The book "Jiu-Jitsu in the South Zone, 1997-2008" by BJJ Black Belt Roberto Pedreira is a must read for martial artists in general, and practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in particular.
Pedreira trained in the "Mecca" of BJJ, namely, Brazil, with the best instructors of this martial art.
The book tells Pedreira's experiences and anecdotes training with these masters, and provides interesting insights and pieces of information about the history of BJJ (a history which, sadly, has been written in most sources according to the interests of certain persons).
Of particular interest to me was Pedreira's meeting with Judo master George Kastriot Mehdi. According to this master, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is actually a version of Judo.
According to the standard story (promoted mainly by Rorion Gracie), Helio Gracie learnt jiu-jitsu from his brother Carlos, who in turn learnt form Mitsuyo Maeda, a japanese jiu-jitsu master. However, as evidence shows, Maeda was mainly a JUDOKA, not a jiu-jitsu master (it is true that Maeda trained in jiu-jitsu too, but he was a member of the new Kodokan group founded by Jigoro Kano, a group which reformed traditional jiu-jitsu into a more sport-oriented form of combat).
Not surprinsingly, ALL the techniques used in traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu exist in Judo (certainly, the Gracies have improved the transitions among the techniques and talented BJJ sport competitors have possibly created new ones for sporting purposes and adapted to the rules of BJJ tournaments). On the other hand the distinctive features of traditional jiu-jitsu (like stand up striking to vital points, nerve and pressure points attacks, finger locks, wrist locks etc.) are not stressed in BJJ (exactly as occured in Judo, because such techniques were precisely the ones that Jigoro Kano excluded from Judo due to their dangerous nature... leaving them as part of the most advanced curriculum of self-defense of Judo).
So, Mehdi is, after all, probably right about BJJ being a form of "judo" (an incomplete form, Mehdi would suggest).
Pedreira met with many others notable BJJ figures like Ricardo de la Riva, Murillo Bustamante or Reyson Gracie.
Pedreira's writing style is good, balanced and objective, and I look forward to read more of his works.
Clarifying the history of BJJ
Not topic in BJJ is so obscure as the history of the art itself. Although Pedreira's book provides some interesting comments and passing notes about the history of the art, we need a through research about it (which, as far I know, is not available yet, at least not in English).
In particular, specific answers to the following questions are needed:
1-Exactly what techniques Mitsuyo Maeda taught to Carlos Gracie?
BJJ is commonly divided into 3 areas: Self-defense (mostly standing up), Vale Tudo and sport BJJ.
Did Maeda teach only the self-defense aspect? Or the Vale Tudo one? Or both? (Sport BJJ seems to be a later creation by the Gracies...).
2-Exactly what techniques Helio Gracie improved and which are exactly such improvements?
Most people, including Carlos Gracie Jr., agree that Helio Gracie modified the judo/jiu-jitsu that he received from Carlos. Some of them suggest that Helio added the "defensive mindset" to the purely offensive one which Carlos supposedly taught.
But when asking for Helio's specific improvements, we get pure generalities like "Helio modified the techniques to make them less reliable on strengh". Fine, but exactly what are such modifications? Is the rear naked choke from Helio different from the way in which it is done in Judo and traditional jiu-jitsu? In what exactly Helio's basic Americana armlock from the mount or lapel choke differs from the Judo's versions of it?
I have to confess that, after careful examination, I don't see where or how exactly Helio modified such techniques. Having trained in both Judo and BJJ myself, I don't see any substantive or distinctive difference in the application of the techniques when individually considered (obviously, differences exist in the transitions and overall combat philosophy as previously mentioned). Like Mehdi says, they are simply the same old Judo techniques.
3-BJJ practitioners claim that BJJ is superior to other forms of martial arts, and Royce Gracie victories in the early UFC are the primary evidence for this claim (other evidences, like the Gracie Challenge, etc. are often mentioned too).
But note that, at most, this evidence shows that the VALE TUDO part of the BJJ is superior (i.e. that in a vale tudo context, BJJ is superior than other arts due to the BJJ's overall strategy and advanced form of ground fighting). It doesn't show that the SELF-DEFENSE aspect of the art (which is mostly standing up) is superior than other arts.
Some Gracies have tried to argue from the success of BJJ's ground work in Vale Tudo to the overall efficacy of the system for street self-defense, which is a non-sequitur.
For example, are the BJJ's techniques for disarming gun and knife superior than Krav Maga's? It hasn't been proved at all, let alone from Royce's impressive victories in the UFC (because weapons weren't part of such competition).
In conclusion, we cannot infer the superiority of BJJ as a overall street self-defense art from the success of BJJ in Vale Tudo competitions, because the techniques and enviroment are different.
4-The fact that many of the BJJ techniques for self-defense are different from the Vale Tudo techniques is seen when examining carefully the Gracie material and the BJJ curriculum.
For example, in Helio Gracie's video "Episode One" (and in Royce Gracie's book on BJJ self-defense), a defense from a standing front choke against a wall consists in a FINGER LOCK finishing hold. But in Vale Tudo, the Gracies never teach finger locks as part of their combat arsenal (and consequently, never use them).
Another example, in Royce's book on self-defense even a pressure point using the knucles is taught to escape from a grab. But in Vale Tudo, pressure points are not taught by them.
In fact, when BJJ instructors (including the Gracies) are asked about finger locks and pressure points techniques, their standard reply is "they don't work".
But if they don't work, why the hell such techniques are taught as part of the classical stand up self-defense program of Helio's BJJ? I cannot understand it.
Perhaps the most charitable interpretation is to suggest that such self-defense techniques work against untrained opponents (which are the most likely attackers), not against trained fighters.
But then the unqualified claim that such techniques "don't work" is false: They don't work against trained fighters, but they work against the untrained ones.
And if this point is conceded, then the claim that other martial arts don't work (because Royce kicked the butt of representatives of these arts in the UFC) is also false, because at most such victories by Royce and others BJJ experts only shows that such martial arts don't work against BJJ or against trained fighters... but perhaps (like the BJJ's finger lock to escape a front choke) such techniques will work against untrained street attackers... after all, is BJJ better in finger locks than Wally Jay's Small Circle Jujitsu or Yang Wing Ming's Chin Na? I don't think so...
Obscurities, fallacies, implicit assumptions and unwarranted extrapolations are part of the world of BJJ (this also happens in other martial arts, by the way).
We need a more scholarly approach to the history and philosophy of BJJ... I wish that Pedreira (and other qualified and objective researchers) will address these problems specifically in future works.
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