Gastão Gracie
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The Gracie family () is a family of
martial artists Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the prese ...
originally from
Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the north of B ...
, state of
Pará Pará () is a Federative units of Brazil, state of Brazil, located in northern Brazil and traversed by the lower Amazon River. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins (state), Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas (Brazilian st ...
, Brazil, whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for promoting the
self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of Force (law), ...
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
system of Gracie jiu-jitsu, commonly known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, originating from '' Kano jiu-jitsu'' (Judo) brought to Brazil by ''judoka'' prizefighter
Mitsuyo Maeda naturalized as Otávio Maeda (),Virgílio, p. 9 was a Japanese people, Japanese-born judo, ''judōka'' and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was known as Count Combat or ''Conde Koma'' in Spanish and Portuguese, a nickname he pi ...
. They have been successful in
combat sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knock ...
s competitions for over 80 years, representing their self-defense system (Gracie jiu-jitsu) including
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
(MMA),
vale tudo Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (; ), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few Regulation of sport, rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventua ...
and
submission wrestling Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elem ...
events. Several members were involved in the creation of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
(UFC), along with promoter Art Davie. As a family, the Gracies upheld the " Gracie Challenge", a martial arts challenge intended to showcase the effectiveness of their style of grappling against other martial arts disciplines. Members have an
affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Pa ...
to, and are consanguineously related to, the Machado family.


Jiu-jitsu

Gastão Gracie from
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, the grandson of George Gracie through his son Pedro, married Cesarina Pessoa Vasconcellos, the daughter of a wealthy
Ceará Ceará (, ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It is the List of Brazilian states by population, eighth-largest Brazilian State by ...
family, in 1901 and decided to settle in
Belém do Pará Belém (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Par ...
. Gastão became a business partner of the American Circus in
Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará), often called Belém of Pará, is the capital and largest city of the state of Pará in the north of B ...
. In 1916, the
Italian Argentine Italian Argentines (; , or ''tanos'' in Rioplatense Spanish) are Argentine-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Argentina during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people ...
Queirolo Brothers staged
circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
shows there and presented
Mitsuyo Maeda naturalized as Otávio Maeda (),Virgílio, p. 9 was a Japanese people, Japanese-born judo, ''judōka'' and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was known as Count Combat or ''Conde Koma'' in Spanish and Portuguese, a nickname he pi ...
, a
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
''
judoka is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...
'' and prizefighter also known as Conde Koma (Count Combat). Gastão was also responsible for helping Maeda establish a Japanese community in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. In 1917, Gastão's eldest son Carlos Gracie, saw a demonstration by Maeda at the da Paz Theatre,, prompting the start of his training by Maeda's apprentice Jacintho Ferro. In 1921, however, following financial hardship and his own father Pedro's demise, Gastão Gracie returned to
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
with his family. Maeda's teachings were then passed on through local
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
coaches to Carlos and his brothers Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and
Hélio Hélio is a Portuguese given name: * Hélio (footballer) (born 1986), Brazil-born Hong Kong footballer Hélio José de Souza Gonçalves. * Helio Alves (born 1966), is a jazz pianist and son of pianists. * Helio André (born 1992), Angola football ...
. There's a version saying that Hélio was too young and slow at that time to learn the art and due to his medical imposition was prohibited from physically partaking in training, but it is now known that he became a
coxswain The coxswain ( or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the wiktionary:cockboat, cockboat, a ...
for the local rowing team as well as a competitive swimmer. A common account is Hélio learned the art of jiu-jitsu by watching his older brothers train, but due to his fragile condition instead of using pure strength Hélio learned to use leverage and positioning to defeat his opponents. Though these claims have been criticized and refuted. For a number of years, the Gracie family ran a competitive monopoly on
vale tudo Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (; ), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few Regulation of sport, rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventua ...
events. Through their competitive rise, the men allocated power and influence with which they sought to promote Gracie family members within the vale tudo community. With the growing popularity of grappling, members of the family have distinguished themselves in international competition. Roger Gracie won the
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament held annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered the most important and prestigious jiu-jitsu tournament of the year. The ...
10 times in various weight divisions (6 times at 100 kg, once at 100+kg, and 3 times in the Absolute division). He also won the Pan-American Championship in the Absolute division in 2006 and the
European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
in 2005 in the 100+kg and Absolute divisions. He was also the first person to be inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame. Kron Gracie won the
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). ADCC is considered one of the most prestigious No-Gi submission grappling tournaments in the world ...
in the under 77 kg division in 2013 and the
European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
in the 82 kg division in 2009. Clark Gracie won the Pan-American Championship in the under 82 kg division in 2013.
Kyra Gracie Kyra Gracie Guimarães (born 29 May 1985) is a Brazilian submission grappler and a 4th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A member of the Gracie family and a highly decorated competitor, she is a four-time World Jiu-Ji ...
was the first female member of the family to compete. She won the
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). ADCC is considered one of the most prestigious No-Gi submission grappling tournaments in the world ...
in the Women's under 60 kg division in 2005, 2007, and 2011 and the
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament held annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered the most important and prestigious jiu-jitsu tournament of the year. The ...
four times (three times in the Women's under 64 kg division and once in the Women's Absolute Division). She became the first woman inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame as a result of her achievements in the sport.


