History
The History of Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu
Origins in Japan
The origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu reach back hundreds of years to the Japanese combative arts known as Bujutsu.
Bujutsu translates to “martial” or “military art,” and refers to the strategic, tactical, physical skills developed for real battlefield combat. Unlike Budo, which emphasises the philosophical and spiritual “way” of martial arts, Bujutsu is purely functional... technique, leverage, and strategy applied under life-or-death pressure.
Developed by the samurai, Bujutsu systems focused on efficient hand-to-hand methods: including weapons, joint locks, throws, chokes, and the intelligent use of an opponent’s force.
As martial arts of the battlefield, Bujutsu was designed for survival and killing, not for sport.
Bujutsu and Budo
Over many generations, those who survived battles refined and passed on profound knowledge, experience, and strategic insight into the brutal realities of war.
In this way Budo, as a philosophical study of awareness, was also developed as a way to deal with the harsh realities and aftermath of life and death battles.
Over hundreds of years many different schools (ryu) of Bujutsu arose through feudal Japan, each specialising in various systems and forms of combative arts. These schools are often categorized by their focus, such as swordsmanship (kenjutsu), striking (dakentaijutsu), or grappling (jiūjutsu), and are distinct from the more philosophical budō styles.
Jiu-Jitsu, literally translated as “the gentle art.”
Budo, often translated as “The Way of the Warrior,” complements the various forms of Bujutsu by cultivating the inner qualities of the warrior... awareness, honour, reflection, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and the just application of force.
While Bujutsu teaches how to defeat an opponent, Budo teaches why, and under what circumstances, force should be used.
The Art of War
Like Yin and Yang, Bujutsu and Budo are inseparable.
Bujutsu without Budo creates imbalance... a dangerous mindset for both the individual and society.
When technical skill is pursued without wisdom, honour, insight or restraint, it can be weaponised for ego, dominance, and harm.
Budo, on the other hand, tempers the warrior, shaping character, ethics, and responsibility. It ensures that combative ability is cultivated and used as a protector and not for unethical gain.
To be a complete martial artist... especially in the modern world... both Bujutsu and Budo are required. The balanced outer and the inner aspects of martial arts. As a Fighter, Bujutsu addresses the question of "How to win the next fight," where as for complete Martial Artists, Budo examines the bigger picture of the course of their lives overall.
Many arts study combat, but few preserve the deeper heartfelt wisdom that gives the practice of combative skill meaning.
At their best, Budo and Bujutsu together form a unique and unified path: the capacity to fight, and the consciousness to know when not to.
Budo also contemplates the nature of free will, chance, fate, the creative human spirit and acceptance of natural, universal forces that shape our lives.
From Feudal Warfare to Modern Jiu-Jitsu
For centuries, Japan existed in a fractured landscape of competing clans, warlords, and regional factions. Power was constantly shifting, and large-scale conflicts were common. In this turbulent era, the samurai class emerged as the dominant military force, and Bujutsu... the practical arts of war... developed as systems for surviving armoured combat, weapon-based engagements, and the brutality of battlefield chaos. Although shrouded in mystery, Ninjitsu also arose in this feudal time period, combining highly skilled Bujutsu arts with unconventional methods of espionage, psychological and guerrilla warfare, strategic sabotage and assassinations. Like Budo, Ninjitsu was shaped by deeply esoteric, spiritual practices and nature-based mysticism.
Unification Under the Shogunate
By the early 1600s, after centuries of warfare culminating in the Sengoku (“Warring States”) period, Japan was unified under the Tokugawa Shogunate. This ushered in over 250 years of relative peace and stability.
With prolonged peace came a dramatic shift:
The need for battlefield combat skills decreased.
Samurai responsibilities moved from warfare to administration, governance, and cultural leadership.
Martial arts began evolving from purely battlefield survival systems into paths of self-cultivation, discipline, law enforcement and moral development.
This is where Budo and Bushido (Code of conduct) truly began to rise alongside Bujutsu... Where the “Way” became just as important as the “Techniques.” Notable schools of Budo include Rinzai Zen & Shugendo.
The Samurai Code: Bushido and the Way of the Warrior
The principles of Bushido, the samurai's code of conduct, had a significant impact on their way of life, moral standards, and behavior. Bushido was developed at the peak of samurai rule, during the Kamakura period, endorsing various versions of eight core virtues:.
