{"id":20380,"date":"2023-10-01T13:02:20","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T18:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/?p=20380"},"modified":"2023-10-01T13:02:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T18:02:23","slug":"bjj-vs-capoeira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rollingaroundbjj.com\/bjj-vs-capoeira\/","title":{"rendered":"BJJ vs. Capoeira (What’s The Difference & Who Would Win?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is far from the only \u201cnative\u201d martial art in the South American country. There are several styles, some more obscure, others better known, but the most popular outside of BJJ has to be Capoeira. On the surface, there aren\u2019t many similarities, but the two styles have crossed paths both as rivals and as compliments to each other. Do you know how they stack up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jiu-jitsu is a grappling martial art focused on realism, effectiveness, and competition and uses mainly ground positions and submission holds. On the other hand, Capoeira is a mixture of martial arts, dancing, music, and spirituality characterized by rhythmic, acrobatic movements.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of you are jiu-jitsu practitioners and perhaps have only a curiosity about Capoeira from a cultural perspective. Still, the traditional dancing martial art may bring some unexpected benefits for us grapplers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>What Is BJJ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling martial art and combat sport<\/a> that excels at ground fighting through leverage and technique. BJJ features many positions<\/a> and submissions used to dominate an opponent on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brazilian jiu-jitsu was developed in the early 20th century after Japanese judoka Mitsuyo Maeda started passing his skills and knowledge to students in Brazil, in which the Gracie family would prove instrumental. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the influence of judo, traditional jiu-jitsu, and the catch wrestlers often fighting in Brazil, the Gracies created a unique style focused predominantly on the ground aspect of fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1980s, members of the Gracie family went to the USA to popularize their style, and the big breakthrough came with the inception of the UFC, where Royce Gracie won three of the first four editions and showcased to the whole world the importance of grappling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the most popular form of BJJ is the grappling-only sports version, which has millions of practitioners and followers worldwide and a very well-developed competition scene. At the same time, BJJ remains a core element of MMA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>What Is Capoeira<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Capoeira combines martial arts and dance, singing, and playing instruments. It’s an art that blends some fighting elements and is characterized by complex and highly acrobatic moves accompanying live-performed music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capoeira is considered a national heritage in Brazil and is widely celebrated worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capoeira first appeared in Brazil via enslaved Africans during colonial times. They started mixing fighting techniques with music and dancing to disguise that they were actually fighting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 19th century, a street fighting<\/a> style called capoeira carioca was developed, which was used for actual fighting and had little to do with the stylized art we know today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the violent nature of the art, it was banned for several decades until legendary Capoeira Master Mestre Bimba opened the first official school in Bahia, Brazil, in 1932. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He established a disciplined method of teaching and training the art as a form of self-defense and athletics, blending dancing and athletic strikes in a style called Capoeira Regional, which is the most popular today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Differences Between BJJ And Capoeira<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Capoeira<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Capoeira and BJJ are very different and would perhaps never be compared if they weren\u2019t coming from the same place. Because of this, the two styles have also clashed on many occasions, making the comparison and rivalry between the two inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But also remember there are many manifestations of Capoeira, and it’s difficult to compare it to a single conclusive martial art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are almost no crossing points between the techniques used in BJJ and Capoeira. The ground is the domain of jiu-jitsu, and positioning is one of the most important concepts. Positions like mount, back control, side control, and others are used to control the opponent, while the unique aspect is the guards, which allow you to fight effectively off the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For finishing the fight, a BJJ practitioner can choose between hundreds of possible submission holds like chokes, strangulations, joint locks, spinal twists, and other painful moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capoeira techniques include a lot of acrobatics and kicks, with the main emphasis placed on the interaction between kicks and their evasion. There are various forms of push kicks, crescent kicks, sweeps, and distinct moves like the L-kick and scorpion kicks. All of this is done rhythmically, with specific stances and dance-like movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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