Brazilian jujitsu has a different focus than the Japanese judo and jujitsu from which it drew many of its principles. A Brazilian man named Helio Gracie learned the basics of judo by watching his brother train. Gracie was sickly, but he memorized the techniques and then adapted the fighting style of his brother to make it suitable for his less powerful physique, creating Brazilian jujitsu. His goal was to develop a fighting style that even weak people could master.
Function
A major benefit of Brazilian jujitsu is that it doesn't require high levels of strength. The goal of the discipline is to teach people how to use minimal effort to subdue opponents. For example, a practitioner of Brazilian jujitsu might stay out of an enraged opponent's range until the opponent makes a mistake, at which point the Brazilian jujitsu fighter might step in and subdue the opponent with a choke hold.
General Benefits
Like other martial arts, Brazilian jujitsu promotes disciplined fitness. If you're looking for an effective way to burn calories and develop muscular endurance, Brazilian jujitsu training is an option. Brazilian jujitsu focuses primarily on efficient and patient movements. Consequently, Brazilian jujitsu is more relaxed than most other martial arts forms, which often require intense training that includes many kicks and punches. This makes Brazilian jujitsu suitable for people of all ages and levels of physical ability.
Practicality
Brazilian jujitsu will show you how to manipulate an attacker's body in such a way that makes it impossible for the aggression to continue. This makes it an effective choice for people who want to learn self-defense but aren't interested in impractical high-flying kicks and devastating punches. For example, people who want to learn how to defend themselves against a mugger or rapist can turn to Brazilian jujitsu to learn how to deal with larger opponents.
Considerations
Many of the techniques you'll learn in Brazilian jujitsu involve ground fighting and gaining control of position. Generally, the goal isn't to hurt or maim your opponent but rather to force your opponent to submit. Brazilian jujitsu fighters learn how to establish a dominant position while fighting on the ground, how to distribute their weight to make it difficult for their opponents to topple them and how to use submission holds, such as choke holds and headlocks. They also learn how to escape submission holds. These techniques are helpful in real-life scenarios when you want to protect yourself but aren't built to engage in a punching match.
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