Honour: The samurai must fear disgrace but not take offence at slight provocations. They must always be conscious of their dignity and self-worth.
Loyalty: Being loyal to their master was the most important rule of the samurai during the feudal era.
Mercy: They must show love, sympathy, and pity for others.
Justice: This is Bushido's strongest virtue. Every samurai must be able to discern the appropriate course of action when faced with a decision.
Politeness: They must regard the feelings of others.
Courage: The samurai must be brave enough to do what is right, even when faced with formidable adversity.
Self-Control: The samurai must be a person of character who sticks to their moral code.
Honesty: The samurai must live a frugal life and be true to themselves and to others.
As a code of conduct for Warriors, Bushido and Budo hold value even today, from the battlefield to the boardroom.
The Decline of the Samurai & Weapon Restrictions
In the mid-19th century, Japan underwent another major transformation. The Tokugawa shogunate collapsed, leading to the Meiji Restoration (1868), which modernised the country at rapid speed.
Several key reforms changed martial arts forever:
The samurai class was officially dissolved as Japan shifted to a modern conscript army.
At this time, many early officers of the Imperial Japanese Army were recruited directly from generational samurai lineages.
However, carrying weapons in public was outlawed, ending the open wearing of swords by civilians.
Martial schools had to adapt to a world where combat was no longer fought in armour, with swords, or on battlefields.
As Japanese society modernised, many traditional Jiu-Jitsu schools (ryu) struggled. Some closed; others evolved. Hand-to-hand systems became less about armoured grappling, weapon retention, and lethal finishing… and more about physical education, discipline, and safe training methods.
Many of those from the samurai class also became high ranking officials in government, police and law enforcement.
During this same era, several forms of empty-hand combat were also developing in Okinawa... what would later become known collectively as Karate.
Karate and Jiu Jitsu
Karate emerged from a blend of indigenous Okinawan fighting arts (Te) and Chinese martial influences brought through trade with Fujian province. Because Okinawan commoners were historically forbidden to carry weapons under both local royal lines and later Japanese rule, they also refined highly effective empty-hand striking, joint manipulation, improvised weapons and weaponless self-defence methods.
By the late 19th and early 20th century, pioneers such as Anko Itosu, Gichin Funakoshi, and Chojun Miyagi began formalising these methods into structured styles (Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, etc.). When Japan fully outlawed weapons after the Meiji Restoration, Karate’s practical empty-hand approach aligned perfectly with the new era... making it one of the most relevant self-defence systems for civilians and law enforcement in a society where blades could no longer be carried.
Many of these emerging styles of Karate, also preserved elements of battlefield Jiu Jitsu to protect civilians from both outlaws, and to defend themselves against unethical government sanctioned law enforcement.
Yet, many Japanese families still honour the samurai traditions today, preserving their values of loyalty, discipline, service, and refined character.
Rise of The Kodokan
The Evolution of Jiu Jitsu
Into this transforming era of Japan stepped Jigoro Kano.
In the late 19th century, Kano, a scholar and educator, studied several classical Jiu-Jitsu systems and recognised both their value and their limitations. Traditional Jiu-Jitsu relied heavily on potentially lethal techniques... joint breaks, powerful strikes to vulnerable areas, weapon defences... Many of these lethal approaches from battlefield arts made full-speed training impractical.
Kano saw an opportunity to preserve the essence of Jiu-Jitsu while modernising it for a safer, more universal practice.
He founded the Kodokan in 1882 and created Judo (“The Gentle Way”).
The Evolution of Jiu Jitsu
Kano’s innovations included:
• Randori (live sparring) to pressure-test technique without severe injury
• Kuzushi (off-balancing) as a scientific principle of leverage
• Nage waza (throws) refined from battlefield grappling
• Ne waza (ground fighting) systematised into a cohesive method
• Budo (The Way of the Warrior) as the study of philosophy of moral conduct, personal development and education aligned with the study of combat
These changes made Kodokan Judo / Jiu Jitsu an effective martial art, a powerful method of personal development and an excellent foundation for physical education. Kano’s emphasis on efficiency, technique over un-leveraged strength, and continuous refinement laid the foundation for what would eventually become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
"Face your fear, empty yourself, trust your own voice, let go of control, have faith in outcomes, connect with a larger purpose, derive meaning from the struggle."
Jigoro Kano
From Japan to Brazil
Travelling Prize Fighters
In 1914, several Japanese Kodokan Judo masters including Soshihiro Satake and Mitsuyo Maeda... also known as “Count Koma” traveled to Brazil. (Soshihiro Satake second from the left, and Mitsuyo Maeda far right).
