Superior to Judo and to traditional Jujutsu in both its use of leverage and its focus on using submission holds to finish fights, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is the most effective grappling art in the world. BJJ in general, and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu in particular, employs the use of angles, leverages, and complex technical progressions to control and confuse opponents, inevitably leading to a submission. BJJ is the only martial art in existence that allows a practitioner to easily control and untrained opponent without hurting themselves or their assailant.

Jujutsu (Japanese for “the gentle art”) was developed during Japan’s feudal era by Samurai who found their striking attacks to be inefficient against armored opponents. Centuries later, a jujutsu practitioner named Kano Jigoro modified the art, making significant technical improvements and laying the groundwork for the sport we know as Judo. In 1904, Kano began sending his teachers around the world to promote the expansion of his system. One of these emissaries, Mitsuyo Maeda, had just concluded a demonstration in Belem, Brazil when he was approached by a local businessman whose sons wanted to learn the martial art they had just witnessed. Maeda agreed and began instructing the man’s son; Carlos Gracie Sr, along with other notable students such as Luiz França. Though Carlos was the first Gracie to learn Kano Jigoro’s system, it was his younger brother Helio, who was too small and weak to execute many Judo techniques, that began to modify the art into what would eventually become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ achieved widespread popularity in the United States (and subsequently the world) when Helio’s son Royce used his family’s art to win the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship 1993.

The next stage of Jiu-Jitsu’s evolution came in 2003 when an unknown American brown belt named Eddie Bravo used his unique approach to submit arguably the best BJJ practitioner of the era, Royler Gracie, at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Championship. Following this feat, Bravo decided to focus on developing his specifically No-Gi system of grappling to maximize its effectiveness for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and real-life combat situations. At 10th Planet Montreal we are committed to the idea that Jiu-Jitsu is a constantly evolving organism. We ensure that all of our students develop sound basics, but also that each person who trains at our gym gets the opportunity to express their individuality and to be creative in their application of the gentle art. We foster an environment that promotes fun and respectfulness, balances structure and spontaneity, and above all encourages a love for Jiu-Jitsu.