What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? | the gentle art…
Jiu-Jitsu is a modern martial art based around the principles of pins, wedges, off-balancing, levers, and fulcrums. Its practitioners follow a simple but highly effective strategy: Defend – Escape – Control – Submit. What makes Jiu-Jitsu different from most other martial arts is that it doesn’t rely on kicks and strikes. Instead, students use chokes and joint locks to finish an opponent. This makes training safer and less aggressive. Another key difference is that Jiu-Jitsu is a complete martial art—it includes a standing game, a ground game, and the transition between them.
Unlike traditional martial arts which are usually rigid and fixed, Jiu-JItsu is in a constant state of evolution. It is a subset of Judo . As students gain experience, they learn to explore and modify techniques so that they work for their own fitness level and body type. That makes it a very adaptable martial art.
These days Jiu-Jitsu is so much more than just a martial art for Self-Defence. It has become one of the world’s fastest growing martial arts and most people recognise it as one of the key components of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). It also has its own well-established tournaments at all levels—local, national, and international. Training can be in traditional uniform (the “gi”) or fight shorts and a rash guard (the popular “No-Gi” variation).
In short, Jiu-Jitsu is very much whatever you want it to be because it offers something for everyone.
myBJJ New Zealand | about our national team…
myBJJ New Zealand began with humble origins in Dunedin. In those days Jiu-Jitsu was still in its infancy in New Zealand and most clubs were lucky if they had a Purple Belt to teach. Fast forward a couple of decades and now the art is well established throughout the country.
myBJJ New Zealand has three Black Belts: Stuart Marks (our first black belt and now based in Nelson), Philip Lindsay (Dunedin) and James Cherie (Whangarei).
Professor Marks is the Principal Instructor for New Zealand.
Our instructors travel to Australia regularly to train in person with Professor Yokoyama. Throughout the year we also offer seminars in our New Zealand schools so our students have the opportunity to train with guest instructors, including Prof. Yokoyama.
myBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu International Association | about our global team…
myBJJ New Zealand is proud to be part of the myBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu International Association . Our global organisation has affiliates throughout Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States. Our team was founded by Professor Mario Yokoyama, a Ryan Gracie Black Belt from Brazil. These days Prof. Yokoyama trains out of his Australian headquarters in Sydney.
We are dedicated to providing world-class, professional instruction for our students. Although we are a young team, our atheletes stand head-to-head against the world’s best, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where we regularly dominate competitions.
Our lineage has a clear path back to the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
