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Carlson Gracie
Carlson catapulted to fame at the tender age of seventeen when he avenged the defeat of his uncle Helio Gracie. A former student of Helio's, Waldemar Santana, had defeated the much older Helio during a match in 1955. That match lasted four hours and is still the longest in modern history. Carlson's match with Santana in 1956 was a much shorter affair: four rounds of vicious vale-tudo combat left Santana bloodied, beaten, and unable to crawl back into the ring. Riding on his newly found fame, Carlson became the most sought-after Jiu-Jitsu instructor in Brazil. After teaching at his uncle's academy for several years, he opened his own, where over the past thirty years many of the greatest names in Jiu-Jitsu and no-holds-barred fighters have trained as members of the famed Carlson Gracie Arrebentacao Team.
Carlson's influence on no-holds-barred fighting is extensive as well, for the style of Jiu-Jitsu he taught at his academy was distinct from that being taught by Helio. While Helio's brand of Jiu-Jitsu emphasized technical proficiency, Carlson favored a 'warrior style' of Jiu-Jitsu that encouraged physical prowess and barraging your opponent with a series of attacks. Watch any Pride or UFC event today and you can see Carlson’s influence. A big-hearted man who embraces life with a wide smile, an inquisitive mind, and a deep spirit, Carlson Gracie considers his proudest achievement to be the scores of students that he has instilled with his love for the sport that changed his life. Copyright © 2004 by Carlson Gracie and Julio "Foca" Fernandez
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Carlson Gracie is the man who ushered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into the modern era. The oldest son of Carlos Gracie, who founded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro during the 1920s, Carlson reigned as world champion for thirty years covering the '50s, '60s, and '70s. He was never defeated in nineteen professional fights. During this time, he was also considered one of the preeminent teachers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the world; a reputation he holds to this day.
Born under the sign of Leo, Carlson's success in the ring and the academy owes something to the fearless and tenacious leadership qualities of that sign. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's conquest of the mixed martial arts world might not have happened without Carlson's lion-harted decision to teach everything he knew at his academy. At the time, Helio's academy taught only the most basic positions to outsiders, reserving the advanced positions for the family elite. Carlson opened up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the masses, and the masses responded, hungry to learn everything they could. To compete for students, the other academy was forced to offer all their positions as well. This good-natured competition breathed creativity and invention into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the sport has never been the same since.
