Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Aikido
Quick answer
Both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and aikido derive from Japanese jujutsu, the first through Kodokan judo, the second through Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fights on the ground against full resistance and wins by submission, while aikido trains standing in paired kata with wrist locks, throws and falls. Neither is Olympic, BJJ has IBJJF tournaments, and in aikido only some schools compete.
At a glance
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Brazil | Japan |
| Origin | 20th century (present form) | 20th century (present form) |
| Founder | Hélio GracieCarlos Gracie (co-founder) | Morihei Ueshiba |
| Contact | Full contact | Light contact |
| Sparring | Full contact | Partner drills only · Light contact (depending on style) |
| Competition format | Submission | Mixed |
| Olympic status | Not Olympic | Not Olympic |
| Ranks | Yes (belts) | Yes (belts) |
| Rank recognition | by federation | fragmented |
| Attire | Gi optional | Gi required |
| Weapons | No weapons | Weapons optional |
| Forms | No forms | Forms optional |
| Relative cost | low | low |
| Techniques in the encyclopedia | 11 | 14 |
Scales 1–5
Rated for the typical training of an adult beginner in an ordinary club, calibrated across all arts.
What each art is built from
Editorial rating 0–3: how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
History and relationship
Both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and aikido derive from Japanese jujutsu, each by a different route. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emerged from Kodokan judo, while aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba mainly from Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. We have not been able to document a direct historical clash between the two arts.
- 1914: Mitsuyo Maeda arrives in Brazil, and around 1925 the Gracie brothers develop their own system.
- 1915: Ueshiba begins studying Daito-ryu under Sokaku Takeda.
- 1942: the art receives the name aikido, and in 1948 the Aikikai is founded.
- 1993: Royce Gracie won the first UFC tournament.
Technique
- Ground fighting: guard, side control, mount, back mount.
- The aim is submission after a choke or joint lock.
- IBJJF forbids all strikes and 26 techniques depending on age and belt.
- The principles of irimi (entering), tenkan (turning) and atemi.
- The five teachings ikkyo to gokyo, the throws shiho nage and kote gaeshi.
- Techniques standing and seated (suwari waza), a structure taken over from kenjutsu.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu takes the fight to the ground and ends it by submission. Aikido works predominantly standing: tori responds to the attack of uke by entering or turning and ends it with a throw or a pin, while uke learns to fall safely (ukemi).
Training
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ground technique, drills with a partner | paired kata: uke attacks, tori responds |
| Work with a partner | rolling at full speed and force | practice in pairs, resistance depends on the school, in Shodokan randori |
| Emphasis | drills with a cooperating and non-cooperating partner, positional sparring | relaxation, mobility, flexibility and endurance rather than strength |
| Frequency | 82.1% of 56 mostly competitive respondents at least 6 hours a week | the Hombu dojo trains 7 days a week, we have not found a recommended frequency |
Many aikido dojo begin with the junbi taiso warm-up with stretching and falls, and some offer an uchi-deshi program, that is living and training directly in the dojo. We have not been able to document the structure of an ordinary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lesson.
Progression and ranks
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | IBJJF: white, blue, purple, brown, black, then red belts | kyu (white belt) and dan (black belt), standards depend on the organization |
| Minimum time | at least 4.5 years to black belt | we have not found the number of kyu or minimum times |
| Who awards | the professor, the IBJJF recognizes it after the minimum times are met | Aikikai: a certificate signed by the doshu |
| Visible sign | belt with stripes | hakama in many schools for dan holders |
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu progress is measured by time at a belt, and competitions are a common part of the path. In aikido examinations in the school decide, and some dojo set a minimum age for dan.
Physical load and risks
- Tournaments in Hawaii: 9.2 injuries per 1,000 exposures, most often the elbow.
- Survey of 1,140 athletes: knee 27.1%, shoulder 14.6%, 77.6% of injuries during sparring.
- Zetaruk et al. (BJSM 2005, 47 aikidoka): injury with lost training time within a year in 51%, in karate 30%.
- Compared with karate a higher risk of injuries to the head and neck, upper limbs and soft tissues.
- Injury often occurs when tori misjudges how uke will cope with the throw.
Who it suits
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF) | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest age | competition divisions from 4 years | the Hombu dojo has a children’s class, we have not found the age |
| Adults | Adult 18–29 years | Saruhan and Bavli (2023): 30 beginners, mean 20.5 years |
| Older | Master 1 from 30 up to Master 7 from 61 years | Ki Society teaches all age groups, we have not found a study of seniors |
| Women | separate divisions with their own weights | the Hombu dojo has a women’s class |
Children
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Competition age | IBJJF from 4 years, Teen up to 15 years | we have not found a children’s competition |
| Bout length | 2 minutes (4–6 years), 3 (7–9), 4 (10–15) | we have not been able to document it |
| Forbidden techniques | IBJJF: 26 techniques forbidden depending on age and belt, among others heel hook, knee bar, wrist lock | we have not been able to document it |
| Studies of children | 193 practitioners: adolescents 12–17 years 0.59 injuries per person, adults 1.37 | we have not been able to document it |
| Medical positions | we have not been able to document it | we have not been able to document it |
Self-defence
- Rolling with full force against full resistance.
- The ground: positions, escapes from the bottom, chokes and joint locks.
- Competition sparring omits strikes and a number of joint locks.
