The History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — From Japan to Venice, CA
The story of how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu traveled from feudal Japan to the dojos of Brazil to the mats of Kaizen Academy in Venice, CA is one of martial arts' most fascinating journeys.
The history of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu spans continents, centuries, and remarkable individuals. This post traces BJJ's lineage from its Japanese Jiu Jitsu roots through the Gracie family's development of the art in Brazil, the UFC's role in introducing it to the world, and how the art arrived on the mats of Kaizen Academy in Venice, CA today.
When you step onto the mats at Kaizen Academy on Lincoln Blvd in Venice, CA, you're stepping into a lineage that spans more than a century and travels across three continents. Understanding where BJJ came from makes the art richer — and gives context to why the principles we practice every day were developed in the first place.
The Japanese Roots: Judo and Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu traces its lineage directly to Japanese Jiu Jitsu — a martial art practiced by Japanese samurai that included strikes, joint locks, chokes, and throws. In the late 1800s, Jigoro Kano refined and systematized many of these techniques into what became Judo, emphasizing throws, takedowns, and ground control.
Kano's most accomplished student, Mitsuyo Maeda, became one of the most prolific fighters of the early 20th century — competing in mixed-rules contests across the United States, Europe, and eventually South America. Maeda arrived in Brazil in 1914 and settled in Belém, where he taught Judo and Jiu Jitsu to local students.
The Gracie Family and the Birth of BJJ
One of Maeda's students was Gastão Gracie, a Brazilian businessman who enrolled his son Carlos in Maeda's classes. Carlos Gracie proved to be an exceptional student and eventually opened his own academy in Rio de Janeiro in 1925, teaching his family the art.
Carlos's younger brother Hélio Gracie was physically frail and struggled with the athleticism required by classical Judo. Out of necessity, Hélio began modifying techniques to rely on leverage, timing, and positioning rather than strength and speed. These modifications — prioritizing ground control, submission holds, and the ability of a smaller person to control a larger one — became the foundation of what we now call Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The Gracie family validated their art through challenge matches against practitioners of other disciplines throughout the mid-20th century, developing a reputation for practical effectiveness that spread through Brazil and eventually around the world.
The UFC and the Global Explosion
In 1993, Rorion Gracie co-founded the Ultimate Fighting Championship — a tournament designed specifically to test which martial art was most effective in real combat. Royce Gracie, a relatively small Gracie family member, entered the tournament as the BJJ representative.
Royce defeated fighters from larger, more famous disciplines in consecutive matches — using BJJ's ground control and submission system to neutralize opponents who had no counter for it. The UFC made BJJ famous overnight and triggered a global wave of interest in the art that continues to this day.
BJJ in Los Angeles and Venice, CA
Southern California became one of the earliest and strongest BJJ communities outside Brazil. The Gracie family established academies in Torrance in the early 1990s, and the art spread rapidly across LA through the early UFC era.
Today, the Westside of Los Angeles — including Venice, Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and Culver City — has one of the most active BJJ communities in the country. Kaizen Academy sits at the center of this community on Lincoln Blvd in Venice, offering the same fundamentals that Hélio Gracie developed nearly a century ago, refined by modern competition and teaching methodology.
Step Into the Lineage
Every time you train at Kaizen Academy, you're connecting to a lineage that runs from the dojo floors of Japan through the gyms of Rio de Janeiro and into the heart of Venice, CA.
2014 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. Your first class is free.