History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

In the late 1880’s Jigaro Kano developed Kano Ryu Jiu-Jitsu that later became Judo as we know it today. Professor Kano had a great student Mitsuo Maeda who was very adept at Jiu-Jitsu and was called Count of Combat for his skills. Maeda immigrated to Brazil in 1914 and was helped by the Brazilian politician, Gastão Gracie, to settle into Brazil. The Gracie family moved to Brazil when George Gracie, the father of Gastão Gracie, emigrated from Scotland.

In order to repay Gastão for his help and kindness, Maeda taught Jiu-Jitsu to Gastão’s son, Carlos Gracie. Carlos in turn taught his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão Jr., and Jorge.

Helio, the younger, smaller Gracie, watched every day as his brothers trained, learned, and developed the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu. Helio’s brothers did not let him train with them because they felt he was too small and weak to learn Jiu-Jitsu.

While Helio watched he began understanding the movement and the power of the movement, so he would watch for hours; he then trained by himself learning the moves and developing his own style through the movement.

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Helio, one day, challenged his bigger, stronger brothers to a match, and when Helio beat them, they wanted to know how he had learned the technique he used against them. Helio told them of how he watched them train and how he saw the moves develop and began to understand how to make the movement work.

Helio began sharing his skills with his brothers and developing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, known as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. In 1925 the Gracie’s started the first Academy of Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro; the primary instructors were Helio and Carlos Gracie.

Helio Gracie and Carlos Gracie taught their families and friends the Art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone who has learned this art is connected to the Gracie Family through their dedication to the Art and the visions of the Gracie Family.