History of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil – Part II

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is deeply tied to the Gracie family, but they did not develop this style of fighting in a vacuum. Jiu-jitsu evolved due to the unique historical conditions in Brazil within the first half of the twentieth century.

However, as part one of this three-part post explored, the roots of Brazilian jiu-jitsu actually go back to Japan and especially the practice of judo, which was developed by Kano Jigoro in the late nineteenth century. Here in part two, we’ll follow judo out of Japan and into Brazil, before our focus shifts to the Gracie family in part three. For a companion video to all three parts, see the one below.

Judo and Jujutsu

As judo grew in popularity, more and more people in Japan began to emulate Kano’s style. However, it was difficult to distinguish between jujutsu and judo even among Japanese people who were not especially well-versed in martial arts. For Western audiences, it was nearly impossible to separate the two. This problem was further compounded by the fact that Western writers wrote out the Japanese words for “judo” and “jujutsu” using a variety of different spellings, which only added to the confusion.

Despite the lack of distinction between the two, it is clear that Western audiences were becoming aware of the martial arts of East Asia during the end of the nineteenth century and the dawn of the twentieth century. In addition to Kano, who demonstrated his judo to Western audiences, jujutsu fighters from Japan like Takisaburo Tobari and Taro Miyake also made trips to the West throughout the last two decades of the nineteenth century.

Japanese Martial Arts and the West

Japanese fighters did not come to Europe and the Americas just to demonstrate their style of martial art. They also participated in challenge matches. Renowned fighters like Sadakazu Uyenishi would test their styles against Western boxers, catch wrestlers, and other types of fighters from Europe or the United States. While it is not the case that the Japanese masters won every fight, they were very well respected and many prizefighters from Japan ended up becoming famous as a result.

Of course, not everyone who learned jujutsu or judo during this time was Japanese. As one prominent example, John J O’Brien learned jujutsu while serving as a police inspector in Japan over the course of a decade and went on to have American President Teddy Roosevelt as a student.

European and American interest in learning jujutsu or judo saw a rapid increase after Japan’s victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). It wasn’t just civilian interest. Many law enforcement and military organizations came to believe that Japan’s technical training and strategy during the war had helped them achieve victory, and they wanted to train their officers and recruits using Japanese methods. Consequently, militaries from around the world began paying members of Kano’s Kodokan to come over to their countries to teach judo and jujutsu.

Judo Arrives in Brazil

In 1908, two students from the Kodokan, Sada Miyako and M. Kakihara, were asked to come to Brazil to teach jujutsu to Brazilian sailors. This turned into something of a scandal once the public found out because many Brazilians favored the homegrown martial art, capoeira, which had evolved over centuries and had its roots in Africa. For many Brazilians, capoeira was not just a system for self-defense; it was also a point of national pride. To have two people travel halfway around the world to train members of Brazil’s military was a slap in the face.

Of course, Miyako and Kakihara didn’t just spend their time consulting with the Brazilian Navy. They also regularly participated in demonstrations of jujutsu and prize fights. A year after arriving, in 1909, Miyako was challenged to a fight against Francisco Cyriaco, a master of capoeira. The result was a definitive win for Cyriaco, who knocked out Miyako.

Cyriaco was heralded as a national hero for his performance during the fight. Rather than slink back to Japan in shame, Miyako continued to consult with the navy and stayed in Brazil for several years. One of his students was Mario Aleixo, who would ultimately keep Miyako’s style of jujutsu alive for many years to come. However, Aleixo modified the jujutsu he’d learned from Miyako by combining it with Western boxing and capoeira. The resultant hybrid self-defense system ended up being taught in the Brazilian army for over a decade.

Mitsuyo Maeda

For those who are familiar with the general history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, especially as told by the Gracie family, the story typically begins in September 1914 with the arrival of a troupe of Japanese fighters led by Conde Koma, also known as Mitsuyo Maeda. Maeda would go on to introduce judo to the Gracie family, who would then develop Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and later introduce it to the world.

While this narrative is not inaccurate, it omits the fact that Japanese martial arts were not completely foreign to the people of Brazil. As the next post will explore, the familiar narrative also leaves out some of the growing pains that the Gracie family experienced as jiu-jitsu evolved and became the highly effective form of self-defense it is today.