If you have never heard the name Gracie, you really aren't much of an MMA fan. This family's impact on mixed martial arts has been huge, and the special style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu crafted by the Gracie Family is a vital part of most fighters' MMA training.
In 1917, Carlos Gracie was a young man in search of a purpose. His father was a difficult man, the co-owner of a circus. The circus hired Mitsuyo Maeda to present the unique martial art of Kodokan Judo to its audience. After watching Maeda perform, Carlos asked to become one of his students. Maeda agreed, trained Carlos and Carlos in turn taught these skills to his brothers. He then opened a martial arts school with himself and his brothers as instructors, thus securing an income and protecting his family from their abusive father.
His youngest brother, Helio, was the only one who did not take part in the training, as he was too sickly and Carlos was protective of his youngest brother. However, he spent many hours watching Carlos and his brothers train students and memorized all of their techniques. One day when Carlos was late to meet a student at the gym, Helio took over and the student was so happy with his instruction that he asked to take more classes from Helio.
Helio's physical weakness made many of Carlos's techniques difficult, so Helio decided to adapt each technique and modify the skills so that a weaker fighter could successfully beat a stronger and larger opponent. This became the basis for modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and much of its popularity stems from providing a smaller fighter with an advantage in the arena.
Fast forward a generation and you come to Rorion Gracie, Helio's oldest son, and the one who brought the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the United States. Rorion was born for the sport, beginning his training before his second birthday. He came to the United States in 1978 and started offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons for free out of his garage. Eventually his brother Royce joined him, and in 1989 with more than 100 students, they moved out of the garage and opened the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu studio.
Rorion was a man with vision. Not only did he open the first BJJ school in the United States, he was also responsible for promoting and developing the Ultimate Fighting Championship along with John Milius and Art Davie. The first UFC 1 was a huge success, and mixed martial arts has grown exponentially since that first live broadcast.
Royce Gracie not only helped Rorion develop his school of Jiu-Jitsu, he also was the very first UFC victor. He defeated three opponents in less than five minutes to win UFC 1. Royce also went on to win two more UFC titles and holds a mixed martial arts record of 12 wins, two losses and three draws. Like Helio, Royce was smaller physically than many of his opponents, but his superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills helped him overcome larger rivals, such as Ken Shamrock who outweighed him substantially.
In 1917, Carlos Gracie was a young man in search of a purpose. His father was a difficult man, the co-owner of a circus. The circus hired Mitsuyo Maeda to present the unique martial art of Kodokan Judo to its audience. After watching Maeda perform, Carlos asked to become one of his students. Maeda agreed, trained Carlos and Carlos in turn taught these skills to his brothers. He then opened a martial arts school with himself and his brothers as instructors, thus securing an income and protecting his family from their abusive father.
His youngest brother, Helio, was the only one who did not take part in the training, as he was too sickly and Carlos was protective of his youngest brother. However, he spent many hours watching Carlos and his brothers train students and memorized all of their techniques. One day when Carlos was late to meet a student at the gym, Helio took over and the student was so happy with his instruction that he asked to take more classes from Helio.
Helio's physical weakness made many of Carlos's techniques difficult, so Helio decided to adapt each technique and modify the skills so that a weaker fighter could successfully beat a stronger and larger opponent. This became the basis for modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and much of its popularity stems from providing a smaller fighter with an advantage in the arena.
Fast forward a generation and you come to Rorion Gracie, Helio's oldest son, and the one who brought the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the United States. Rorion was born for the sport, beginning his training before his second birthday. He came to the United States in 1978 and started offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons for free out of his garage. Eventually his brother Royce joined him, and in 1989 with more than 100 students, they moved out of the garage and opened the first Gracie Jiu-Jitsu studio.
Rorion was a man with vision. Not only did he open the first BJJ school in the United States, he was also responsible for promoting and developing the Ultimate Fighting Championship along with John Milius and Art Davie. The first UFC 1 was a huge success, and mixed martial arts has grown exponentially since that first live broadcast.
Royce Gracie not only helped Rorion develop his school of Jiu-Jitsu, he also was the very first UFC victor. He defeated three opponents in less than five minutes to win UFC 1. Royce also went on to win two more UFC titles and holds a mixed martial arts record of 12 wins, two losses and three draws. Like Helio, Royce was smaller physically than many of his opponents, but his superior Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills helped him overcome larger rivals, such as Ken Shamrock who outweighed him substantially.
About the Author:
Nolan Barias likes blogging about mixed martial arts benefits. For further details about San Diego MMA lessons or to discover a San Diego boxing gym, check out The Arena MMA site now.
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