- Paired technique, some styles add resistance only with skill.
- Randori against several attackers for higher grades.
- Shodokan: tanto randori, the defender provides resistance against a training knife.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tests skill against full resistance mainly on the ground, without strikes. Aikido trains predominantly standing, and the degree of resistance depends on the school. Critics point out that weak attacks by uke can lead to conditioned reactions of tori.
Practical use
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Self-defense program | Gracie University: Women Empowered, 15 lessons and 20 techniques | we have not found a separate program |
| Studies of adults | Øvretveit (2020): perceived physical ability was accompanied by endurance, not maximal strength | Saruhan and Bavli (2023): 30 beginners, 8 weeks, improved static balance |
| Reviews | we have not been able to document it | Szabolcs et al. (2017, 20 articles): flexibility, balance, mindfulness, weak methodology |
| Professional use | we have not been able to document it | Yoshinkan: the Senshusei course with the Tokyo riot police |
The studies of both arts are small. No general conclusion about suitability can be drawn from them.
Competition
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Who competes | IBJJF, SJJIF, submission-only tournaments | only some schools: Shodokan and Ki Society, Aikikai does not compete |
| Disciplines | gi and no-gi, weights and open class | Shodokan: tanto randori, toshu randori, embu. Ki Society: taigi |
| Bout | one round, in gi 5–10 minutes depending on belt | Shodokan: tanto tsukiari 1, yuko 1, waza-ari 2, ippon 4 points |
| Victory | submission, otherwise points and advantages | points, in embu and taigi scoring by judges |
| Olympic status | none | none |
Shodokan has held competitions since 1967, and some aikidoka regard them as contrary to the spirit of aikido.
Gear and costs
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | gi with belt (white, royal blue or black), in no-gi rashguard and shorts | keikogi (aikidogi), usually white, hakama in many schools from dan |
| Protection | not required by the IBJJF, knee and elbow braces permitted | we have not found mandatory protection |
| Equipment | none | bokken, jo, tanto, in Shodokan a rubber or padded knife |
| Relative costs | low | low |
Availability and organisations
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Aikido | |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations | IBJJF (Rio de Janeiro), SJJIF | Aikikai and IAF (since 1976), Yoshinkan, Shodokan (since 2012 JAA and SAF), Ki Society |
| Recognition of grades | the IBJJF recognizes a belt only when its minimum times are met | grades are not interchangeable between organizations, the Hombu certifies grades of recognized foreign organizations |
Switching and combining
- Falls (ukemi) and the role of uke.
- Wrist locks and throws standing against an attack.
- Kata instead of rolling, and work with weapons.
- Positions on the ground and their scoring.
- Full resistance in sparring.
- Unlearning atemi, the IBJJF punishes strikes with disqualification.
On the left is what a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner must learn in aikido, on the right what an aikidoka must learn in BJJ. Both arts work with joint locks, and they differ in the place of the fight and the degree of resistance.
Philosophy
- A smaller and weaker person can defend against a larger one thanks to leverage and distribution of weight.
- Etiquette: bow, lining up by belts, addressing as coach or professor.
- Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi: the aim is to overcome oneself, not to cultivate violence.
- Takemusu aiki, the influence of Omoto-kyo mainly through contacts with Onisaburo Deguchi.
- Ki Society: One Point, Relax Completely, Keep Weight Underside, Extend Ki.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu formulates its principle practically, as balancing strength with leverage and position. Aikido sets the aim as overcoming oneself, and Ki Society adds to it four principles of the union of mind and body.
Forms and terminology
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has no forms, and progress is governed by time at a belt, age and registration. In aikido the paired kata is the main form of teaching: uke attacks and tori responds. Shodokan has the Junanahon set of 17 techniques permitted in randori, and Shodokan also competes in the scored paired kata embu and Ki Society in taigi.
Training culture
- Academies with strict hygiene: clean gi, covered wounds, short nails.
- Sparring with higher belts is a privilege.
- The Gracie family and the UFC: Rorion Gracie co-founded the competition, Royce Gracie won the first tournament.
- The dojo as a place of teaching, at the Hombu dojo mostly shihan teach.
- The uchi-deshi program: living and training directly in the dojo.
- Steven Seagal and the film Above the Law (1988), the first American film with aikido in its fight scenes. His claims of study under Ueshiba are disputed.
Common misconceptions
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not classical jujutsu. Both Maeda and Satake were Kodokan judoka, and judo was then called Kano jiu-jitsu.
- Aikido is not without competitions. Aikikai does not compete, but Shodokan has held tournaments since 1967.
- Steven Seagal’s claims that he studied under Ueshiba are disputed. Ueshiba died in 1969, before Seagal went to Japan.
Which to choose
Frequently asked questions
Do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and aikido share a common origin?
Both derive from jujutsu, BJJ through Kodokan judo, aikido through Daito-ryu. We have not been able to document a direct link.
Is there sparring in aikido as in BJJ?
Mostly not. Aikido practices paired kata, with randori in Shodokan as the exception. In BJJ rolling at full force is a common part of training.
Is either of them Olympic?
Neither. An Olympic goal for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is declared by the SJJIF federation.
Does aikido teach ground fighting?
Aikido knows seated techniques (suwari waza). We have not found ground fighting in positions as in BJJ in the sources.