One thing you may or may not know about me is that I'm fascinated by combat sports, and I absolutely love practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, it's not uncommon to walk into the Rush Room throughout the week and find me on the mat with a student teaching him/her some self-defense or grappling someone into submission.
That being said, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu creator and Grandmaster Helio Gracie (see the pic) died in his sleep last night at the age of 95. Reports from his family say that Grandmaster Helio was still on the mat working out and grappling just earlier this week...at 95 years old...whether you're a fan of martial arts or not, you have to admit, that's awesome!
Though I never met Grandmaster Helio, I've always admired him as a man. The story of how and why he developed the techniques that are now known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are similar to the story of David and Goliath...well, kinda...Grandmaster Helio, the youngest of Cesalina and Gastao Gracie’s eight children, learned traditional jiu-jitsu by watching his brother, Carlos, teach it, but Helio's small frame made it difficult for him to execute the moves. As a result, he adapted the techniques to fit his limited physical ability and gave rise to modern-day Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Throughout his career, Helio made a living out of teaching his brand of martial art and using it to beat opponents who significantly outweighed him.
The martial arts, and mixed martial arts, world will all be pausing to pay respects to one of the true legends and great men of their game.
Grace and Peace
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