By Lillian Chen
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tarting as a minority sport, it has now taken Nanjing by storm. The martial art that is jiu jitsu has become a pastime for many, ranging from 4-year olds to even the matured. What prompted this noticeable rise in the sport? Why here? Why now?
aware of it. People come to get a workout and learn selfdefence skills. And although MMA might have planted the seed, there could be underlying reasons such as wanting to try a new fun way to exercise and socialise with real people after the COVID lockdowns.”
The Nanjinger sat down with Nanjing BJJ Academy owner, Guillaume Leclerc (GL), who hails from Canada. He’s noticed that there has been a marked rise in both interest and the number of schools. "There absolutely has been a rise in both the popularity and the number of practitioners of Brazilian jiu jitsu in recent years. For example, when I first arrived in China, there were only one or two competitions per year in the whole country. Now there are competitions nearly each month, and often more than once a month”, he told me (LC).
LC: “Why did you get into jiu jitsu?”
A unique sport of Japanese and Brazilian descent, the close combat martial art can be used for self-defence or offence. While it may just be another martial art to some, for others it’s a way of life, helping people to grow as a person by teaching basic principles such as acceptance, respect, creation and other underlying elements that can be cultivated through physical manifestations and carried over into other aspects of life.When grappling, participants challenged both physically and mentally as it fuses physical strength and strategy. LC: “What makes jiu jitsu so different? Is it even different?” GL: “While you may say it’s all pretty much the same thing; 'they're all just people rolling around on a mat’, some may think otherwise. [Just as] basketball and tennis are all ‘ball sports’, jiu jitsu also differs from the other martial arts”. What sets jiu jitsu apart is the mutual respect for the sport, its ability to attract people of different backgrounds and the shared pride that they take in the sport. “We find pride in our technical skill, teaching methodology and in the community that we work to build up every single day”, Leclerc told The Nanjinger. LC: “Why do think people are interested in jiujitsu, especially recently?” GL: “With MMA becoming more mainstream in China, and China having its very first UFC champion, more and more people are hearing about BJJ. I don’t think the reason people are interested is changing, just more people are
GL: “I was blessed to put into martial arts training at the young age of 5, my father had always wanted to train but couldn’t afford it when he was a kid, so we did classes together as soon as I was old enough to join. I dabbled in many different martial arts, taekwondo, kickboxing, capoeira, to name a few, and finally found my way to jiu jitsu. Some friends, even though they were physically weaker than I, did jiu jitsu, and they would easily find the upper hand as soon as it got to the ground. I had to learn their witchcraft for myself.” LC: “Why did you start a gym, and why do you think other people started?” GL: "Funny story. It was never my plan to start a gym. I took over classes when my instructor left. It was more a transfer of responsibility, my duty to keep spreading the art. After finishing university here, my wife and I decided to turn our passion into our career. Very soon, the room we were renting got too small and we moved into our first standalone location. As for why other people get started, I think reasons may vary, but for a BJJ gym to be successful, one thing is sure, the owner/instructor must be extremely passionate about the sport.” LC: “What are the dangers/risks?” GL: “When it comes to business in general, there are always risks involved, especially when we’re talking about BJJ which is very new and still very niche in this country. It’s a lot of work to get people to come through the door. Another is injury, like any other contact sport. Some people are intimidated by the idea of having to wrestle with others on the ground and can never get past their fear. However, for those who decide to come try, their fears vanish into thin air as soon as they feel our welcoming atmosphere. Moreover, jiu jitsu is the safest of combat sports, as we don’t do any punching or kicking. You won’t be getting hit in the face!” Step out of your comfort zone, get a workout in and leave with some physicalwitchcraft! 24
