Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was forged through decades of Vale Tudo competition. These brutal 'no holds barred' contests often had no rules or time limits and were immensely popular in 20th century Brazil. Modern competition BJJ was originally created to provide a safe environment for BJJ practitioners to compete with each other. Over time this competitive format has grown in importance within the BJJ community becoming the main or even only focus of many schools.

At Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, however, the focus remains upon the original vale tudo strategies. What if the opponent can headbutt or eye gouge you? What about knees, stamps or soccer kicks while on the ground? How do you close the distance, clinch and takedown an aggressive striker? These strategies are the roots of BJJ and also the secrets to it's success.

Rickson emphasizes a deeper understanding of the principles and concepts of Jiu-Jitsu. His insight into such things as base, timing, connection, weight distribution and leverage are unrivaled. The precise application of these principles are often so slight that they are impossible to see and need to be felt to be appreciated. Because of this, Rickson coined the phrase 'Invisible Jiu-Jitsu'.

Classes at BJJ Leiden are focused on the practice and perfection of these principles.