  The Hamilton-Jacobi analysis of three dimensional gravity defined in terms of
Ashtekar-like variables is performed. We report a detailed analysis where the
complete set of Hamilton-Jacobi constraints, the characteristic equations and
the gauge transformations of the theory are found. We find from integrability
conditions on the Hamilton-Jacobi Hamiltonians that the theory is reduced to a
$BF$ field theory defined only in terms of self-dual (or anti-self-dual)
variables; we identify the dynamical variables and the counting of physical
degrees of freedom is performed. In addition, we compare our results with those
reported by using the canonical formalism.
