In a recent podcast that has stirred up controversy within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, renowned American grappler Keenan Cornelius made a bold statement challenging the widely held belief that Brazilians are the sole creators of modern jiu-jitsu.
Cornelius, known for his innovative techniques and competitive success, argued that while Brazilians undoubtedly played a crucial role in the development of BJJ, the martial art as we know it today is the result of a global effort.
“If I were to introduce myself, I’d say I’m the biggest proponent and driver of the idea of American Jiu-Jitsu, which is still a taboo subject. If I say anything about it online, it causes massive controversy.”
“My first real coach was BJ Penn, the first American to win the IBJJF. So, from the start, I liked the idea of Americans regaining ground.”
The American black belt pointed out that many of the sport’s current top competitors and instructors hail from countries outside of Brazil, including the United States, Japan, and various European nations. He emphasized that these international athletes have introduced new strategies, techniques, and training methodologies that have shaped modern BJJ.
Cornelius’s comments have ignited a debate within the jiu-jitsu community, with some praising his perspective as a necessary acknowledgment of the sport’s global nature, while others view it as disrespectful to the art’s Brazilian roots.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s origins can be traced back to the early 20th century when the Gracie family adapted techniques from Japanese judo and traditional jiu-jitsu. The Gracies are credited with developing the guard position and emphasizing ground fighting, which became hallmarks of the Brazilian style.
“(Maeda) went to America in 1904 and introduced Teddy Roosevelt, the president of the United States, to Jiu-Jitsu. Roosevelt has many quotes about how awesome Jiu-Jitsu is. He institutionalized it into Stanford University and the American police force in the early 1900s.”
“Jiu-Jitsu. If you search the Library of Congress, the word “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” doesn’t show up until the ’80s. Everything before that is just called Jiu-Jitsu or American Jiu-Jitsu. As early as 1905 or 1906, you can find “American Jiu-Jitsu” in newspaper articles.”
“Maeda eventually leaves America. Yamashita stays. Maeda goes to Brazil, gets involved with the Gracie family, and the whole thread happens. Meanwhile, in America, Jiu-Jitsu was becoming institutionalized because it was deemed necessary as a war technology. It was seen as a martial art—Mars, god of war, remember?”
“After the Russo-Japanese War, Theodore Roosevelt, who was all about Victorian-era machismo, was infatuated with Japanese culture. Jiu-Jitsu was institutionalized because the Japanese won the war with trench warfare and martial arts, and Americans thought, “We need to know this.”
“They sent out Jiu-Jitsu ambassadors all over, not just to Brazil but also Germany, Europe, and the UK. Brazil was actually kind of late to the party. What ended up happening was that Jiu-Jitsu became popular, but American wrestling culture was still strong. Eventually, it converged into catch wrestling, and after Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese cultural influence was erased due to xenophobia.”
“After World War II, Jiu-Jitsu became seen as a self-defense art for women. Ads changed from targeting military men to targeting women. Eventually, catch wrestling merged with pro wrestling, and they realized it was boring to watch, so they hyped it up and made it a show. Now, we’re reliving that cycle again.”
However, Cornelius argues that the sport has evolved significantly since its inception, with contributions from practitioners worldwide. He cited the influence of wrestling techniques, modern strength and conditioning methods, and the impact of international competition circuits as examples of non-Brazilian influences on contemporary BJJ.
