In the early 1900's a Japanese diplomat and Jiu-Jitsu master named Maeda Koma immigrated to Brazil. Maeda taught Jiu-Jitsu to Carlos Gracie, who is the father of our Grand Master Carlson Gracie. During this period of time, Jiu-Jitsu went dormant in Japan. In Brazil, Jiu-Jitsu went through an evolutionary process which improved the efficiency and the effectiveness of the techniques. Jiu-Jitsu's popularity in Brazil is second only to soccer. Popularized by its incomparable efficiency in self-defense and health benefits Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is in high demand all over the world.
Master Carlson Gracie is cosidered by experts to be the world's foremost authority in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, self-defence and Mixed Martial Arts. Carlson 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.
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.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's conquest of the mixed martial arts world might not have happened without Carlson's lion-hearted 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.
