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.
With the exception of the sickly youngest brother, Helio, all of Carlos' brothers became instructors at the school. Carlos felt that Helio was simply too weak to train and participate, but Helio was a keen observer and learned much from simply watching the lessons. In fact, he learned enough to take over a class one day when Carlos was running late to the school. The student was impressed by Helio's instruction and asked to continue taking lessons, thus beginning Helio's career as a teacher.
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.
Helio's oldest son Rorion is yet another notable Gracie family member. In 1978, with little money but a dream of opening a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, Rorion came to the United States. He first taught classes out of his garage, not even charging his first students for lessons. A few years later, his younger brother, Royce Gracie, came to the states and joined his brother. They upgraded from the garage to a full-scale facility in 1989, creating the world headquarters for Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu.
Rorion is also one of the key developers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which he formed in 1993 along with businessman Art Davie and movie producer John Milius. All three men saw the huge potential of broadcasting the young sport of mixed martial arts live on television. The result was UFC 1, which was broadcast via pay-per-view.
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.
With the exception of the sickly youngest brother, Helio, all of Carlos' brothers became instructors at the school. Carlos felt that Helio was simply too weak to train and participate, but Helio was a keen observer and learned much from simply watching the lessons. In fact, he learned enough to take over a class one day when Carlos was running late to the school. The student was impressed by Helio's instruction and asked to continue taking lessons, thus beginning Helio's career as a teacher.
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.
Helio's oldest son Rorion is yet another notable Gracie family member. In 1978, with little money but a dream of opening a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, Rorion came to the United States. He first taught classes out of his garage, not even charging his first students for lessons. A few years later, his younger brother, Royce Gracie, came to the states and joined his brother. They upgraded from the garage to a full-scale facility in 1989, creating the world headquarters for Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu.
Rorion is also one of the key developers of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which he formed in 1993 along with businessman Art Davie and movie producer John Milius. All three men saw the huge potential of broadcasting the young sport of mixed martial arts live on television. The result was UFC 1, which was broadcast via pay-per-view.
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 loves writing about mixed martial arts benefits. For further details about San Diego MMA lessons or to find a San Diego boxing gym, visit The Arena MMA website now.
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