Global Training Report 

Presents

"Jiu-Jitsu Brasileiro"

by Eduardo Pereira, Mestre 8 grau de Jiu-Jitsu

From Boletim da Federação de Jiu-Jitsu

Ano 1, No. 1, Setembro 1998

Translated by Roberto Pedreira

    At the beginning of the 1950's, there was the academy of George Gracie, a great teacher who, in the decade before, thrilled Brazil with his fights and victories over opponents who were infinitely larger and stronger than him, and did as much as his brother Hélio to elevate the name of the "gentle art" [jiu-jitsu] as the most perfect form of fighting. It was George who taught us, his students, but being excessively modest and introverted, he did not become as famous as his brother Helio.  He transformed us into great fighters and also produced a great number of teachers who in turn disseminated the knowledge they had acquired from him. To mention some of his outstanding students:

 Almir Ribeiro

Milton Pereira

Nahum Luiz

Luiz "Frankenstein" Carlos

José Pinto

Zoroastro Neves

and many others.  He also taught Guanair Vial, who was become one of the greatest vale tudo fighters in Brazil. There came about to be a difference of opinion between George and his brothers Carlos and Hélio, the owners of the largest academy during the decades of the 50's and the 80's, where there were such fabulous fighters and teachers as:

Pedro Hemetério

Armando Wriedt

João Alberto Barreto

Hèlio Vigio

Moacir Ferraz

Algênio de Barros

and many others, among them their own sons Carlson, Robson, Rolls, and Reyson.

    It is a pity that the young people today do not know the facts about George Gracie, due to the negligence of the press, in print and on television, to the advantage of his famous brother Hélio, who really was a giant as a teacher, fighter, and spreader of the art. The memory of the people is, unfortunately, chaotic and short, and George is being forgotten. I agree that it was the Gracie family that gave jiu-jitsu the dimensions that it has today. Without their tenacity, we would still be crawling like babies, without the knowledge that makes jiu-jitsu the greatest self defense art that exists in the world. But I don't agree when it is said that Gracie Jiu-jitsu was created by Hélio Gracie, as his son Rorion would have us believe from his video and book "The Saga of the Gracie Family".

    In the first place, I want to clarify that jiu-jitsu arrived in Brazil before, much before, Conda Koma, the teacher of Carlos Gracie who in turn transmitted his knowledge to his brothers Gastão, Oswaldo, George, and Hélio.

    According to Moises Muradi, a fighter named Miura arrived here in Brazil from Japan in 1903 and began teaching his art to his fellow Japanese and to Brazilians. Moises Muradi said that in 1908 Japanese colonists arrived in the port of Santos on the ship "Kasato Maru" and began to give jiu-jitsu classes. Conde Konda, whose full name is still virtually unknown, was said by some to be named Mitsuyo Maeda, said by others to be Yomuto Maeda, and still later by Rorion, who cited his name as Conde Koma Esai Maeda, arrived in Brazil in 1913 or 1914, and in the city of Pará gave lessons to Carlos Gracie. [1]

    It is clear that jiu-jitsu was being taught in Brazil and even more clear that in Brazil from 1925, another Japanese champion, Geo Omori, had opened an academy in São Paulo and whose students included my father, Carlos Pereira and França, who later in the 40's would teach Oswaldo Fadda, who would become a notable teacher himself, producing many great fighters and a good number of new teachers [2]. This makes me take issue with the name Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, seeing that, with the passage of time, with the numerous disputes, and insults that were introduced. It is unfair to call it Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. It would be better to call it Jiu-jitsu Brasileiro, the best in the world, thanks to the tenacity of Carlos, Hélio, and George, with help from their brothers Gastão and Oswaldo. 

    One could praise Rorion's commitment to making many books and videos, but it would be much more correct to say that in his egocentricity he has exalted only his father and brothers and has forgotten his uncles and cousins, Carlson, Robson, and Rolls, who were the fantastic fighters of their time. How can his three cousins not be included in his video?  Why doesn't he mention them in his book? Is Rorion trying to erase this part of the family's past? Here is my testimony: Carlson Gracie in his time was virtually unbeatable, and would fight on an equal level with the best fighters in the world today. Robson, despite being a "mignon" [half pint; squirt, shorty] weighing less than 60 kilos [132 lbs.] defeated everyone at his weight, and I include myself in that category. Rolls was expected by the family to succeed Carlson when death took him from us. Therefore I appeal to Rorion and others who wish to tell the truth about this popular family: Include the names of Carlos, Gastão, Oswaldo, George, Carlson, Robson, Rolls, and Reyson in your writings!

終

For more about the history of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, Mitsuyo Maeda, Geo Omori, Carlos Pereira, George Gracie, Oswaldo Fadda, Guanair Vial, Almir Ribeiro, Milton Pereira, Nahum Luiz, Luiz "Frankenstein" Carlos, Zoroastro Neves, Pedro Hemetério, Armando Wriedt, João Alberto Barreto, Hèlio Vigio, Moacir Ferraz, Algênio de Barros, and other legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, check out

Jiu-Jitsu in the South Zone, 1997-2008 , especially the chapters on George Mehdi, Master Jiu-Jitsu, Alliance Jiu-Jitsu,  Corpo Quatro, and 151 Rio Branco. 

And the three Choque Volumes, collectively covering the period 1856 to 1999. (Click below or on icons in right side bar for ordering information). 

Notes

1. Readers should be aware that Moises Muradi's account of jiu-jitsu history is mistaken on several points in this paragraph. Please see Choque 1 for correct details. Moises Muradi was a young jiu-jitsu teacher in São Paulo, not a historian.

2. Readers should be aware that Eduardo Pereira's account of jiu-jitsu history is mistaken on several points in this paragraph, possibly including his father's connection to Geo Omori. Carlos Pereira cited Carlos Gracie as his teacher, not Geo Omori. He may have learned from Geo Omori as well, but it was Carlos that he gave credit to for his jiu-jitsu education. Please see Choque 1 for correct details.

Revised June 6, 2015 (misspellings of some names corrected).

Revised April 12, 2016. One minor grammatical error corrected and notes added.