Opening Closed Guard: The True Origin Story of BJJ
Winston Churchill famously said, “History is written by the victors.” The story of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is no different. Without the tireless self-promotion of a few charismatic founding members—rebelling against dogma and resisting pressure to conform—BJJ might not exist in the form we know today.
But a closer look at the art’s creation reveals a past far more complex than the official stories suggest. Over time, several widely accepted origin myths have been challenged, and Robert Drysdale’s Opening Closed Guard dives straight into that debate.
Drysdale is already a legend on the mats. But his greatest contribution to the art may end up being his work as a historian. This book, based on years of interviews conducted while filming a documentary of the same name, examines the history of BJJ through the lens of three key geographic regions—and the masters who shaped it.
From Brazil to Japan and Back Again
Any serious history of BJJ must begin in Brazil. The art’s roots are usually tied to one name: Gracie. The Gracie family became synonymous with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—but they did not create it from nothing.
In the late 19th century, Japan opened its borders and began exporting its culture, including the martial art of Jiu-Jitsu. Brazil’s booming rubber industry attracted Japanese immigrants—among them, fighters who brought their techniques overseas.
One of the most famous was Mitsuyo Maeda, known as Count Koma, a world-class prizefighter. The Gracie lineage is often linked directly to him, but the actual degree of training Carlos and Helio Gracie received from Maeda is unclear. Historical evidence suggests they may not have trained with him at all, instead beginning their Jiu-Jitsu journey later in Rio after Maeda had retired.
So why is Maeda’s portrait still hanging in so many academies? Marketing. In a competitive fight culture like Brazil’s, attaching your school’s name to a famous fighter was a smart way to attract students. The Gracies—showmen by nature—excelled at using this tactic.
The Gracie Challenges and the Birth of a Legacy
Marketing aside, the Gracie family backed up their claims. They issued open challenges to prove their style’s effectiveness, fighting anyone who stepped onto their mats—or even into the streets. While they didn’t invent BJJ, they refined it, promoted it, and kept it alive through decades of evolution and adversity.
Drysdale’s work also highlights other early pioneers, including Japanese immigrants and non-Gracie Brazilians, whose contributions have been overshadowed by the dominant family narrative. His interviews with old-school masters, many in their twilight years, give voice to these overlooked figures.
Judo’s Unmistakable Influence
A trip to Japan for the documentary reveals another undeniable truth: BJJ is rooted in Judo. Shortly before the Japanese migration to Brazil, Jigoro Kano synthesized various Japanese Jiu-Jitsu systems into Judo, creating a national sport. Many of the early BJJ founders trained in Judo before adapting the art for Brazil’s fight culture.
The split between tachi-waza (standing) and ne-waza (ground fighting) in Judo—and the heavier emphasis on ground techniques in certain schools like Kosen Judo—is reflected in modern BJJ.
Fact Over Folklore
Drysdale’s approach is methodical, grounded in documented facts rather than oral tradition. While acknowledging the Gracies’ undeniable influence, he avoids romanticizing them as the sole originators. His book paints a fuller picture: an art born from cross-cultural exchange, shaped by many hands, and perfected in the proving grounds of Brazil’s streets and gyms.
Final Thoughts
Judo may be BJJ’s root, but without Brazil’s fighting culture to pressure-test its techniques—and the strong-willed personalities to promote it—Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as we know it might never have survived.
The Gracies took liberties in their storytelling, but they also carried the art forward. Imperfect or not, they deserve credit for preserving and evolving it.
If you love Jiu-Jitsu, Opening Closed Guard belongs on your shelf. Drysdale’s writing is passionate, thoughtful, and well-researched—offering far more than a dry recitation of facts. It’s history told by someone who understands both the techniques and the culture, and who has the courage to challenge the myths.
Train Smarter — On and Off the Mats
History teaches us where we came from. Training teaches us where we can go.
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