If you weren’t aware of it before there is a phenomenal series of articles written by T.P. Grant over at Bloody Elbow that covers Jiu-jitsu’s birth on the war torn battlefields of feudal Japan to the grappling mat tournaments of today.
Obviously it is not a complete detailed history. From my own research on jiu-jitsu I noticed there were a few things that were left out, but on the whole it’s an outstanding series.
Here’s a selection of the series that I think shines a little light on my corner of Jiu-jitsu, Judo and Japan. All about jiu-jitsu and it’s roundabout way of coming from Japan, leaving Japan, coming back to Japan (it never really left), and how it became sporty!
Birth on the Battlefield
Meiji Era and Evolution of Judo
Judo Travels the World and Maeda Meets Gracie
Gracies Leave the UFC and Bring Jiu Jitsu Back to Japan
Judo Grows Into an Olympic Sport
But by far my favorite articles are here:
Rolls Gracie – father of modern day jiu-jitsu and quite possibly responsible for the Rise of Sport Jiu Jitsu that we see today.
Guerrilla Warfare focuses on Dave Camarillo, Master of the Guard centers on Marcelo Garcia – both men I have the utmost respect for and hope to one day to meet and train under even if for only one class.
Oswaldo Fadda, Nova Uniao – a non-Gracie linage of jiu-jitsu.
The Alliance Schism – ah, jiu-jitsu politics, interesting from an obversational standpoint, really messy if caught in the middle.
a Jiu-jitsu Practitioner 