Both Satake and Maeda were world-traveling fighters and demonstrators of Kodokan Judo’s /Jiu Jitsu's effectiveness, having both competed in hundreds of "anything goes" challenge matches around the globe.
Satake settled in Manaus in the Amazonas and established the first Judo/Jiu Jitsu Academy in Brazil at the Atlético Clube Rio Negro. Early students of Soshihiro Satake include Luiz Franca and Vinicious Ruas (the uncle of Vale Tudo/MMA champion Marco Ruas.) Years later Vinicious Ruas would become the president of the Rio de Janeiro’s Judo Federation, and Luiz Franca also became a student of Mitsuyo Maeda who was then stationed in Belem do Para. Luiz Franca went on to teach Jiu Jitsu to such notable students as Oswaldo Fadda who spread the art of Jiu Jitsu and Self Defence to less affluent areas of Brazil.
Maeda and the "Boxing Tent" tradition
Before arriving in Brazil, Maeda and Satake had spent years travelling the world performing in “boxing tents” and open challenge exhibitions. These were public matches where anyone could step up and fight the resident martial artist for prize money or bragging rights.
When Maeda settled in Belém do Pará, Brazil, Gastão Gracie, the father of Carlos and Hélio, became one of his supporters and business partners. Together, they helped bring Maeda’s challenge-match style exhibitions to local Brazilian audiences.
In appreciation, Maeda began teaching Judo—then commonly referred to as “Kano Jiu-Jitsu”—to Gastão’s son, Carlos Gracie, as well as to other Brazilian students. Carlos then taught what he learned to his four brothers: Oswaldo, George, Gastão Jr., and Hélio.
Carlos and his brothers devoted themselves to studying, refining, and pressure-testing the techniques they learned. This culture of “prove it on the mat” directly influenced the next generations of Gracies. The family adopted it wholeheartedly, shaping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into an art that was tested, refined, and proven in real combat. Rather than relying on size or strength, Maeda emphasised leverage, timing, positional control, and technical precision. Over time, Carlos, Helio and their brothers study evolved into a distinctive expression of Kodokan Jiu-Jitsu that became known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
With centuries of combative evolution, the Gracie Family Jiu Jitsu system was optimised for real combat, particularly for self-defence and the intensely demanding environment of no-holds-barred encounters.
As ambassadors of Jiu Jitsu and pride in the family name, the Gracie family began publicly testing their method through consensual challenge matches, facing opponents from every style and background to demonstrate the effectiveness of Jiu Jitsu. These early Gracie Challenge bouts and Brazil’s Vale Tudo (“anything goes”) fights played a pivotal role in showcasing the power of technical Jiu-Jitsu… and ultimately laid the groundwork for what would become modern mixed martial arts (MMA).
The Vale Tudo Era
Forging Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Through Real Combat
Before Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became a global sport, it was tested in the fires of Vale Tudo... the no-rules, bare-knuckle fighting tradition that shaped the art into what it is today. The Gracie family used Vale Tudo as the ultimate laboratory, proving their technique against all styles and refining Jiu-Jitsu under real pressure.
Hélio Gracie vs. Masahiko Kimura (1951)
One of the most famous matches in martial arts history saw Hélio Gracie face Masahiko Kimura, one of judo’s greatest champions. Masahiko eventually defeated Hélio with a shoulder lock that would forever bear his name (Kimura)... but despite the loss the fight elevated the Gracies’ reputation worldwide.
It was a pivotal moment that showed Helio's courage, resilience and BJJ’s effectiveness even when facing an elite athlete of another discipline.
Hélio Gracie vs. Waldemar Santana (1955)
In a legendary fight that lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, Waldemar Santana, a former student, defeated Hélio Gracie. The match pushed the limits of human endurance and solidified BJJ’s image as a martial art grounded in resilience, patience, and strategy.
But the story didn’t end there.
Carlson Gracie Avenges the Family
Hélio’s nephew, Carlson Gracie, stepped forward to restore the family’s honor. Younger, stronger, and fiercely competitive, Carlson fought Waldemar Santana multiple times, and defeated him decisively.
Carlson's victories were historic. They:
• Revived the Gracie name in Vale Tudo
• Launched Carlson as one of Brazil’s greatest fighters
• Helped evolve BJJ into a more aggressive, pressure-based style
• Laid the foundation for what would eventually become modern MMA
Carlson later became the mentor to a generation of fighters who would dominate early MMA worldwide.
