Transition from Self-Defense to Sport

In its early decades, BJJ was taught primarily as a self-defense system, rooted in the philosophy that technique could allow a smaller person to survive a real fight. As organized competitions grew in the mid-20th century, however, the art began shifting toward a sport-focused identity. Rulesets were created to encourage safety and fair play, gradually moving training away from strikes and street-oriented tactics.

By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, sport BJJ had become a global phenomenon, with entire academies built around competition training. While many schools still teach self-defense fundamentals, the balance has shifted toward sport-oriented development. This transition remains a point of debate within the community, with some seeing it as evolution and others as a drift away from BJJ’s original purpose.