CHALLENGING MATCHES IN HISTORY

The popularisation of BJJ happened at the beginning of the 1990s, on the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) organised in the USA for a huge audience for the first time. This MMA Tournament did not have weight classes back then and there were a few rules only. The audience was mesmerised by the first winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championships, Royce Gracie from Brazil, the son of Helio Gracie. Royce Gracie, being the lightest (80 kg) competitor in the competition, overpowered all his opponents with a lock or a choke regardless of opponents’ different weight classes or their fighting styles. What is even more mesmerising is the fact that his family, the Gracie family, has been unbeatable in MMA until recently – basically for about 70 years.

The history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its roots in the 1900s in Brazil. Many Jiu-Jitsu and Judo masters originally from Japan moved to Brazil at the beginning of the new century and began establishing schools and performing on shows as well as in challenge matches. Mitsuyo Maeda was one of those who left his home country for this purpose. Maeda was the student of Jigaro Kano, the founder of Judo, and he is known under the name Count Koma (‘’Count of Combat’’). After travelling all around the world, visiting Europe and America, he arrived in Brazil in 1915 and settled down in Belem do Para. This is where he met Gastao Gracie and they became friends.

Gastao began his Jiu-Jitsu training under the supervision of the Japanese master Mitsuyo Maeda. He also encouraged his older son Carlos to participate in the training of combat sports with the Japanese master. Maeda was quite small in terms of height (164 cm) and weight (70 kg). Despite the small size, however, Maeda has won over 1000 challenge matches mostly against physically stronger competitors by getting them to the ground and making them surrender with a choke or a lock. BJJ became a way of life and key to self-development for young and fragile 15-year old Carlos. At the age of 19, he moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family and started teaching and competing in combat sport.
Carlos also started teaching learnt techniques and the philosophy of life to his younger brothers Osvaldo, Gastao Jr, Jorge and Helio. The youngest and smallest brother Helio learnt how to compete especially against bigger and stronger opponents. Later on, Helio developed techniques which would be suitable for bigger practitioners as well. In 1925 Carlos and his brothers established the first school of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ‘’Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu’’. His goal was to demonstrate the superiority of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to other combat formats and make this sport his family tradition. Carlos and his brothers were challenging the most popular and strongest opponents in different combat sports of that time. After winning competitors ten kilos heavier than themselves, the Gracie family gained recognition and reputation thanks to their skills and used techniques. The Gracie family improved BJJ even further in traditional Brazilian Vale Tudo MMA Tournaments, where only a limited number of rules mattered. Throughout more than 70 years, the Gracie family has challenged the masters of different styles of martial arts, street fighters as well as robust men of the harbour to a fight without rules. These combats proved the effectiveness of used techniques. Also, strategy and training methods of BJJ were mastered.

Carlos and his brothers changed the original techniques so much that this fighting style differed completely from the internationally recognised Jiu-Jitsu. Thanks to the developed techniques of Gracie family, this fighting style received a national stamp and nowadays it is known under the name ‘’Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’’. Currently, this combat sport is practised all around the world including Japan.