--- title: "‘Car Jitsu’ Is Where MMA Meets Motorsports" description: "Cars and combat sports meet once again in this frantic and entertaining new martial art that's taking Russia by storm." date: "2023-03-10" modified: "2023-03-10" authors: - name: "James Gilboy" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/car-jitsu-is-where-mma-meets-motorsports" categories: - "Culture" - "News" --- # ‘Car Jitsu’ Is Where MMA Meets Motorsports ![Car Jitsu Championship fight]() *\Car Jitsu Championship on YouTube\* Getting rocked by your sibling in the back seat is a tradition as old as the [road trip](). Now, it's also a martial art; car jitsu, a sport borne that looks fun enough to make you wonder if a seatbelt around the neck is the thing for you. As its name implies, car jitsu is basically just Brazilian jiu-jitsu inside a car. It operates under the same rules but allows the use of a car's interior to force opponents into submission. That can mean throwing the seat back to change the environment or using the [seatbelt]() to choke an opponent. With cramped confines, it's a bit more like a cage match in that regard, only even tighter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am9H1KMpNz4 According to *[Jiu Jitsu Legacy]()*, car jitsu was invented in 2020 by Russian jiu-jitsu and judo black belt Vik Mikheev, whose [YouTube channel full of fights]() has accrued millions of views. It's reached a level of popularity in Russia that it even has its own championship, which at least one organization in the United States is trying to replicate with the [Car Jitsu Championship](). It appears to be held inside a [Toyota Prius](), marking the first occasion on which dudes in Tapout shirts have sought time inside a Prius. Spectators often comment on car jitsu's value as a means of self-defense inside a car. However, it also offers a source of inspiration for movie fight scenes, especially if neither party is carrying a weapon. And as long as we're following that train of thought, it can be expanded to dozens of people duking it out on a bus. Sounds like the perfect stunt for a sequel to "RRR"—or maybe just another "Karate Kid" spinoff. *Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com* ## Author James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids." ### Author social links [Instagram]()