SELF-DEFENSE OR
JIU-JITSU
ACHIEVABLE BY EVERYONE
ABOUT THE BOOK
After a century, finally in English, a book written by Jiu-Jitsu pioneer Mitsuyo Maeda, Conde Koma, the famous fighter who taught Carlos Gracie and gave rise to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!
MITSUYO MAEDA, the famous Conde Koma, the legendary fighter who won more than 2,000 fights in his career, wrote this book during his time in El Salvador in 1913, a few years before settling permanently in Brazil.
​
The book, originally called Defensa personal o el Jiu-Jiutsu al alcance de todos, gives us a glimpse of his vision, descriptions and photographic records of various techniques: locks, chokes, projections and self-defense techniques, as well as his teachings on healthy habits.
​
It contains an introduction, written by Maeda himself, as well as a short illustrated biography, covering his origins, his studies at the Kodokan, his travels around the world and his establishment in Brazil.
Self-defense or jiu-jitsu achievable by everyone is a small jewel of judo and jiu-jitsu history, inaccessible for decades, now at your fingertips.
AVAILABLE NOW AT THE FOLLOWING SITES
A brief journey to the roots of Jiu-Jitsu through an important historical record.
Mitsuyo Maeda learned the gentle way at the Kodokan, with an instructor directly appointed by Jigoro Kano, the creator of Judo. Despite his small stature, Maeda excelled and was rapidly promoted within the ranks, receiving his black belt in 1889 and becoming a respected Judo instructor. Five years later he left Japan to travel the world demonstrating the effectiveness of his martial art, then called "Kano Jiu-Jitsu".
​
His journey to spread Judo began in the United States, where he and his colleagues gave demonstrations and taught, including at prestigious institutions and to President Theodore Roosevelt.
After traveling through Europe, the United States and Central America, he settled in Brazil in 1917, where he married and taught the precepts of the gentle way. Maeda was one of the first to introduce Judo to Brazil. In addition, he was the teacher of Carlos Gracie, brother of Hélio Gracie, kick-starting what would become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the efficient martial art that has now spread around the world.
​
Maeda became a naturalized Brazilian, contributed to Japanese immigration efforts, and continued teaching Judo until his death in 1941. His legacy is honored both in Japan and Brazil, marking him as a key figure in the global dissemination of Judo and the creation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.