Historians believe that the origins of Jiu-Jitsu, "the gentle art," can be traced back to India where Buddhist Monks practiced the martial art. Concerned with self-defense, these monks created techniques based upon principles of balance and leverage that manipulated the body in a manner where one could avoid relying upon strength or weapons. With the expansion of Buddhism, Jiu-Jitsu spread from Southeast Asia to China, finally arriving in Japan where it developed and flourished.
By the end of the 19th century, Jiu-Jitsu had gained further popularity and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu masters began to immigrate to other continents, teaching the martial art, as well as competing in fights and tournaments.
Esai Maeda Koma, also known as "Conde Koma," was one such master. After traveling with a troupe that fought in various countries in Europe and the Americas, Koma arrived in Brazil in 1915. He settled in Belem do Para the next year, where he met a man named Gastao Gracie.
The father of eight children, among them five boys and three girls, Gastao became a Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast, bringing his oldest son, Carlos, to learn to fight from the Japanese master.
For the frail, fifteen-year old Carlos Gracie, Jiu-Jitsu became a method not simply for fighting, but for personal improvement. At nineteen, Carlos moved to Rio de Janeiro with his family and began teaching and competing in the martial art. In competition, he was able to prove the efficiency of the art of Jiu-Jitsu by beating adversaries that were physically stronger. In 1925, Carlos opened the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school, known as the "Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu,” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
After opening the academy, Carlos began to share his knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu with his brothers, adapting and refining the techniques to better suit the weaker characteristics of his family. Carlos not only trained his brothers in the physical aspects of the martial art, but also instilled in them his philosophical outlook on life and his concepts of natural nutrition. Eventually, Carlos’ special diet for athletes, known as "the Gracie diet," would transform “Jiu-Jitsu” into a term synonymous with health.
Having created an efficient self-defense system, Carlos Gracie saw in the art a way to become more tolerant, respectful, and self-confident in his daily life. With a goal to prove Jiu-Jitsu’s superiority, as well as to build a family tradition, Carlos and his brothers challenged the greatest fighters of the time, paying no regard to size or strength. Fighting and dominating opponents fifty or sixty pounds heavier quickly gained recognition and prestige for the Gracie family.
Attracted to the new market that had opened up around Jiu-Jitsu, many Japanese practitioners of the art came to Rio to open schools, but none were as successful as the Gracie academy. The Gracie style of Jiu-Jitsu contained sophisticated ground fighting and submission techniques, while Japanese Jiu-Jitsu focused more on takedowns and throws. Carlos and his brothers changed the techniques in such a way that the face of Jiu-Jitsu was completely altered and a new form, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was born. Artists all over the world, including in Japan, now practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
With the creation of an official body, complete with rules and a ranking system, to oversee the administration of the sport, an era of competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ensued. Today, Jiu-Jitsu is organized under an International and National Federation, founded by Carlos Gracie, Jr. Currently, the Confederation holds competitions in Brazil, the United States, Europe, and Asia, realizing Carlos' original dream to spread Jiu-Jitsu around the world.
