Adorned competitor and Legion AJJ founder Keenan Cornelius spoke in regards to the historical past of jiu-jitsu in America.
By no means one to draw back from a controversial subject, retired competitor Keenan Cornelius not too long ago detailed the historical past of jiu-jitsu in the USA and why he chooses to make use of the time period American Jiu-Jitsu, fairly than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
An IBJJF no-gi world champion and multiple-time ADCC medalist, Cornelius is well known as among the best and most progressive American rivals ever. Whereas he’s now not actively competing, he stays an vital determine within the jiu-jitsu neighborhood. In 2019, he opened Legion American Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego, which is dwelling to a lot of high-level rivals.
Cornelius not too long ago launched the primary episode of the Dojo Storm podcast and spoke at size about jiu-jitsu historical past.
In accordance with Cornelius, Mitsuyo Maeda – a Japanese judoka who is usually credited with introducing jiu-jitsu to the Gracie household – got here to the USA earlier than touring to Brazil. It was in America, says Cornelius, that jiu-jitsu first gained reputation within the western hemisphere.
“[Maeda] went to America, 1904, and he launched Teddy Roosevelt, the f****** president of the USA to jiu-jitsu. Theodore Roosevelt has many quotes about how jiu-jitsu is so superior… All the American police power was being taught American jiu-jitsu by Maeda and [his student] Yamashita, and all of their college students that they skilled in America.”
Cornelius explains that Individuals had been largely fascinated about studying jiu-jitsu as a result of they considered it as a obligatory instrument in warfare.
The Russo-Japanese Battle passed off in 1904-1905, and the Japanese emerged victorious largely attributable to their capability to win hand-to-hand skirmishes in trench warfare. Individuals noticed this and felt compelled to be taught jiu-jitsu.
“In America, it’s turning into well-liked. Everyone seems to be coaching it… It was turning into institutionalized as a result of they thought it was a warfare expertise… It was being institutionalized and popularized as a result of it was deemed as a obligatory warfare expertise for Individuals to remain aggressive…
“These Japanese guys with samurai swords and fundamental weapons had been successful trench warfare with martial arts, so it was truly believed, holy s*** we have to know this.”
Nevertheless, whereas jiu-jitsu was gaining reputation within the U.S., it wasn’t the one grappling artwork in America. Catch wrestling – the forebearer to trendy skilled wrestling – had been round for many years and was gaining notoriety. Catch wrestling borrowed strategies from jiu-jitsu, simply as jiu-jitsu borrowed strategies from catch wrestling.
“The American wrestling tradition was nonetheless right here. So there was all kinds of fights between the judo guys, the jiu-jitsu guys, the catch wrestlers. What ended up occurring was a melding of the strategies. Catch wrestling kinda grew to become the American model of jiu-jitsu, however they nonetheless known as it jiu-jitsu.”
Jiu-jitsu’s rise in reputation got here to an abrupt finish in 1941 following the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor and World Battle II. As Cornelius explains, all issues Japanese, together with jiu-jitsu, had been demonized in American tradition.
“Then Pearl Harbor occurred. Pearl Harbor created numerous Japanese xenophobia and all of their cultural influence that had made a lot floor was mainly erased due to the propaganda of the state. They feminized it. They had been like, ‘Oh, it’s for women. Jiu-jitsu is for ladies.’ After World Battle II, it grew to become a self-defense for ladies factor.”
Cornelius goes on to acknowledge the following explosion of jiu-jitsu in Brazil in addition to the influence of the Gracie household on the worldwide development of the artwork.
Finally, although, he stands agency that American jiu-jitsu existed lengthy earlier than Brazilian jiu-jitsu – and Brazilians aren’t the true originators of the artwork because it’s practiced right now.
“I’m not saying Brazilian jiu-jitsu doesn’t exist. It does. I’m simply saying American jiu-jitsu did exist. Actually, it’s there, the phrase American jiu-jitsu, all all through 30 years from 1900 to Thirties… You may now not declare as a advertising tactic that Brazilians are the originators of jiu-jitsu as it’s right now…
“I can name my health club American jiu-jitsu as a result of there’s a legitimate declare to the strategies that I’ve created and all the opposite Individuals.”
