Guess What?  Contrary to what the Gracie family would have you believe, they didn’t invent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!  And, if you take the time to research it, the Gracie’s were snobs and stingy with sharing jiu jitsu. History shows that they only taught to the rich or upper class.  Some things never change.

Luis Franca was taught jiu jitsu by non other than Mitsuyo Maeda.  Mitsuyo Maeda was an expert judoka with direct lineage to the founder of judo, Kanō Jigorō. Maeda, settled in Belem in 1917 and taught a small group of students, including Luis Franca and Carlos Gracie.

Oswaldo Fadda received his black belt under Luis Franca.  Fadda taught jiu jitsu to the poor in Rio because, as usual, the Gracie tuition as too high.  He taught in unorthodox locations free of charge to share the gentle art of jiu jitsu with the less privileged. The Gracies, in typical snobbish fashion, considered him an outcast.

Oswaldo Fadda Jiu Jitsu legend!

Fadda finally opened a school in 1950.  He then challenged the Helio Gracie school with some of his students.  The Gracies excepted the challenge and invited Fadda and his students to the Gracie Academy.  Fadda’s students tapped out the Gracies and even put one of them to sleep.  Much of Fadda’s students used foot locks to tap the Gracies who in sore loser spirit called the foot locks a ‘suburban technique.’  However, later Helio would say that it only takes on Fadda to prove that jiu jitsu is for everyone.  Fadda is the only one known to have beaten Helio in a tournament.

Master Julio Cesar Pereira, leader of the Ground Fight Team has direct lineage to Oswaldo Fadda.  Rodolfo Vieira is Master Pereira’s student.  I always like to cheer for the underdog, don’t you?

Please take the time to read more about Oswaldo Fadda and learn more about how the Gracies didn’t invent brazilian jiu jitsu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswaldo_Fadda

Happy training!