Beginners guide to:

[AngelaG]

OK, can anyone on here give me a clear and concise answer to the differences between Vale Tudo and BJJ?

[Aefibird]

Whilst we're on the subject of grappling, can we have an 'idiot's guide' explanation for shooto and shootfighting too? Ta!

[danialsan]

BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) is a grappling art derived from Judo, which was taken to Brazil early last century. It is often considered a groundfighting art but includes some stand-up training. It was popular and successful in Vale Tudo (“Anything Goes” in Portuguese) competitions which were held in Brazil where fighters from differing styles fight with virtually no rules. Today BJJ is popular in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting, which is based on Vale Tudo (confusingly the terms are often used interchangeably, BJJ clubs having a tendency to call MMA “Vale Tudo” after the Brazilian format). Another popular term for these types of competition include “No Holds Barred” (NHB) and “UFC” and “Shooto” after specific promotions.

[Aefibird]

Thanks.

[dickclark]

danialsan said:

BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) is a grappling art derived from Judo, which was taken to Brazil early last century.

There is nothing that I have seen in BJJ, or in any of the books by the Gracies (sp?) that was not in my judo class in the sixties. BJJ is really nothing more than Kano's judo. As judo become more a competition sport, all the neat things started to fall out. Just like karate. We did not call it the mount or anything like that, but all the stuff was taught, and the training pretty much followed that path. And punched came in at about brown belt!, and pressure points, and kicks and poke you in the eye.

[tez3]

BJJ competitions are jujitsu, judo is the watered down version of this. The Brazilian part comes from its popularity in that country where it's almost a national sport alongside footbal.. The gracie family are mostly responsible for this. There are no strikes in BJJ whereas in Vale Tudo it is literally 'anything goes' punches, kicks, elbows though not downward elbows, knees, chokes, leg and ankle locks, arms locks this is all allowed while fighters are on the floor. Different promoters have slightly different rules, Pride from Japan being the one with least rules. In the UK there are three divisions of rules, amateur, semi-pro and professional.

In both BJJ and Vale Tudo a shoot, (from chute French for ground) is a takedown where one fighter 'shoots' from the front to grab his opponents leg or both legs behind the knee to take the other fighter down onto their back. If when shooting you don't keep your head close in to your opponents thigh you will find he's grabbed you in a choke.

Ian Freeman a British veteran of the American UFC as well as many fights in Europe and the UK, has described Vale Tudo or ultimate fighting as a game of physical chess. It is very technical as well as being physically demanding. Oh yes and great fun!