Gracie family facts for kids

The Gracie family is a well-known family of martial artists from Brazil. Their family roots trace back to Scotland. They are famous for creating and teaching a self-defense system called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which is now widely known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This martial art grew from Kano jiu-jitsu (Judo), brought to Brazil by a Japanese fighter named Mitsuya Maeda.

For over 80 years, the Gracies have been very successful in combat sports. They have shown how effective their self-defense system is in different types of fights, including mixed martial arts (MMA), Vale tudo (an early form of MMA), and submission wrestling events. Some family members even helped start the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with promoter Art Davie.

The Gracie family also created the "Gracie Challenge". This was a special martial arts challenge where they invited fighters from other styles to test their grappling skills against Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. This helped show how strong and effective their style was. The Gracies are also related to the Machado family.

How Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Started

Gastão Gracie, who lived in Rio de Janeiro, moved to Belém do Pará in 1901. In 1916, a Japanese judoka (Judo expert) and fighter named Mitsuyo Maeda came to Belém with a circus. Gastão Gracie helped Maeda settle in Brazil and create a Japanese community.

In 1917, Gastão's oldest son, Carlos Gracie, watched Maeda perform. This inspired Carlos to start training with Maeda's student, Jacintho Ferro. Later, in 1921, Gastão Gracie and his family moved back to Rio de Janeiro.

Learning the Art of Jiu-Jitsu

Maeda's teachings were then passed on to Carlos and his brothers: Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Hélio. Hélio Gracie was said to be too young and frail to train at first. However, he was a strong swimmer and even a coxswain for a rowing team.

A popular story says Hélio learned Jiu-Jitsu by watching his older brothers. Because he was not as strong, he focused on using leverage and smart positioning instead of pure strength to beat opponents. This approach became a key part of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

For many years, the Gracie family was very dominant in vale tudo events. Their success in these competitions helped them promote Gracie family members and their fighting style within the martial arts world.

Gracie Champions in Competition

As grappling became more popular, many Gracie family members became champions in international competitions.

• Roger Gracie won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship 10 times in different weight classes. He also won the Pan-American Championship and the European Championships. He was the first person to be added to the ADCC Hall of Fame.
• Kron Gracie won the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2013 and the European Championships in 2009.
• Clark Gracie won the Pan-American Championship in 2013.
• Kyra Gracie was the first woman in the family to compete professionally. She won the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship three times (in 2005, 2007, and 2011) and the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship four times. She was also the first woman to be inducted into the ADCC Hall of Fame.

The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Way of Life

The Gracie family believes that Jiu-Jitsu is more than just fighting. It's a way of life that helps people live healthy lives and use their bodies and minds to their fullest. Taking care of your body is very important for doing well in Jiu-Jitsu. Staying close to family and friends is also a key part of their philosophy, as it builds mental and spiritual strength. This way of life was started by the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Grand Masters Carlos and Hélio Gracie.

Gracie Family and the UFC

In the early 1990s, Rorion Gracie worked with a promoter named Art Davie to create a special fighting tournament. The goal was to show how effective Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was against other martial arts styles. This tournament would be a "no-holds-barred" fight, similar to the vale tudo matches the family had done for years in Brazil. The event was shown on TV and aimed to find out which martial art was the best.

Royce Gracie's Victories

The first UFC tournament happened on November 12, 1993. Rorion's younger brother, Royce, fought in the tournament to represent the family's martial art. Even though Royce was the smallest fighter, he won all three of his matches and became the champion.

Royce went on to win two more early UFC tournaments. His victories brought a lot of attention to the Gracie family's style of Jiu-Jitsu. Many martial artists, especially in America, started training in this art because it proved so effective against the different styles shown in the early UFC events.

The Gracie Triangle Symbol

Some people consider the Gracie triangle to be the symbol of Jiu-Jitsu. Its origin goes back to the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) schools run by Carlos and Hélio Gracie. The triangle symbol appeared when the two brothers were photographed showing a specific technique. The way their bodies were positioned during the demonstration formed a perfect triangle.

This same photograph was later used on the cover of the first book written by Carlos Gracie. The book gave detailed information about basic attacks and defenses in BJJ. The triangle then became a symbol for the Gracie family and much more. Each side of the triangle represents an important part of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that every BJJ athlete should focus on: mind, body, and spirit.

Politics and the Gracie Family

Hélio Gracie, a leader of the Gracie family, was part of the Brazilian movement called Integralism, which started in Brazil in 1932. In 2018, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro received an honorary black belt from Robson Gracie.

Gracie Family Members

Family tree

Here are some notable members of the Brazilian Gracie family:

Images for kids

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  Rickson Gracie

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  Royce Gracie

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  Royler Gracie

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  Renzo Gracie

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  Rodrigo Gracie

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  Kyra Gracie

See Also

In Spanish: Familia Gracie para niños

• Gracie (name)
• List of notable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
• Gracie jiu-jitsu ranking system
• The Gracies and the Birth of Vale Tudo