Choking and Changing: The Evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the 21st Century

A Conversation with Daniel Frank

As an ever-evolving martial art, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) has undergone significant transformation over the past two decades. I’ve had a front-row seat to all of this change over the last 25 years, making jiu jitsu an enormous part of my life.

To discuss how jiu jitsu has changed during the 21st century, I needed to talk to someone who has been as deeply enmeshed as me, and—in fact—who is on the mats day in and day out, completely obsessed with teaching and training in the martial art, while also considering the bigger picture: gym management.

Daniel Frank is the main instructor at Revolution BJJ, and a partner of mine in the venture. He loves the art of jiu jitsu as much as anyone I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of obsessed jiu jitsu practitioners. His passion shows through in his teaching style and dedication to improving his craft.

Today, I wanted to share some of Daniel’s observations about the rapid changes within jiu jitsu we’ve both seen, what Daniel is seeing “on the ground”…