how to grapple. Whilst in Hawaii, he took from other martial arts and made it his own creation.
An interesting fact about Okazaki is that he was also into spirituality and healing. He even healed the likes of Franklyn D. Roosevelt and actress Shirley Temple. Throughout history, other martial artists such as the founder of Aikido Morihei Ueshiba was also into developing the mind and spirit as well as the body when it came to training.
These days, most Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu gyms can be found on the west coast of America albeit there aren’t too many.
What is bigger in Hawaii, BJJ or Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu?
These days, BJJ is far bigger than Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu – even in Hawaii. There are numerous gyms there including that of Egan Inoue. Similarly, the likes of BJ Penn, Baret Yoshida and Keenan Cornelius are also from the island, as well as Egan’s brother, Enson.
Another fun fact between BJJ and Hawaiian culture is the ‘shaka‘ sign. This is done by BJJ practitioners as a friendly wave and can be seen in various photos. The shaka is associated with Hawaiian and surfer culture. However, how it entered the world of BJJ isn’t fully known.
In terms of famous Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu practitioners, there aren’t really any. However, for a martial art that doesn’t compete and is very small, this is completely understandable.
What is better, Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Without sounding biased, the proof is in the pudding when comparing the two martial arts. The global growth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu says a lot in terms of its success when compared to Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu. Also, any martial art that doesn’t involve much sparring should also be questioned.
So, that’s not to say that Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu isn’t effective. Under the correct circumstances with good teaching, it can be useful. However, BJJ has been proven time and time again to be effective, whether that’s in an MMA setting or in street fights, it is highly effective. Therefore, if you are looking at training either art, then BJJ is probably the best choice to make. Of course, it’s up to you and doing your own research won’t hurt either when it comes to decision making.
