Fabricio Itte, owner of Thirroul’s new Brazilian jiu-jitsu school, tells us about the martial art

What is Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

Brazilian jiu-jitsu started in Brazil – it was brought over by Japanese immigrants who were judoka (practitioners of judo) and it specialises in ground-fighting with joint locks and chokes.

It’s fantastic for self defence, for kids and adults.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is incredibly popular in Australia and the world – why is that?

It’s a really good sport for kids, especially because you develop just about every component of fitness: strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility.

Obviously there’s the self defence aspect: it’s fantastic for self defence because there’s no striking involved but, at the same time, it’s a realistic, practical, full-contact system with no strikes.

Tell us about your classes.

Our classes are all tailored to beginners. I’ve coached with the national Olympic freestyle wrestling team, I’ve worked with a lot of top athletes in combat sports, and in rugby league, but my gym is completely focused on beginners: children and adults alike.

It’s a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, and our gym has traditional martial arts values. It’s a really good blend, which parents can bring their kids to; ages start at three years old.

Is jiu-jitsu a great way for people to improve their self-esteem and confidence?

I think martial arts has all of that – and you improve just about every component of fitness – but you also really get an understanding of what would happen in real time in a real situation if someone were to actually attack you.

Portal Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is at Shop 2/2-3 McCauley Street, Thirroul.

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