Gracie Barra is a
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
association with over 800 schools on six continents. The organization was founded by
Carlos Gracie, Jr.
Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, and first cousin to the Machado family brothers.
Career ...
History
Carlos Gracie Jr., who was born in 1956, grew up heavily influenced by his
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
, especially his father
Carlos Gracie Sr.
Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist who is credited with being one of the primary developers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along with his younger brother Hélio Gracie and fellow students Luis França a ...
and his brother
Rolls Gracie
Rolls Gracie (; 1951–1982) was a Brazilian martial artist. He was a prominent member of the Gracie family known for their founding of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and considered by some the family's best ever fighter. He was teacher of Rickson Gracie, ...
. Carlos was working as Rolls' assistant instructor when Rolls died in a
hang-gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
accident in 1982; Carlos was asked to assume the head instructor role.
The first Gracie Barra school was first founded in the upper-class
Barra da Tijuca
Barra da Tijuca () (usually known as Barra) is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the Rio de Janeiro#West Zone, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean. Barra is well known for it ...
() neighborhood in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
.
In a few years Carlos Gracie Jr. was able to turn Gracie Barra into one of the most dominant teams in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu winning many consecutive world titles. Despite the outstanding results in tournaments, Carlos Gracie Jr. worked hard to create a positive learning environment where all kinds of people could learn the art of
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
. At the school, people can see world champions training with lawyers, doctors, business professionals, etc. on a mutual supportive environment dedicated to development of the individual.
Gracie Barra has graduated more than 500
black belts all over the world.
Gracie Barra Instructor Certification Program
Gracie Barra created the instructors' certification program in 2010 which aims to increase the level of instructions given to their students. Each instructor goes through a series of modules which caters to different aspects within the organization. The aim is to standardize each instruction based on the traditional teaching methods of founder Carlos Gracie, Jr.
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The certification program in Gracie Barra also provides all instructors insight into the inner workings of the organization, such as the business model and strategy.
Currently, the certification program is authored by the top executives of the organization namely
Marcio Feitosa
Marcio Feitosa (May 16, 1976) is a Brazilian 6th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has learned directly from Carlos Gracie Jr., founder of the Gracie Barra Academy in Rio de Janeiro. He has risen to the podium eight times from 1997 ...
, Marco Joca, and Flavio Almeida, all of whom trained under Carlos Gracie, Jr.
Gracie Barra CompNet
The Gracie Barra CompNet (Competition Network) is designed to promote competition within the members of Gracie Barra. The tournament is exclusive to Gracie Barra school members. The rules in the tournament coincide with the
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Ji ...
rules. Weight classes follows the international standards as well.
See also
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List of professional MMA training camps
*
Gracie family
The Gracie Family () are a prominent martial arts family originally from Belém, state of Pará, Brazil whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for creating the self-defense martial arts system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also kno ...
References
External links
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Gracie Barra profile
{{Gracie family
Brazilian jiu-jitsu organizations
Mixed martial arts training facilities
Gracie Barra
Brazilian jiu-jitsu training facilities