A famous prizefighter and Judoka from the Kodokan named Mitsuyo Maeda was sent as an envoy of the Japanese fighting arts to Brazil.

It was here in 1918 that he was introduced to a hyperactive young Brazilian, of Scottish heritage, by the name of Carlos Gracie and agreed to pass on his knowledge.

Carlos trained under Maeda for a number of years before going off to test his skills against anyone of any style who was willing to fight him.

By 1925 Carlos opened an academy of his own with the help of two of his brothers, George and Helio.

When unable to attend a private lesson with a student one day, Helio offered to teach in place of his brother. The student (a local banker) was so pleased with Helio’s method of teaching he insisted that he continued being his instructor.

Being of smaller build and often unwell, the much weaker Helio began to adapt the Judo techniques to work more easily for smaller people, with the emphasis being on torque and leverage instead of power and brute force.

And so Brazilian or Gracie Jiu Jitsu was born.

The Gracie brothers went on to have many children who in turn learned this new art, and to constantly test and challenge their theories, the family issued challenge matches with no rules to anyone of any style.

In 1993, Rorion Gracie staged the very 1st Ultimate Fighting Championship event, offering martial artists of all styles the chance to test their skills in an 8 man tournament. A chance to answer the age old question, just what was the best martial art?

One of the smallest and youngest members of the Gracie family was put forward to represent Gracie Jiu Jitsu and the rest is history.

Royce Gracie went on to dominate every opponent of any weight and any style for two years, highlighting the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

BJJ has since gone on to become one of the world’s most popular martial arts and an essential part of any Mixed Martial Arts training.

Our School is proud to be part of the world famous Pedro Sauer Gracie Jiu Jitsu association and one of only 2 PSBJJ schools in the U.K.

Our lineage is directly traceable all the way back from Mitsuyo Maeda to Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Pedro Sauer and to you guys at the academy.

We offer some of the most comprehensive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes in Southend and Essex, teaching Gracie Jiu Jitsu as a highly effective self defence system and an integral part of Mixed Martial Arts.

So if you are looking to get into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Southend, Essex, then look no further than Southend Combat Academy.