Ultimate Fighting Championship

In the early 1990s, Rorion Gracie collaborated with promoter Art Davie to create an eight-man single-elimination tournament for the purpose of showcasing the effectiveness of Gracie jiu-jitsu against other martial arts. The tournament would be no-holds-barred combat, much like the
vale tudo Vale Tudo or vale-tudo (; ), also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few Regulation of sport, rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventua ...
matches the family had participated in for years in Brazil. The event was to be televised and would aim to publicly determine the best martial art. The inaugural tournament took place on November 12, 1993. Rorion's younger brother Royce served as a combatant in the tournament, representing the family's martial art. Despite being the smallest competitor, Royce was able to win all three of his matches, and was crowned champion. As more events were held, Royce would go on to win two more early UFC tournaments. His victories brought widespread attention to the family's style of jiu-jitsu, attracting many martial artists, especially in America, to begin training the art that proved so effective against the various styles showcased in the early UFC tournaments.


Politics

Gracie family patriarch Hélio Gracie was a member of the Brazilian movement
Integralism In politics, integralism, integrationism or integrism () is an interpretation of Catholic social teaching that argues the principle that the Catholic faith should be the basis of public law and public policy within civil society, wherever the ...
, which first appeared in Brazil in 1932. Brazilian President
Jair Bolsonaro Jair Messias Bolsonaro (; born 21 March 1955) is a Brazilian politician and former military officer who served as the 38th president of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. He previously served as a member of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), Chamb ...
received an honorary black belt from Robson Gracie in 2018.


Documentaries

A 2010 documentary film ''The Gracies and the Birth of Vale Tudo'' (), directed by Victor Cesar Bota,. On July 6, 2023, it was announced that ESPN Films is producing a documentary series about the Gracie family directed by Chris Fuller and produced by Greg O'Connor and
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedy gangster films and large-scale action-adventure films. Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in e ...
.


Family members


Family tree

Notable members of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family include:


First generation

* Carlos Gracie Sr. (d. 1994) * Hélio Gracie (d. 2009)


Second generation

* Carlos Gracie Jr. * Carlson Gracie (d. 2006) *
Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin ...
* Robson Gracie also known as Carlos Robson Gracie *
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, ...
(d. 1982) * Rorion Gracie *
Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
*
Royler Gracie Royler Gracie (born December 6, 1965) is a Brazilian-American retired mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Gracie ran the Gracie Humaitá school in Rio de Janeiro for many years under his father Helio's d ...


Third generation

* Cesar Gracie * Clark Gracie * Kron Gracie * Ralph Gracie *
Renzo Gracie Renzo Gracie (; born March 11, 1967) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and 7th degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. A third generation member of the Gracie family, he is the grandson of Gracie jiu-jitsu co-founder C ...
* Rodrigo Gracie * Roger Gracie * Rolles Gracie, Jr. * Ryan Gracie (d. 2007) * Rener Gracie


Fourth generation

*
Kyra Gracie Kyra Gracie Guimarães (born 29 May 1985) is a Brazilian submission grappler and a 4th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A member of the Gracie family and a highly decorated competitor, she is a four-time World Jiu-Ji ...
* Neiman Gracie


Gallery

File:Rickson gracie 20080608.jpg,
Rickson Gracie Rickson Gracie (; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the third oldest son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin ...
File:Royce Gracie.jpg,
Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
File:1royler.jpg,
Royler Gracie Royler Gracie (born December 6, 1965) is a Brazilian-American retired mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Gracie ran the Gracie Humaitá school in Rio de Janeiro for many years under his father Helio's d ...
File:RenzoCropped.jpg,
Renzo Gracie Renzo Gracie (; born March 11, 1967) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and 7th degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach. A third generation member of the Gracie family, he is the grandson of Gracie jiu-jitsu co-founder C ...
File:Rodrigo Gracie.jpg, Rodrigo Gracie File:Kyragracie2.jpg,
Kyra Gracie Kyra Gracie Guimarães (born 29 May 1985) is a Brazilian submission grappler and a 4th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. A member of the Gracie family and a highly decorated competitor, she is a four-time World Jiu-Ji ...


See also

*
Gracie (name) Gracie is originally a Scottish surname, an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic word ''greusaich'' (or ''griasaich''), originally meaning an embroiderer and later a shoemaker. It is also a feminine given name, usually a diminutive form of Grace (g ...
* List of Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners * Gracie jiu-jitsu ranking system


References


External links


Gracie US website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gracie Family Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu * Mixed martial arts in Brazil