Jiu-Jitsu's Brazilian Twist Finds Dodge

Every Monday and Wednesday night in Dodge Fitness Center the wrestling room shakes. Grunts, thumps, and bangs resonate from the practice of Columbia’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu team.

The team has been around since 2000 and has more than 30 active members.

“I saw a flier on campus for Columbian Jiu Jitsu which said that non-violence is the policy of vegetables,” said Elizabeth Smith, co-president of Columbia’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu team. The instructor at that time, Matt Serra is the current Welterweight Champion of the World.

Brazillian jiu-jitsu—a twist on the native Japanese martial art—“is a cross between judo and wrestling because it has the throws, joint locks and grappling of judo and the throw downs of wrestling,” Smith said. “The basic principle is using technique and leverage to overcome the opponent. ... It definitely is very good self defense.”

Members of the team describe Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a both physical and mental exercise.
“I would almost describe it as poetry,” Smith said. “You string a couple of moves together and there’s a lot of room for personal expression. ... It is good for building bonds.”

For many, jiu-jitsu is also an expression of personality. “You can’t hide who you are when you are on the mat,” said Jason Yang, the team’s instructor.

Matteo Caligaris, a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering department, has been a member of the team for three years. “It is a very effective martial art from a psychological point of view,” he said. “It’s a battle between two minds.”

“You’re also best friends with the other person,” said Rick Taddonio, CC ’08 and a recent addition to the team. “It’s physically challenging but everyone is always improving.”

Caligaris noted that the sport is both physically and mentally strenuous. “You have to be bigger than the other person,’ he said, adding, “If you are a strong person mentally then this is for you, as you learn not to give up.”