Jiu Jitsu at Lewis’ Karate Schools
The History of Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu is one of the oldest forms of martial arts known to man. It is said to have originated over 2,000 years ago by Buddhist monks from northern India, a few miles north of Bernares, where a man, known today as Buddha, the “Enlightened One,” lived a peaceful life. The monks who followed the Buddha’s teachings wandered the countryside divulging Buddhism. In these journeys, they were often robbed and murdered. In response to this, they created a system of fighting techniques designed to defend themselves against their oppressors and attackers. Because it was against their religious principals to harm others, they developed a system without the use of any weapons and violent techniques.
These grappling techniques came to Japan between the late 17th and mid-19th century. The method of unarmed grappling and self-defense came to Japan and evolved to what is known today as jujutsu or jiu-jitsu. The term jiu-jitsu is translated as “art of gentleness.” This “art of gentleness” was practiced and perfected by the Japanese over centuries, kept hidden from other nations.
In the 1800s, the Japanese opened their ports and began commerce with the English and other nations. The foreigners visiting Japan were amazed with jiu-jitsu, which to the foreigners was a new strategy of fighting. It was a fighting style where weaker and smaller were capable of defeating bigger and stronger opponents. Jiu-jitsu continued to flourish and develop, helping give birth to many other styles of martial arts, including judo – an art developed by Jigoro Kano (1860-1938).
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was born in the early 1900s in the same manner. It was planted in fertile ground in a family of Scottish immigrants. In 1914, Mitsyuo Maeda (1878-1941), a man representing the Japanese government, arrived in the city of Pará, Brazil. He befriended the Gracie family, particularly the family’s patriarch, Gastão Gracie. Gastão was a “Carioca” (person from Rio de Janeiro) and a descendant of Scottish immigrants. He had eight children: Carlos, Gastão, Osvaldo, Jorge, Lika, Helena, Mary, and Hélio Gracie. Gastão Gracie helped Maeda, also known as “Conde Koma”, prosper in his business in Belém. To show his gratitude, Maeda taught Carlos Gracie, Gastão’s eldest son, the techniques of Japanese jiu-jitsu. Carlos, in turn, passed along those teachings to his brothers.
Carlos Gracie soon relocated to Rio de Janeiro, and there he began to teach jiu-jitsu. Just as it was taught to him, Carlos passed along the techniques and principles of jiu-jitsu to all of his brothers — most notably, to the smallest of his brothers, Hélio Gracie.
Hélio was, as a child, small and physically frail. Kept away from physical activity at a doctor’s recommendation, Hélio spent years limited to only watching Carlos and his brothers teach and train.
One day when Hélio was 16 years old, a student arrived for class and Carlos was nowhere to be found. Helio, who had memorized the words and techniques of his older brother, offered to start the class. Soon after the class ended, Carlos arrived and apologized for his delay. The student answered, “No problem. I enjoyed the class with Hélio very much and if you don’t mind, I’d like to continue with him.” Carlos agreed and it was then that Hélio became an instructor.
Hélio soon realized that some of the techniques he had memorized from watching Carlos teach were difficult, owing to his small size and lack of strength, for him to execute. It was at this time that Hélio began to adapt those moves to his frail body’s abilities, improving the leverage in the execution of some of those techniques. Daring to break away from the traditional Japanese style, he began experimenting, modifying and perfecting simple techniques that would be effective regardless of stature. Many of the traditional facets of the art that depended on physical prowess and strength were removed and replaced with flowing techniques. Through trial and error, techniques were modified and perfected, emphasizing efficient technique and strategy over brute strength and force. It was through this process that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) was born.
Hélio and his brothers continued to modify and perfect the techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through years of training and countless challenges matches. 
