JIU JITSU OLYMPICS

The art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become a popular Martial Art, especially in the last 10 years. The progression of the sport has seen a huge detour from the old traditional self defense, as the common practise is heavily guided by the competition aspect. Many high level athletes are taking centre stage and are vying to become world champions on platforms like IBJJF and ADCC. Students will often question why is bjj so popular? and the answer is easy, the Martial Art displays an incredible series of tactical maneuvers which is easy for people to relate to, as everyone remembers their childhood experiences wrestling with their siblings.

What This Article Covers

• The Evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• The Realistic Chance for Bjj Becoming an Olympic Sport
• Adding Sports to Every Olympics
• The Main Obstacles in Preventing an Olympic Dream

Nowadays the facts about jiu jitsu is that the sport has become more and more popular, the question has to be raised, will any form of Jiu Jitsu ever enter the Olympic arena. The short answer is no, as so far the IOC (International Olympic Committee) are unable to include the ever growing grappling sport. There has been significant pressure put on the IOC, as many countries are claiming that the introduction of BJJ should be included. There are a host of factors that go into what qualifies a sport to enter an Olympic event, and work being done behind the scenes may result in future events hosting the Brazilian art.

3X Olympian Travis Stevens is here to help improve your gripping and control of the opponents!

THE EVOLUTION OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

The South American country of Brazil has a long history of bjj that began at the start of the 1900’s. A Japanese Martial Artist and prizefighter by the name of Mitsuyo Maeda settled with a colony of Japanese immigrants into Brazil in South America. Mitsuyo was hosting seminars and challenging Martial Artists from all styles, as he tried to spread his style of Kodokan Judo and his hybrid version of Judo without a Gi. After performing at the La Paz theatre in Rio, Carlos Gracie Snr. was in attendance and loved what he saw. Carlos was granted an introduction with Mitsuyo, and after a brief conversation Mitsuyo agreed to teach Carlos. Carlos spent a few years learning the intricacies involved in Judo, before passing on the knowledge to his siblings. 

Helio Gracie learnt the art of Judo, but did struggle with executing many of the throws involved. Helio was smaller and weaker than his brothers so he developed a system of leverage based joint locks and choke holds, which were designed to defeat bigger and stronger opponents. This was the birth of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, as Helio began to spread his combative self defense system all throughout Brazil. With the rise of Rixon, Rolls and Royler Gracie they began winning all over Brazil, in Jiu Jitsu tournaments and in Vale Tudo events. As many feuds raged between Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Luta Livre fighters, the dominance of the Gracie clan was well established. 

In the 1990's Gracie Jiu Jitsu became famous after Royce Gracie successfully won events at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has gone on to become the premier fighting tournament in America. After UFC 1 the world began to notice Jiu Jitsu, as many athletes began training in the comprehensive Martial Art. As the popularity grew the term of Gracie Jiu Jitsu split into different organisations, as the art form adopted the new term of brazilian jiu jitsu. Throughout the 90's and into the 2000's the rise of BJJ was interwoven into many MMA fighters game styles. BJJ was starting to impact the combat sport and at the same time there was a significant rise in BJJ tournaments, as the IBJJF and the ADCC began to spawn international champions. 

Nowadays the evolution of BJJ has seen significant developments in culture, techniques and the competition structure. The rise of No Gi in comparison to the traditional Gi tournaments held by the IBJJF, has begun to hit new heights. The ADCC and other notable tournaments like Polaris, Submission Underground, Who's Number One and Fight 2 WIN have seen superstars light up the international spotlight. Athletes like Andre Galvao, Craig Jones, Augusto Mendes, Tye Ruotulo, Gordon Ryan and Royler Gracie have successfully integrated Wrestling, Sambo and BJJ into a more hybrid version of Jiu Jitsu. The highly functioning leg lock game along with other maneuvers like the crab ride, the berimbolo, the rubber guard and the k guard are making significant movements into the evolution of the sport.

