Ralph Gracie…it’s a name possessing a long-standing legacy synonymous with skill, strength, determination and the time-tested techniques of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – a name with a reputation earned on merit, gained through grit and deserving of its highly accredited distinction within the world of martial arts.
The impressive Gracie family legacy began on the streets of Brazil in tandem with the emergence of no holds barred competitions. These hardcore, no rules Brazilian street fights spanned across a wide array of martial arts disciplines, with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu rising from the fray to become one of the most revered.
The Ralph Gracie history and legacy is one woven from a rich tapestry of martial arts culture. In the early very 1900s, Mitsuyo Maeda, one of Jigoro Kano’s premier groundwork experts, left Japan to travel the world. Along the way, he taught elite martial art students his discipline of expertise – Judo with an emphasis on the ground fighting techniques. When Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil in 1914, one of his students happened to be Carlos Gracie – a member of the esteemed Gracie family, a family that has transformed the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu much of what it is today and for very good reason…
Diligently studying the techniques, methodology and philosophy of this martial art for over five years under the expert guidance of Master Mitsuyo Maeda, Carlos Gracie became a very practiced and accomplished disciple of the magnificent sport.
Shortly thereafter, Carlos Gracie’s younger brother, Helio, followed Carlos in his footsteps, receiving personal training from Jigoro Kano Master Maeda. Helio was of a slighter build than his brother Carlos and experienced a bit of difficulty executing some of the throws. However, what may have seemed like a detriment at the time, breathed life into the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as Helio’s smaller stature propelled him even further into the ground fighting self-defense techniques he so ably mastered.
Over the years, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu became a martial art using ground fighting and the leverage that comes with it to the advantage of its fighters, enabling smaller fighters to more easily overcome larger, stronger opponents. While Judo was a martial art more focused on throws, less focused on groundwork and its rules began to limit joint-lock techniques, heel-hooks and knee-reaping both remain legal moves in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
These groundwork and takedown differences, along with Helio Gracie facilitating the implementation and practicality of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a self-defense tool, helped to propel Brazilian Jiu Jitsu into its own, distinct martial art. Competitive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo are also not scored the same way. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ground fighting positions receive higher scores and in Judo, throwing techniques are scored higher.
Although that portion of the Gracie family history and legacy is remarkable in itself, the talented Gracie family tree was far from finished branching. Carly Gracie, also aptly referred to as the “Lion of the Gracie Family,” was the first Gracie family member to move to the United States, and he became a respected Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor here in 1972.
In 1978, Rorion Gracie followed suit. As Brazilian Jiu Jitsu continued its evolution, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was born with Rorion Gracie at the helm as one of its founders.
The extraordinary Gracie family legacy continued with Royce Gracie who made quick work of defeating many prominent martial artists from a wide array of martial arts disciplines, further showcasing the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
When Pay-Per-View came into the picture and began televising the fights, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, along with the Gracie family, gained momentum with a much broader audience and an exponential increase in popularity.
Plus, let us not forget the prominent role mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting played as well, showcasing the brilliance of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques and those of similar grappling styles. As MMA rose in notoriety, so did the teachings and training of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and its prominence within the world of martial arts continues to endure the test of time.
The philosophy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is built upon the values of gratitude, respect and grace. It is a yielding martial art which effectively manipulates an opponent’s force against them. A pragmatic discipline in nature, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu applies its techniques to real-world defense situations and focuses on bringing opponents of varying degrees of size, strength and skill levels to the ground to neutralize their “advantage”.
The modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial art maintains its position as a fundamental part of a well-rounded fight training method and its core methodology is universal to all forms of unarmed, hand-to-hand combat. Today, largely due to its distinguished history created by masters of the sport including so many members of the Gracie family, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has earned its rightful place in competitive martial arts and the entire world.
However, the esteemed Ralph Gracie family history and legacy does not end there. At the risk of sounding redundant, here is one more important component of the Ralph Gracie legacy…Ralph Gracie Mission Viejo Academy was named “Best Martial Arts School of 2022” by the Mission Viejo Awards Program and inducted into the Business Hall of Fame for the last five consecutive years.
At Ralph Gracie Mission Viejo, you can learn one of the fastest growing, most popular sports in the world from the best of the best…and you can do it in a friendly, welcoming environment for men, women and children of all ages and skill levels. Strength, conditioning, discipline, self-defense, confidence, teamwork and fun are all fundamental components of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the Ralph Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy.
If you are interested in learning more about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you can call the Ralph Gracie Mission Viejo Academy at 949-400-7108, email ralphgraciemv@gmail.com or visit us at our convenient location: 26861 Trabuco Road #H, Mission Viejo, California.
