Local martial artist Alex Henley will readily admit to being a fan of roughhousing when he was a child.
At 38, however, scabs, black eyes and broken noses are no longer worn with the same pride that they were in elementary school, so a different outlet was needed to scratch that itch.
Enter Henley’s fascination with Brazilian jujitsu — a gentler way to spar and learn self defense.
“I’m drawn to it because you have the ability to give it everything you have and still go to work the next day,” said Henley, a former native of Bastrop County who is moving back to the area from Round Rock. “Jujitsu is the gentle art. You can practice kung fu or karate at 100 percent, but you’ll get a bloody nose or get knocked out. You can’t give it your all, or damage is done.”
With Henley’s return comes a first for Bastrop: a new studio he’s opening on Aug. 2 that will focus primarily on Brazilian jujitsu. Insight-Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is located on 150 Settlement Dr., Ste. F-1.
The reason jujitsu is effective without being destructive is simple — it’s all about physics. It’s similar to wrestling, with much of the combat taking place on the ground.
“It is a martial art that deals with leverage and technique instead of size and strength,” Henley said. “There’s no choreography that you’re required to learn in order to advance from belt to belt. That doesn’t exist. It’s just about executing tangible, real-life movements.
“A friend of mine described it best, saying that if kung fu is a martial art, then jujitsi is a martial science.”
Jiu Jitsu’s origins
According to blackbeltmag.com, Brazilian jujitsu got its start in the early 1900s.
The discipline is derived from Japanese jujutsu, a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent with either no weapon or only a short weapon.
Esai Maeda—the chief of a Japanese immigration colony who was assigned to Brazil—befriended Gastao Gracie. Maeda, a former jujutsu champion in Japan, taught the art to Gracie’s son, Carlos.
In 1925, Carlos and his four brothers opened the first jujitsu school in Brazil.
Carlos’ younger brother, Helio, adjusted the techniques to suit his small frame, thereby creating Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In the early 1980s, Helio’s son, Rorion, planted the seeds of the martial art in the United States.
Although there are some standing moves, the style is most famous for its ground-fighting techniques. Gaining superior positioning—so one can apply the style’s numerous chokes, holds, locks and joint manipulations on an opponent—is the key.
“I’ve seen a big, 300-pound football player with every reason to think they can’t get beaten end up eating humble pie,” Henley noted.
A new fascination
Henley’s fascination with jujitsu came about ordinarily, but that doesn’t diminish his passion for the fighting style.
“Back in early 2010, as most people do, I found out about it through watching mixed martial arts events,” he said. “MMA has a lot of different fighting styles, and the groundfighting you see is usually jujitsu.”
The love for martial arts runs in the family. Henley’s son, a junior black belt in kung fu, also does Jiu Jitsu, where he is a green belt with white stripes. Green is the final belt that kids under 16 can earn.
The belt system for adults over 16 is simple. Beginners wear white, and make their way through blue, purple, brown and black.
Purple — Henley’s rank — is considered advanced and is the level at which students may become teachers.
He’s excited about sharing his favorite martial arts discipline with Bastrop County.
“I have been interested in owning a jujitsu school for years, so I took the plunge,” he said. “I’m totally prepared for this, and I know it will be a success.”
For more information, visit www.bjjinsight.com.
