Carlos Gracie

Carlos Gracie was a Brazilian martial artist who founded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a combat sport focused on ground fighting and submission techniques. Born in 1902, he developed his style by adapting Japanese jujutsu and judo principles to create a system emphasizing leverage, technique, and strategy, making it effective regardless of a practitioner's size. His teachings laid the foundation for a martial arts tradition that has become popular worldwide, influencing self-defense, sport, and mixed martial arts competitions. Carlos is regarded as a pioneer who transformed martial arts into a practical, self-defense-oriented discipline focused on technique and efficiency.