Carlson Gracie

Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie in 1999
BornAugust 13, 1932
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
DiedFebruary 1, 2006(2006-02-01) (aged 73)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Heart Failure
Other namesChampion
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight67–72 kg (148–159 lb; 10 st 8 lb – 11 st 5 lb)
StyleBrazilian jiu-jitsu
Fighting out ofRio de Janeiro Chicago, Illinois
TeamCarlson Gracie Team
Teacher(s)Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie
Rank9th deg. BJJ red belt
Notable studentsAllan Goes, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Marcus Soares, Wallid Ismail, André Pederneiras, Ricardo Liborio, Marcelo Saporito, Julio "Foca" Fernandez, Vitor Belfort, Stephan Bonnar, Javier Vazquez, Carlos "Carlão" Santos, Carlos Barreto, Francisco "Toco" Albuquerque, Crezio de Souza, Joe Rogan, Roan Carneiro
Websitecarlsongraciechicago.com

Carlson Gracie (August 13, 1932 – February 1, 2006)[1][2] was a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A member of the Gracie family, he was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, and nephew to Hélio Gracie, founders of Gracie jiu-jitsu.[3]

Carlson Gracie is considered one of the most important and influential Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. He and his students created various innovative techniques and strategies which revolutionized Jiu-Jitsu.[4][5] He advocated for a "warrior style", which emphasized physical prowess, aggressiveness, heavy top pressure, takedowns and cross-training to disciplines such as Judo and Wrestling to better one's game.[6] Gracie also believed in the a philosophy the only way to move forward was to test yourself and to do so you needed to open your knowledge to the public, rather than keep jiu-jitsu a secret. The difference in styles and coaching methods led to a rivalry with Hélio Gracie's branch of more orthodox jiu-jitsu.[4]

He is also a mixed martial arts pioneer, having participated in multiple vale tudo matches in the 1950s and 1960s.[7] His academy had one of the first programs for specific training for MMA, and many of his students would become world champions and go on to establish their own academies.[4]

  1. ^ Gracie Family Tree. URL accessed on November 1, 2009.
  2. ^ Gracie Seminars >> Carlson Gracie Bio. URL accessed on November 1, 2009.
  3. ^ Ratner, Dave (2005-03-29). "Gracie Family Tree". Bjj.org. Archived from the original on 2006-07-15. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
  4. ^ a b c "Carlson Gracie | BJJ Heroes". Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  5. ^ says, Juan. "The Fall of Jiu Jitsu's Kodokan | BJJ Heroes". Retrieved 2022-02-03.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Carlson Gracie ("Meninão") | Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 2022-02-03.