Carlos Gracie (1902–1994) was the eldest of the Gracie brothers who built Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, the art now known worldwide as Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He taught his younger brothers, including Hélio Gracie, and is considered the patriarch of the family's martial arts line. He held a 10th-degree red belt and a judo black belt.
Who taught Carlos Gracie
Carlos was born in Belém on 14 September 1902, the son of Gastão Gracie, who owned a circus and a casino. At about 15 he watched the Japanese judoka Mitsuyo Maeda win a match at his father's circus, and he took brief classes with Maeda and his assistant Jacyntho Ferro before the family moved to Rio de Janeiro. His first formal training came in Rio under Donato Pires dos Reis, a police hand-to-hand instructor who had trained under Maeda. Pires later disputed Carlos's claim to have been Maeda's direct apprentice.
First academy and teaching
After a series of exhibitions with Geo Omori in São Paulo in January 1930, Carlos and his brother George opened an academy in the Perdizes neighbourhood of São Paulo. Carlos then taught his brothers, and Hélio's emphasis on leverage, posture and the closed guard grew out of that family teaching. Wikipedia credits Carlos, Hélio, Luis França and Oswaldo Fadda with developing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The art's origins involve several competing accounts.
Fights
Carlos was more organiser and manager than competitor. In July 1931 the brothers took on capoeira practitioners in a challenge and won two of three matches. His only professional bout, on 22 August 1931, was a loss to Manoel Rufino dos Santos after he refused a restart. In October 1931 the brothers assaulted Rufino. They were arrested and convicted of assault, then pardoned through their connections to President Getúlio Vargas. His brother George publicly disputed his fighting credentials, and a 20–0 amateur boxing record Carlos claimed in 1981 is not supported by any record.
The Gracie Diet
Carlos adapted the Gracie Diet from the regimen of the naturist Juan Esteve Dulin. It combines foods to keep blood pH neutral, recommends a vegetarian diet and herbal infusions, and excludes alcohol, tobacco and sugar.
Family and legacy
Carlos had 21 children, 13 of whom earned black belts. When he died in Petrópolis on 7 October 1994, aged 92, he had 106 grandchildren and 128 great-grandchildren. His daughter Reila wrote his biography and is the mother of ten-time world champion Roger Gracie.