Helio Gracie and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

A Japanese teacher in Brazil

Mitsuyo Maeda, a judo expert from Japan, settled in Brazil in the 1910s. In Belem he taught Carlos Gracie, who passed the art to his brothers. Helio, the youngest and slight in build, found that many techniques relied on strength he did not have, so he adjusted them to use leverage, timing and positioning instead.

Leverage over strength

The Gracie approach focuses on taking the fight to the ground, reaching dominant positions such as the mount or back control, and finishing with chokes or joint locks. The guard, fighting from your back with your legs controlling an opponent, became a defining feature. These ideas made the art effective for smaller people.

The Kimura match

In 1951 Helio fought Japanese judo champion Masahiko Kimura at the Maracana Stadium in Rio. Kimura, much heavier, won with a shoulder lock after Helio's corner threw in the towel; Helio refused to tap. The lock is now called the kimura in jiu-jitsu, a tribute to the respected opponent.

Did you know?

Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions today are run by groups such as the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, whose World Championship is often just called the Mundials. Matches can be won by submission or by points for takedowns, sweeps, guard passes, mount and back control. The art is also popular for self-defence programmes because it teaches people how to escape from bad positions on the ground. Helio Gracie kept teaching into his nineties and died in 2009.

Spreading worldwide

Helio's sons and nephews carried the art abroad. Rorion Gracie moved to California and co-founded the UFC in 1993, where his brother Royce won the first event. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is now practised in academies worldwide, with belts from white to black. Read our Brazilian jiu-jitsu page for the sport today.

Learn techniques only from a qualified instructor in a supervised class, with proper equipment and a partner who knows what to expect.

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