In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan of BJJ Mental Models and Jeff Shaw of Bellingham BJJ uncover the forgotten history of Jiu-Jitsu in America, and how none other than President Theodore Roosevelt played a pivotal role in its rise.
Between 1900 and 1906, Roosevelt brought Jiu-Jitsu into the White House, trained with Japanese masters, and helped spark a nationwide media craze that once made Jiu-Jitsu a household name. But the movement was derailed by xenophobia, racism, and short-sighted politics, costing the U.S. what could have been a century-long head start in martial arts.
This conversation explores what Roosevelt’s story tells us about inclusion, politics, and what Jiu-Jitsu might have become if America had embraced its potential.
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👥 Featuring:
Steve Kwan @BJJMentalModels
Jeff Shaw @BellinghamBJJ
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🧠 Topics We Cover:
• How Roosevelt’s training popularized Jiu-Jitsu in early 1900s America
• Why his support nearly created a U.S. black belt generation a century early
• The role of xenophobia in driving Yamashita out of the country
• How women like Fude Yamashita and Misawa Soga shaped early Jiu-Jitsu
• Why the art was more inclusive in 1905 than it often is today
• What the media got right (and wrong) about Jiu-Jitsu at the time
• The forgotten roots of Jiu-Jitsu as a progressive political tool
• What Roosevelt’s vision can teach today’s Jiu-Jitsu leaders
• How exclusion and short-term thinking still threaten the sport’s future
• The myth of “keeping politics out” of martial arts
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📖 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Jiu-Jitsu History
02:47 The Role of Media in Jiu-Jitsu's Evolution
06:06 The Impact of Theodore Roosevelt on Jiu-Jitsu
08:51 The Confusion Between Judo and Jiu-Jitsu
11:50 The Arrival of Judo in America
15:04 Yamashita's Influence and the Military Connection
17:59 The Political Landscape and Jiu-Jitsu's Growth
20:54 The Consequences of Racism and Nativism
23:55 The Hypothetical Impact of a Strong Jiu-Jitsu Presence
26:43 Politics and Jiu-Jitsu's Historical Context
30:58 The Politics of Jiu Jitsu
34:15 Challenging Gender Norms in Jiu Jitsu
36:34 Historical Contributions of Women in Jiu Jitsu
46:16 The Evolution of Jiu Jitsu Training
58:27 Lessons from History for the Future of Jiu Jitsu