Jiu Jitsu is a new club sport on the UW-Whitewater campus. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a sport that’s becoming popular worldwide, but not many people may know what it is.
Jiu Jitsu is similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), except for striking and the ground game. The UFC is a sport of mixed martial arts including boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, karate and other styles of martial arts. It has become popular in more than 130 countries.
“It’s all joint manipulations, chokes and stuff,” club President Eric Grosskreutz said. “It’s really popular, with the UFC it’s becoming one of the fastest growing sports out there.”
Club Jiu Jitsu officially became a club at UW-Whitewater in 2008 and has been gaining popularity as a club sport. About 25-30 different people show up to practice two times a week, but many people who are in the club don’t necessarily know or have any experience with Jiu Jitsu.
“You don’t have to know anything about it,” Grosskreutz said. “We had quite a few people this year who asked me, ‘what is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?’ and then were like ‘I want to join the club.’ A lot of people don’t know about us.”
Club Jiu Jitsu is looking to host an event at UW-Whitewater next year. They traveled to Waukesha for a Combat Corner competition that cost only $50 to enter.
The UW-Whitewater club practices with people who are affiliated with a gym in Waukesha, so they help the team find tournaments in which to compete. The club hasn’t traveled to many events because it’s hard with the variations of skill levels of the students who are involved.
“Most competitions are in Southeastern Wisconsin,” Grosskreutz said. “They help us out with tournaments and stuff.”
Club Jiu Jitsu meets two times a week for the first eight weeks of the semester from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays in the Williams Center wrestling gym. The second eight weeks they meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays and Thursdays in the same location. Dues are only $20 per member, which covers the cost of a t-shirt.
Anyone who wants to join or learn more about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is welcome. Just attend a practice or send Eric Grosskreutz an email at [email protected].
