Brian J. Johnson started the Northwest Jiu-Jitsu Academy (formerly Northwest Jiu-Jitsu Club) in 1995.
The Academy is one of the oldest and largest in the Seattle area, located near Green Lake in a 4000 square foot facility.
We welcome students of all abilities, from absolute beginners to experienced martial arts students. Many of our students have advanced ranks in other martial arts!
Come try a class for free to see if it's the right fit for you!
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art designed to take an opponent down, control them through superior leverage and position, and then subdue or incapacitate them through various joint locks or chokes.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is based on Kodokan Judo ground fighting techniques (newaza). It was brought to Brazil in the early 19th century by Mitsuyo Maeda, a well-traveled Judo instructor who emigrated to Brazil.
Maeda taught the art to Carlos Gracie and many others. Carlos, with the help of his brother Helio, continued to innovate and promote the art into what came to be called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.