THE APRIL FOOLS JOKE

On April the 1st in 2021 reports came out saying that history had been made as the International Olympic Committee announced the introduction of Jiu Jitsu into the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. The reports indicated that Carlos Gracie Jr, The president of the IBJJF and Gracie Barra was to be working with the IOC in the sport’s inclusion. Many critics asked is jiu jitsu a sport? or just a traditional Martial Art. Carlos had apparently quoted "We went to great lengths to ensure that our sport would be treated with the respect it deserves. We will be using the current IBJJF No Gi rules with some minor modifications. For starters, open hand slaps will be allowed to simulate reality, as well as low kicks from the standing position. This will look a lot like the style of Jiu Jitsu that my grandfather promoted all of his life.”

The newly founded Olympic sport will look extremely similar to Combat Jiu Jitsu with the added inclusion of low kicks. There were many concerns over the national standard of BJJ, as the Brazilian people have significant issues with the term “American Jiu Jitsu”. This is mainly due to the fact that the art was brought to the United States by Brazilians. Carlos Gracie Jr had his own set of stipulations that he wanted to implement like;As part of the opening ceremony all BJJ athletes would need to bow to a portrait of Helio Gracie and Carlos Gracie Sr. He also stipulated that they did not want to allow teams to identify their style as American Jiu Jitsu, as they feared it could be a threat to the prosperity of Jiu Jitsu. Reports came out after this that there had been no approval of BJJ entering the Paris Olympics, as officials spoke out saying the reports were ludicrous and untrue. 

IS BJJ AN OLYMPIC SPORT?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, commonly known as BJJ, is another combat system not yet recognized as an Olympic sport. BJJ, noted for its ground fighting techniques and submission holds, has seen exponential growth in popularity worldwide. This martial art, which emphasizes technique over strength, enabling smaller practitioners to subdue larger opponents, is celebrated in numerous international competitions. However, the Olympic arena is yet uncharted territory for BJJ.

The persistent question of "is BJJ an Olympic sport" stems from its widespread acclaim and the competitive spirit it instils in practitioners. Campaigns and petitions advocating for the inclusion of BJJ in the Olympic Games have garnered significant support over the years. The BJJ community remains optimistic that the sport’s intricate techniques, strategic gameplay, and dynamic matches will someday be showcased on the Olympic stage, celebrating jiu jitsu's contribution to the world of martial arts.

THE REALISTIC CHANCE  FOR BJJ BECOMING AN OLYMPIC SPORT 

The chances of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ever entering the Olympic arena are becoming increasingly better every year. As the sport rises significantly in popularity, the IOC will be forced to keep on reviewing the bid for BJJ to enter the Olympics. Like most sports that enter the Olympics, the overwhelming support from many of the fans worldwide have a heavy impact on the decisions made by the IOC. Although it is extremely hard to pinpoint how many athletes train in BJJ, the number is growing substantially across the globe. The popularity in South America, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and many Asian countries are helping the push for the sport to become an Olympic reality. 

There is a lot of upside for the sport of BJJ, as the two divisions of Gi and No Gi are becoming extremely popular around the world. The significant rise in No Gi tournaments has propelled the sport across the globe hitting a multitude of nations. Countries like the United Arab Emirates are making significant changes to their schooling curriculum, as they have added BJJ to the mandatory standard of sporting for school students within the nation. People worldwide are getting excited and are preparing for the very realistic chance that BJJ could find its way into the Olympics sometime in the next decade. At the moment there is no news for BJJ, as Paris in 2024 have already scheduled breakdancing to add to the list, making the Olympic event 32 sports in total. 

ADDING SPORTS TO EVERY OLYMPICS

Every four years the Olympic Games are held in a different country, and every Olympics the host nation is allowed to add up to four new sports into the mix. Countries will weigh up the value of each sport that is considered before making their bid to the IOC. Sports must be viable, and have an independent governing body, they must also have an optimal rule set to help keep the sport exciting for the fans. In 2016 Rio de Janeiro in Brazil hosted the Olympic Games, and they tried to push for BJJ to become one of the sports. The rejection by the IOC was heavily criticised by many Brazilian Nationals, but due to the sport not meeting any of the criteria, Brazil have been forced to review their system for future bids. Instead Brazil opted for golf and rugby as both sports earned enough votes at the 121st International Olympic Committee session in Copenhagen in 2009. This was to beat other bids for baseball, karate, roller sports, squash, and softball for the last two pivotal spots in the event.

