| There are many Brazilian masters of Jiu Jitsu, but it is | | | | Another factor that made Brazilian Jiu Jitsu different |
| impossible to say very much about the Brazilian Jiu | | | | than the Japanese counterparts is the intentionally |
| Jitsu (BJJ) world without mentioning the Gracie family. | | | | constant exposure of the Gracie's to real fight |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu really grabbed the world's attention in | | | | situations. The Gracie family has traditionally issued |
| 1993 when Royce Gracie won the first ever Ultimate | | | | challenges to all other schools and styles to fights |
| Fighting Championship (UFC), but BJJ has a long and | | | | without rules. In these no-rules fights (called "vale tudo") |
| distinguished history prior to that. Since 1925 more than | | | | the Gracie family and their students sought to |
| 40 members of the Gracie clan have spent their entire | | | | demonstrate their belief that BJJ allowed anyone to |
| lives teaching and developing and practicing Brazilian Jiu | | | | defend themselves at any time regardless of size or |
| Jitsu. In the process they have made it into a global | | | | strength or even age and gender. In 1947 the diminutive |
| phenomenon and created an empire of BJJ schools | | | | Helio Gracie went so far as to challenge the American |
| and academies. | | | | world heavyweight champion boxer Joe Louis to a |
| Carlos Gracie emigrated to Brazil from Scotland in the | | | | no-rules fight, but Louis' manager declined the invitation. |
| early 20th century, where he met a Japanese judo | | | | In 1978 Helio's eldest son, Rorion, traveled to the United |
| and Jiu Jitsu master named Esai Maeda. Carlos | | | | States to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu knowing that this |
| opened his own school in 1925 with his brothers, | | | | would open the art form to the rest of the world. Just |
| except his smallest brother Helio. Legend has it that | | | | like his father, he would soon issue the "Gracie |
| Helio was prohibited from practicing because he had a | | | | Challenge" to fight anyone, anywhere, at any time. In |
| very small and weak body so he simply watched all | | | | fact this would lead to the origin of the UFC |
| the training. Although Helio memorized everything he | | | | competition in 1993, which was essentially started as |
| saw, when he eventually was allowed a chance to | | | | another "Gracie Challenge" to all other martial arts |
| apply the Japanese techniques he had previously only | | | | forms to settle "once and for all" which was the most |
| watched he realized he indeed did not have enough | | | | effective. To everyone's surprise another Gracie, |
| strength for many of the moves and throws. But he | | | | Royce, won the first UFC despite being the smallest |
| didn't quit; he started adapting moves in his own style | | | | fighter in the tournament. After that, worldwide interest |
| to create more leverage with less strength. He also | | | | in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu exploded. By 1994, even the US |
| discovered that fighting on the ground can largely | | | | Army's Special Operations units had decided to largely |
| neutralize much bigger attacker's reach and power. | | | | adopt BJJ as their core hand-to-hand training system. |
| Now these are some of the hallmarks of BJJ today. | | | | |