Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934–1943

Cairus, José 2020. Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934–1943. Martial Arts Studies (9) , pp. 28-42. 10.18573/mas.105

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Abstract

This article analyzes the transformation of a modernized Japanese school of martial arts, jujutsu (柔術), also known as jiu-jitsu, jujitsu and/or Kodokan judo, into a Brazilian combat sport. In the 1930s, the Gracies, supported by a nationalist regime, launched a comprehensive process of jiu-jitsu reinvention that evolved into a local combat sport at the same time as the inauguration of the Estado Novo dictatorship in 1937. This study argues that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the direct outcome of clashes pitting the Gracies and Japanese immigrants that occurred against a background of radical nationalism, violence and ideological polarization. The creation of a local jiu-jitsu encompassed a wide range of changes in techniques, philosophy and rituals borne from the clash between tradition and modernity.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	F History United States, Canada, Latin America > F1201 Latin America (General) G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2057-5696
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	6 July 2020
Date of Acceptance:	11 March 2020
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 08:21
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133121

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