Review of “The Evolution of Modern Jiu-Jitsu Vol. 1, 1935-1938” by Roberto Pedreira Reviewer: Robert Drysdale “Chief Justice: God send the prince a better companion! Falstaff: God send the companion a better prince!”… Henry IV, Part 2, Act 1, Scene 2 “Jiu-Jitsu between 1935 and 1938 was somewhere in the early middle of its ‘evolution’ relative to 2023” is the very first sentence in Pedreira’s new book, and also possibly the one best posed to cause a sudden discharge of cognitive dissonance for the modern practitioner. The seemingly outlandish claim, I suspect, has the targeted intent to expose the reader to how warped our views are and how misinformed the internet has made us (who would have guessed?). However, the fact that the claim seems preposterous to the modern jiu-jitsu observer, exposes the depth and power of successful marketing plots as well as the ignorance we collectively share in regards to our own history. Much like Pedreira’s previous books, The Evolution of Modern Jiu-Jitsu is not an account of stories in a novella, but rather a deliverance of the facts relevant to jiu-jitsu and grappling in general, in the particular place and era the book targets. Due to this pragmatism, readers expecting a narrative of well sung figures may find themselves disappointed in learning instead the song of unsung ones. For those believing that professional grappling and packed arenas of spectators are a novelty thanks to your favorite grappler or Hollywood star, think again (spoiler alert: neither is it a novelty to brand “innovation” with goofy names). The book covers regular events held across the US, Hawaii, Brazil Japan and Mexico and emphasizes the long rivalry between judo/jiu-jitsu and catch/wrestling. It also gives the reader good insight into what this early scene looked like in the years the book accounts for. Of particular interest in the book are: 1- Arenas regularly filled with numbers up to 10,000 spectators to witness the “japs” with their “jacket wrestling” confront their archrivals (catch) wrestlers. (Note that even in 2023 these numbers aren’t, or at least rarely are, attained) 2- Fight prizes of up to 48,000 USD (in today’s money) (also a rarity today) 3- How active men such as Oki Shikina, Higami, Kimon Kudo, Shunichi Shikuma, Don Sugai, Jack Terry (amongst many others) were. Some of them, fighting in faraway places almost every weekend 4- Masahiko Kimura’s record in kosen judo tournaments 5- How Yasuichi Ono was not a student of Kanemitsu (as was previously widely believed) and was rather a novice at judo (he was a “shodan” rank, which took 6 to 12 months to achieve at the time) when he opened his school in April 1935 as well as when he fought Helio Gracie that same year 6- The first recorded use of the triangle-choke (or “hell hold”) in the Western press The book is also flavored throughout with occasional humorous jabs at pop-narratives, marketing hustlers and the “woke” crowd in general. A criticism I have of the book in question is of the title itself, since the content of the book is at least as much about catch-wrestling and its evolution into pro-wrestling as it is about “jiu-jitsu.” The book would have also benefited had it explained to the readers what the fight rules in questions were as well as clarified to the reader that many (if not all) of these matches were fixed. Hard to say perhaps, but given the high instances of “boston crabs” and “airplane spins” one is inclined to believe this was indeed the case. Furthermore, the book is so removed from the folklore infused perception of the average practitioner/reader, that I believe that The Evolution of Modern Jiu-Jitsu (as well as Pedreira’s other books) would have benefited from an explanation as to why this is. This, because most readers will not grasp what isn’t on the surface, since recorded facts and popular perception are seldom in agreement. In other words, perhaps Pedreira puts too high of an expectation on the average jiu-jitsu reader. What is often missed in his books is storytelling, which should in fact be viewed as a strength since, by highlighting the facts and, consequently, deemphasizing the pop-narratives, history is being written as it should, impartially, pragmatically and with its aims on pursuit of the truth through facts. However, many readers that miss this, may often (unjustly in my view) dismiss him as an “anti-Gracie” (whatever that means). Perhaps a brief explanation of why so many fan favorite characters are missing in his books would, I believe, go along way into correcting this. Finally, if a competent Martian historian were to visit earth and upon request found himself/herself up at the task of writing the history of jiu-jitsu during the 20th century, our hypothetical extraterrestrial visitor would likely find himself/herself (or “whatever”) writing books similar to Pedreira’s: pragmatic, objective and whose only passion is a relentless (or “maniacal” as a fellow reader described it to me) pursuit of truth through a vast variety of sources (that and the occasional passional jab at hustlers in their various uniforms). Nevertheless, if History is to be the office of justice, then the more competent the office, the less it will please the hustlers and their followers. Again (here on earth at least), there is “nothing new under the sun.” But maybe Mars has better readers.
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