Our
lineage.

Chicago MMA identifies Misho Ceko as a black belt under Ralph Gracie. The academy’s stated line continues through Carlos Gracie Jr. and Ralph’s father, Robson Gracie, whom Chicago MMA identifies as black belts under Carlos Gracie.

That Gracie history traces to Carlos Gracie’s training with Mitsuyo Maeda, the Japanese judoka also known as Conde Koma. Historical accounts describe Maeda as a Kodokan judoka associated with Jigoro Kano, the creator of judo, who traveled internationally in challenge matches and later settled in Brazil. Within the Gracie family account, Maeda befriended Gastão Gracie and taught Carlos grappling and combat methods.

Chicago MMA presents this as its stated teacher-to-student line of instruction: a way of locating the academy’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pathway within a longer martial-arts history.

Chicago MMA identifies Misho Ceko as a black belt under Hugo Duarte within its Luta Livre line. Brazilian Luta Livre developed as a grappling tradition in Brazil and is widely associated with no-gi submission practice.

USA Luta Livre identifies Hugo Duarte as a ninth-degree red belt. Its published lineage history describes his move to the United States after an earlier rivalry with Renzo Gracie became a friendship and business partnership, and describes Duarte’s black belts working to establish rules, standards, instructor certification, and teaching structures for Luta Livre in the American submission-grappling community.

For Chicago MMA, the connection provides a no-gi lineage context alongside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai. The program page explains how to explore the art locally.

Chicago MMA identifies its Muay Thai instruction as being under Kru Mark DellaGrotte in the Sityodtong tradition. Sityodtong Boston describes DellaGrotte as an appointed conservator of Muay Thai who trained repeatedly with Kru Yodtong Senanan at the Sityodtong camp in Pattaya, Thailand.

The academy’s published history says DellaGrotte first traveled to Thailand in 1997 and later received Kru Yodtong’s blessing to teach the art in the United States. Sityodtong Boston describes its work as carrying traditional Muay Thai training and Thai cultural context to new generations of students.

Chicago MMA presents this as its stated Muay Thai line of instruction. Visit the program page for the current local training pathway.