THE MAIN OBSTACLES IN PREVENTING AN OLYMPIC DREAM

There is a lot of support in favour of BJJ becoming an Olympic sport, as many of the practitioners will argue why hasn't it already been added. There are a few factors that have a significant impact on the sport taking the ultimate stage. For starters Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does not have an international federation that is recognized by the IOC. The ADCC and the Abu Dhabi Pro cannot be considered due to the fact they are run by the government of the United Arab Emirates. The Gracie family has a significant hand in the profits of the IBJJF and the Jiu Jitsu Federation. These organisations also don't have an elected board of governors. Which is a huge obstacle to the IOC, as they require all governing bodies to be independent, not for profit and have a chairman chosen by election every year.

Another huge problem is the sports ruleset, as BJJ is notorious for competitors stalling in controlling positions so they can win on points. With the high demand of exciting sports in the Olympics, BJJ would be forced to alter their ruleset to encourage submissions and a faster paced exciting style. Many traditionalists have a problem with this, but the reality is BJJ would have to change just like Judo, Karate and Taekwondo did in order to enter the Olympics. There could also be an issue with how many women compete in comparison to men, as women in jiu jitsu are still just beginning to build a more reputable standing amongst the BJJ community. There would have to be a significant spike in women competitors to make the division viable in an Olympic competition.

There is another obstacle that is a very delicate issue but a relevant one. Most of the major BJJ federations do not have an Anti Doping system in place for their athletes. The IBJJF only tests at the black belt level, and that is only for the winner of each division. There has been some significant progress made towards structuring a clean and tested Jiu Jitsu Federation. But without consistent testing for all athletes in and out of competition there will always be a stigma attached to the sport. The importance of a clean and fair sport is crucial to BJJ making a future appearance at the Olympic level. 

IS JIU JITSU IN THE OLYMPICS?

As of now, Jiu Jitsu is not featured in the Olympic Games. The exclusion of this esteemed martial art has always sparked debates among enthusiasts and professionals alike. Olympic Games have welcomed various combat sports over the years, showcasing the skills of athletes from around the globe. While sports like Judo, a close cousin to Jiu Jitsu, have graced the Olympic mats since 1964, traditional and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) continue to await their turn for inclusion.

Jiu Jitsu's rich heritage, complex techniques, and global popularity often lead to questions about its absence from the world's most prestigious international multi-sport event. Discussions about the potential of featuring Jiu Jitsu in the Olympics are common in the martial arts community, but the sport is yet to make its Olympic debut.

THE CONCLUSION 

At the end of the day the International Olympic Committee has the final decision in all sports that are granted entry into an Olympic event. All a host nation can do is pitch their bid for the sports they think should be included. In terms of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there does seem to be a lot of work to be done as many of the IOC requirements are not being met by the Brazilian sport. The Gracie clan have a rather large hold over the sport, and rightfully so because they did develop this system, but if it is to be added to an Olympic roster then there has to be major developments from the Gracie clan. 

Learn to control those pesky opponents with the help of 3X Olympian Travis Stevens!

Considering how popular the sport is becoming, the demand for an Olympic berth will be foreseeable in the future. Although Brazilian Jiu Jitsu would have to be careful as their reputation does have hostility attached, through many of the feuds carried out between practitioners. The IOC do not tolerate any sort of nonsense which is being seen at their warning to weightlifting and boxing with a possibility of them being left out of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. BJJ just needs to stay on track and evolve past the traditional elements, and build a bold and brave new system for the future. This can be achieved with humility and perseverance, as this incredible Brazilian art deserves recognition for the graceful and complex nature of its components.

If you enjoyed this piece, consider checking:

• Celebrities Who Do Jiu-Jitsu
• Jiu-Jitsu Principles
• What Does OSS Mean in BJJ?
• BJJ Philosophy
• Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Effective
• Jiu-Jitsu Terminology
• Jiu-Jitsu Best Martial Art
• Everything You Need to Know About BJJ Belts
• BJJ Belt Meanings
• BJJ Stripes
• How Many BJJ Black Belts Are There
• How Long to Get First Stripe BJJ?
• Kids Jiu-Jitsu Belts
• Youngest BJJ Black Belt
• Krav Maga vs Jiu-Jitsu