In late May, 2013, I conducted a survey of 688 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioners, 626 of which were male and 62 female. They ranged in belt levels from white to black, with ages ranging from children to seniors. The majority (682) are actively training, whereas 6 identify themselves as retired.
When asked what initially inspired them to try BJJ, the most widely selected answer was "personal challenge", with "fitness" coming in second. Refer to the chart to the right for a full list of responses.
Like myself, 8 people surveyed wrote in that it was due to witnessing Royce Gracie in early UFCs, which most, if not all of those that practice BJJ, are familiar with.
http://www.dangerforce.com/1/post/2013/06/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-survey-results-for-may-2013.html
