2.  Thomas Cutura works as the director of operations for
Assurance Exteriors & Interiors, LLC, a construction firm
that serves residents of cities throughout northern
Ohio, including Medina, Brunswick, and Sheffield
Village. In his free time, Tom Cutura enjoys playing
football and practicing jiu-jitsu.
Jiu-jitsu is a form of martial arts that is thought to have
originated more than 4,000 years ago. Many
historians believe that the foundation for jiu-jitsu was
a system of fighting created by Buddhist monks in
India that used no weapons and was based on
nonviolent techniques. Most of these techniques
focus on grappling and ground fighting with the goal
of gaining a dominant position over one’s opponent.

3.  Over the years, this fighting style made its
way into other Asian countries, including
China and Japan. In Japan, it was given
the name jiu-jitsu, which, roughly translated,
means “art of gentleness.” Jiu-jitsu became
a popular form of martial arts in Japan but
remained unknown in other parts of the
world until the 19th century, when Western
traders doing business in Japanese ports
were exposed to the fighting style.

4.  Eventually, jiu-jitsu spread to Brazil, where
the techniques were modified and
perfected by the Gracie family. The
Gracies began teaching jiu-jitsu in 1925,
and since then, their name has become
synonymous with the sport. Today, jiu-
jitsu, or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as it is commonly
known, is a popular form of martial arts
that is practiced in countries around the
globe.