During the period between the 8th and the 16th century, japanese history books teach us that civil wars were a common accurance in the lives of the citizens. this was the soul reason early forms of jiu jitsu were invented. The ongoing battles made it necessary for the samurai to be able to continue fighting their armoured opponents even if they had no blade available. One of the earliest mentions of the words jiu jitsu was in the year 1532, when a man called hisamori tenanuchi founded the first school in japan. The teachers had to keep the art a secret so not much is known about the techniques in these initial forms of the style.

the civil wars had become rare between the year 1603 and 1868, but the japanese continued to live their lives with one important phrase in mind : “Live in peace, but remember the war”. This is why it was considered that every citizen must have basic skills in self defense and so The martial art continued to spread and grow throughout japan.

In 1914 one of the best and most famous students of jigoro kano – mitsuyu maeda found himself in brazil. he had already mastered the art of judo but to make himself an even greater fighter, he practiced different forms of jiu jitsu. maeda was known throughout the world as one of the best martial artist that existed during that era. the japanese newcomer received settling-in support by a local brazilian businessman called gustavo gracie. Maeda wanted to repay gustavo’s family in some way and offered to teach his older son – carlos gracie the ways of the traditional japanese jiu jitsu.

The youngest son of Gustavo – Helio Gracie (1913 – 2009) is a key figure in the history of the so called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. After his older brother – Carlos moves to Rio de Janeiro, Helio started helping his brother in his newly founded academy. Due to medical prohibition, Helio was not allowed to participate directly in the training, but he was always in the Dojo while his brothers train. One day Carlos was late for a training class and Helio took over the class knowing only what he saw during the years while observing the training. He did more than brilliantly and Carlos allowed Helio to become an instructor. Gradually he becomes the main star for the Gracie family after he starts competing actively in various fights without rules and proving the effectiveness of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) – “A smaller and weaker man to manage defending from and even defeating a bigger and stronger opponent”

Starting from scratch, we have managed to create one of the most successful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clubs in Bulgaria and the Balkans, known not only with its exceptionally high technical skills and standards but also with a positive attitude towards everything in the sport and beyond. We strive to make Twisted Jiu Jitsu a cohesive community where everyone will feel welcome and as a part of the magic of BJJ. for those who like to compete – the club provides an opportunity to create a strong and battleworthy team to represent the academy and our country in various national and international competitions.