The Rise of The Modern Warrior
Rickson Gracie
In the decades that followed, Rickson Gracie emerged as the family’s top fighter.
He competed in dozens of Vale Tudo matches and challenge fights... famously defeating Rei Zulu twice... and infamously defeating Hugo Duarte in an unsanctioned beach fight in Rio de Janeiro. These challenge fights were not sport Jiu-Jitsu, they were no-rules, no-gloves, vale tudo matches designed to prove what worked.
Rickson went on to fight many times in Japan winning the prestigeous Vale Tudo Japan tournament twice. Each tournament defeating 3 opponents in a single night. Rickson later defeated popular Japanese wrestler Nobuhiko Takada twice in Pride superfights. He maintained an undefeated professional record with his final fight against Masakatsu Funaki in 2000 by way of rear naked choke.
Rickson’s dominance helped push BJJ into the spotlight long before the UFC existed. His technical precision and psychological mastery influenced martial artists everywhere, including Richard Norton, who trained with Rickson during his early exposure to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the 80's.
The Gracie Family and the Global Spread of BJJ
Rorian Gracie Origins and The UFC
Rorian Gracie is one of the key figures responsible for popularizing the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United States and around the world. The eldest son of Helio, Rorian is a prominent member of the Gracie family, a lawyer, producer, and, notably, the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
When Rorion Gracie moved to the United States in the late 1970s, almost no one had heard of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Traditional martial arts dominated the landscape, each claiming superiority Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Kickboxing, and even early forms of American catch-wrestling and freestlye sport grappling.
In moving to the United States, Rorion wanted to do what his father and uncles had done in Brazil: show the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu on the biggest stage possible.
Rorian Gracie Origins and The UFC
In co-founding the UFC, Rorian had three main motives:
• To recreate the challenge-match culture his family grew up in.
He believed the world needed a reality-based testing ground, not theory, not choreography, but live, full-contact proof.
• To demonstrate BJJ’s leverage-based techniques against larger, stronger opponents.
• To introduce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the world and establish its legitimacy.
This is why he insisted on showcasing his younger, smaller brother, Royce Gracie rather than Rickson, who was already feared and physically imposing.
The UFC was never created as a sport first; it was created as a public laboratory to prove BJJ’s tactical supremacy in real combat.
Royce Gracie put the Martial Arts World on Notice
Rorian's brother Royce Gracie stunned the martial arts world by consecutively defeating much larger and stronger opponents using pure BJJ technique.
At the same time, other branches of the Gracie family and their close cousins, the Machado brothers (Carlos Jr., Roger, Rigan, John, and Jean Jacques Machado). began spreading BJJ throughout the United States, teaching a generation of martial artists who would go on to change the face of combat sports and self-defence forever.
Richard Norton and the Discovery of BJJ
Richard Norton
Among those captivated by this evolving art was Richard Norton, a formidable Australian bodyguard and global martial arts movie industry icon. Norton was the co-founder of Zen do Kai Freestyle Karate with Bob Jones (an early MMA system) and a lifelong student and prolific teacher of combat. By the late 1980s, Richard had already achieved mastery in Karate, kickboxing, multiple martial arts and Japanese Kobudo weapons systems. His incredible abilities saw him move from being a bodyguard to music industry A-listers, to the silver screen from Hong Kong to Hollywood.
Multi-disciplinary Mastery
During his years working and training alongside Chuck Norris in the United States, Richard was introduced to Rorian Gracie, Renzo Gracie and Rickson Gracie, with Rickson widely regarded as one of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu practitioners of all time.
Richard Norton and The Machado Brothers
That meeting in the 80's would profoundly shape the next 35+ year chapter of Richard’s martial arts journey. Soon after, Richard began training under the Machado brothers, becoming one of the early adopters and practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States.
Around this time Richard introduced Australian Martial Arts pioneer John B. Will to Rorian Gracie, with John going on to train in Brazil and form his own strong connection in Jiu Jitsu through Rigan and the Machado brothers.
Richard Norton Winning Pan Am Gold in Hawaii
Richard Introduces Chuck Norris to The Machados
In a pivotal moment in martial arts history, Richard personally introduced the Machado brothers to his friend Chuck Norris, a connection that helped the Machados establish themselves as leading BJJ instructors outside Brazil. Their influence and passion for the art of Jiu-Jitsu would spread rapidly across America, Hollywood, and the wider martial arts community... with Richard playing a key role in bridging that world.
