Some Gracie Jiujitsu History
Literally translated, jiu-jitsu means “gentle art.” It is believed to have originated in India over 2000 years ago where it spread into China, and eventually Japan. It was here that Japanese samurai adopted the martial art as their form of empty-hand combat. In the early 1900’s, a master of Japanese jiu-jitsu, Mitsuyo Maeda, moved to Brazil and was taken in by Gastao Gracie. As a token of his appreciation, Maeda passed on the art to Gastao’s eldest son, Carlos. From here, Carlos taught his brothers, including Helio, the youngest and weakest. In order to compensate for his stature, Helio refined and restructured the techniques to utilize leverage and skill to overcome much larger and stronger opponents. His development of this new technique revolutionized the martial arts world, and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is now studied and taught all over the world.
About Relson Gracie
The second eldest son of grandmaster Helio Gracie, Relson, began learning jiu-jitsu at the tender age of two and was competing by age ten. He reigned as Brazilian National Champion for 22 consecutive years and was entirely undefeated during this period. His popularity grew, and he soon became known to many as “Campeao,” or “Champion.” In 1988, Relson moved to Hawaii to introduceb Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the Aloha State. Now retired from competition, Relson remains dedicated to the art and the family tradition through teaching Gracie jiu-jitsu all over the world, including Columbus where he hosts two of the largest competitions each year.
