Ralph Gracie and MIsho Ceko
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that focuses on grappling and submission techniques to establish dominant positioning to control an opponent and the utilization of joint locks and choke holds to submit or force an opponent to “tap out.” The underlying principles and techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) allow a person, regardless of size, to control and finish a much larger opponent through the use of technique and timing. Currently, six UFC champions hold black or brown belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It has become the foundation of Mixed Martial Arts.
BJJ a martial arts system based on early 20th century Kodokan Judo that was introduced in Brazil by Mitsuyo Maedo—a student of Kano Jigoro, the founder of Judo—in 1917. Maeda met an influential businessman named Gastão Gracie who helped him get established; and in exchange for his help, Maeda taught Gastão’s sons this new form of martial arts. Over the last century, the sport has evolved greatly from its original form and continues to evolve till this day.
Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time were single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo, tae kwon do and wrestling. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing widespread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.