Over time, Richard earned his 6th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, alongside his many other black belt ranks in Zen Do Kai, Goju Karate, Chuck Norris' Chun Kuk Do, and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez unique style of Ukidokan Kickboxing. Richard would also later go on to become co-founder of The Tactical Mixed Martial Arts Association with Jeremy Ta'kody. For more on Richard Norton Click Here.
Richard continued to have a prolific career in the movie industry, training many of Hollywood's A listers and working on over 90 films as an actor, fight choreographer, 2nd unit director and stunt co-ordinator.
Richard’s approach to martial arts was always holistic... blending incredible traditional skill and insight with modern combative understanding, mental focus, and the science of human performance. His reputation as a world-class martial artist, body guard, teacher, and film industry legend made him a true ambassador of BJJ and martial arts as a whole.
The Birth of Tactical BJJ
Jeremy Ta’kody first met Richard Norton in the mid-1990s while training under John B. Will, one of Richard’s long-time close friends. A multi-style black belt, lifelong martial artist, mentor, and coach with extensive experience in the security industry, Jeremy later became the editor of Blitz Martial Arts Magazine and International Kickboxer Magazine and went on to build BlackBelt Digital Video and run several successful martial arts schools.
Jeremy reconnected with Richard in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the two began training together whenever Richard’s film work and teaching schedule allowed. After several years of collaboration, they co-founded the Tactical Mixed Martial Arts Association (TMMA). Their shared vision was to integrate the techniques and principles of multiple disciplines: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Shootfighting, Karate, and reality-based self-defence... into unified systems and curriculums that served both martial arts professionals and everyday practitioners seeking true functional skill.
Together, they developed comprehensive curriculums across MMA, including reality-based street Combatives, Muay Thai, fitness boxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
TMMA also carries a deep philosophical foundation rooted in warrior wisdom, particularly through The 7 Elements (7 Attentions Method), an ancient framework echoed in the teachings of legendary martial artists such as Miyamoto Musashi.
Working alongside them was George Adams a lifelong martial artist, whose deep network within martial arts and law enforcement circles helped Richard establish the foundation of what would become Team Norton BJJ. Through George’s connections and Richard’s far-reaching influence, the Team Norton BJJ association grew organically... not through marketing or commercial intent, but through a shared passion for martial arts and the spirit of respect, loyalty, and the pursuit of personal mastery.
Those who joined Team Norton were often long-time friends and past students of Richard, or martial artists who had admired Richard's ability, integrity and depth for decades. Team Norton became less an organization and more a brotherhood... a collective of passionate instructors and practitioners united by the martial arts lifestyle and Richard’s example both on and off the mat.
As co-founder of Tactical MMA, Jeremy was one of the founding Black Belts of Team Norton BJJ, training under Richard for over two decades and helping to shape the evolution of the Mixed Martial Arts and BJJ in Australia.
When Richard Norton passed unexpectedly on March 28, 2025, his fans, students and peers around the world felt the weight of the loss deeply.
After Richard's passing, Team Norton BJJ was renamed Tactical BJJ Association... as per Richard's wishes, ensuring that Richard's teachings, spirit, and philosophy would live on.
Tactical BJJ continues that lineage... a living embodiment of Richard’s vision, blending combat effectiveness with personal development.
As Richard's highest graded student, and Co-Founder of Tactical MMA, Jeremy took on the role of Technical Director, and George Adams Chairman for Tactical BJJ.
Today, Tactical BJJ stands as a bridge between the wisdom, philosophy and skill of the samurai of ancient Japan, the pioneers of Brazil and the modern martial artists who now carry the torch forward.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Tactical BJJ stands as a tribute to the mentors and masters who came before... from Maeda to the Gracies, from the Machados to Richard Norton, and now to a new generation of martial artists led by Jeremy Ta’kody, George Adams and a growing number of highly skilled Certified Tactical BJJ Association Black Belts.
The art of Jiu Jitsu continues to evolve, guided by the same principles that have defined it for over a century:
Focus on What Matters.
Leverage over Strength.
Technique over Force.
Discipline over Ego.
Never Settle for Mediocrity, and most importantly... the unbreakable bond of respect that links teacher and student, as a powerful shared community for generations to come.
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