The Gracies would take on all comers, of any size and from any art, in order to perfect the art. For seventy years, represented by the family champions (including Hélio, Carlson, Rolls and Rickson), the family remained undefeated and in doing so, left an indelible mark on the world of martial arts and fighting. In more recent times, through events such as the Ultimate Fighting Championships, Pride Fighting Championships, K-1 Mixed Martial Arts, Deep, Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling Championships and the Campeonato Mundial de Jiu-Jitsu, the Gracie family and other representatives of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu continue to prove the devastating effectiveness of this beautifully efficient art.
Today, this tradition of flawless technique is carried on by Hélio’s sons – Rorion, Relson, Rickson, Rolker, Royler, Royce and Robin – as well as thousands across the world. Fighters and teachers, men, women and children alike use the principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a myriad of purposes, including self-defense, fitness, sportive combat, and professional vale-tudo (“everything goes”) fighting.
About Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is the fifth son of Grandmaster Helio Gracie. He started Jiu-Jitsu at the age of three, playing soccer in a gi in his family academy. As soon as he was old enough to compete, the young Royler started his illustrious competition career. He has been competing as a black belt for more than twenty years and has had more than three hundred matches in that time span. He is a four-time World Champion, two-time Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling Champion, and also holds several national and regional titles. He has consistently been one of the most active sport jiu-jitsu competitors in the world, always ready to test himself against people of all sizes holding many different titles. Royler has a fire burning inside that propels him to achieve things no other person has achieved in the sport.
When one looks at Royler the most striking characteristic is his slight frame. This image is reinforced when he takes on opponents far larger than himself. His lack of brawn has made Royler the technician par-excellence. He is totally dependent upon superior technique for victory. This technical perfection makes Royler one of the most skillful and adept of the Gracie clan. He is the pure Jiu-Jitsu man’s fighter – precise, technical, relaxed – always looking to employ technique and strategy over strength and power. As a result, Royler can teach anyone, even the physically ungifted and weak, to prevail in a fight. This makes him one of the most sought after instructors in the martial arts world. He is the living embodiment of the martial artist’s dream of skill and technique overcoming strength and aggression. Over eighteen years as a black belt instructor and leader of the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Gracie Humaitá) and arguably, the most famous grappling team in the world make him one of the foremost coaches in the world. His teaching schedule is brutal. Every day he rises early to teach private lessons through the length of the day, then the group class at night. Only a handful of people can legitimately claim the fighting and coaching expertise of this remarkable figure. A true warrior and jiu-jitsu fighter, his technical prowess can only be surpassed by his fighting spirit and untiring desire to spread the art of jiu-jitsu to all that would learn.
About David Adiv
David’s journey in the martial arts spans over 20 years. He was first introduced into the martial arts through the study of Judo, in which, he went on to hold many international titles. It was at a Judo tournament that David was privileged to see Royler Gracie in action first hand. He was able to witness the effectiveness and efficiency of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, as it was handed down from father (Hélio Gracie) to son.
Later while teaching Judo in the US, David had the opportunity to meet and train with Rickson Gracie. Rickson took note of David’s martial prowess and immediately put him in contact with Royler. In 1992, David began his training under Royler Gracie by going to Brazil. From then on David would spend 6 months of each year training at the Gracie Humaitá Academy in Brazil.
In 1995, Royler invited David to be part of his training team and accompany him and Rickson Gracie for Royler’s first Vale-Tudo match in Japan. Since then, he has always traveled with Royler as part of his training team.
On his own, David is accomplished in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, competing in various tournaments including the Pan American Championships and the 1st Rickson Gracie International Tournament where he not only won his division but also walked away with the award for the most technical fighter. He has competed in the Mundials (the World Championships) and done extremely well.
As an instructor, David teaches all aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the self-defense aspect to Sport Jiu-Jitsu, Submission Wrestling and on to Vale Tudo. He is considered by many to be one of the most technical black belts today.
David has also spearheaded the development of the Royler Gracie-David Adiv Jiu-Jitsu Team in the US. Through seminars, affiliated instructors and the annual Royler Gracie Championships, the organization has seen a tremendous increase in members in the past years. As a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and as Royler’s top representative in the United States, David carries on the tradition of the Gracie family.
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