- Valley View News
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Growing
Updated: Dec 5, 2020
NORTHRIDGE, CA- In every neighborhood in Los Angeles, you can see adults and children in karate gear with different belts. In back of the family you see the words Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that is being more known and learned by many people in California. It has grown to where you hear more kids say they do jiu-jitsu after school compared to football. The art of grappling not only attracts everyday American’s, but also many known celebrities like Demi Levato and others.
Many universities carry sports such as basketball, football, baseball, and other major sports. Now universities jiu-jitsu clubs that practice on campus and compete against other universities, even if they are not under the NCAA.
CSUN has a jiu-jitsu club called CSUN Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is instructed by Eric Medina, a student that trains under Jean Jaques Machado, who is a prevalent figure in the world of Jiu-Jitsu. As it has grown in the states, the art has expanded globally, to where some schools incorporate into their institutions.
“There are some countries like Dubai and United Arab Emirates that actually have have jiu-jitsu in there high school curriculum,” says Eric Medina.
Jiu-Jitsu can maybe the new line that parents will use in the future for kids learning self defense instead of “I’m going to enroll you in karate”. So far the discipline has skyrocketed in its recent years of being exposed through mixed martial arts fights and word of mouth. Some day it might can be upheld to a sport like wrestling and will be incorporated by the NCAA or the olympics.
Video, Alfonso Larry
By Alfonso Larry
With contributions from NCAA
Photos by Jay Glazer
Video, Alfonso Larry
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