What caused the art of jiu jitsu to nearly disappear?
It's honestly wild to think about how popular Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is today, considering that just over a century ago, the original Japanese versions were on the brink of extinction, and if you've ever wondered what caused the art of jiu jitsu to nearly disappear, you have to look at a messy mix of political upheaval, social embarrassment, and a country trying to reinvent itself overnight. Today, you can find a gym on almost every corner in any major city, but back in the late 1800s, the masters of this art were literally starving in the streets of Tokyo, wondering if their life's work would ever be relevant again. ...