Tu Kaha Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Tu Kaha [Maori : tu, to stand + kaha, strong] Jiu Jitsu [Japanese : jiu, soft + jitsu, art.]

Surfing and Jiu Jitsu

"Surfing has a strong relation to jiu jitsu in that for both sports, when you're actually doing them you forget about everything else." - Royler Gracie, surfreporter.com.br.

Surfing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu share an strange connection, even though they aren't related sports in any way. Many practitioners of jiu jitsu are hardcore surfers and vice versa. In fact, many of the world's best surfers, for example the Irons brothers Andy and Bruce, train Jiu Jitsu.

The link between these two sports can perhaps be traced to the place where Brazilian Jiu Jitsu first became popular, Rio de Janeiro. Rio, being home to many beautiful beaches, is naturally a hot spot of surfing and it was in this city that the relationship between the two sports developed, as surfers and Jiu Jitsu players found that both sports offered a healthy lifestyle and escape from daily stresses.

"I competed professionally [in surfing] for seventeen years… I don’t think I ever got as much satisfaction winning a surf contest as I did in jiu-jitsu”. - Joel Tudor.
Hear his full interview here.