Carlson Gracie

Carlson Gracie was one of the most important figures in jiu-jitsu and still is considered today to be one of the best representatives of the sport both as a competitor and as a coach through his Carlson Gracie Academy. His legacy will live for many years to come, as many of the world’s premier grappling teams were directly related to the Carlson lineage, teams such as Nova Uniao, American Top Team (ATT), Brazilian Top Team (BTT), Nova Geração and many others.

Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Born Eduardo Gracie, his name was only changed to Carlson Gracie sometime after his birth. this change was due to Carlos Gracie’s belief in the power of the letter ‘C’ (and R), which came after Carlson’s birth.

Nickname: Was sometimes called Carlsão.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie

Fight Record (MMA/Vale Tudo):

• 18 fights, one loss (to Euclides Pereira by decision)

Favorite Technique: N/A

Weight Division: 67 to 72kg

Team/Association: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu/Carlson Gracie

Carlson Gracie Biography

Carlson Gracie was born on the 13th of August, 1932 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the son of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Founder Carlos Gracie and he became a top competitor in No Holds Barred/Vale Tudo matches during the 1950’s and 1960’s era. He was also one of the finest Jiu-Jitsu coaches to have ever lived. His life was filled of turmoil with family feuds as well as scuffles with his own students, though he will always be remembered as a warm-hearted person who made history in the sport and as one of the greatest masters to have ever lived.

Carlson started competing at the tender age of 5 at the Campeonato Aberto de Jiu-Jitsu e Luta Livre, an open tournament between Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling. At the age of 17, he won the Campeonato Carioca de Jiu-Jitsu Rio de Janeiro’s first-ever State Championship. The legendary Gracie was never an avid student, though most of his academic failure came due to the long trips he and his uncles would make to different parts of the country looking for ways to display their family’s legacy of Jiu-Jitsu. At the age of 15, he left school to dedicate himself fully to fighting.

His first professional fight came when he was 18 against the Judo wiz Sakai who weighed 92kg against Carlson’s 67. That fight was in grappling rules where no strikes were allowed and it ended in a draw as none of the two managed to submit each other during the predetermined time limit. After this fight, Carlson Gracie released a press note challenging anyone in the country to come and fight him. This fight’s revenue would go to a charity fund towards the victims of the drought that was devastating the country’s Northwest region (with which the family had strong ties). Cirandinha, a 100kg Capoeira fighter took the challenge. Carlson defeated Cirandinha by verbal tap out due to strikes from the mount.

Carlson continued to compete always trying to improve his skill-set, at the age of 23 he faced one of Brazil’s most renowned fighters, Waldemar Santana was his name, and he had already on his resume a Knockout win over one of Carlson Gracie’s mentors, his uncle Helio Gracie. Carlson’s father Carlos Gracie went on record stating that he would give 300,000 real (a fortune in those days) if Waldemar managed to survive his son’s superior technique. Unfortunately for Carlos, Waldemar (according to the records) played a defensive fight and managed to keep at bay of Carlson’s attacks, the fight was labeled a draw and the money given to the happy Santana. Another fight was arranged soon after, and this time Carlson managed to get the fight win he so anxiously looked for in order to save the family honor. The fight took place at a sold-out 40,000 seats at Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Carlson beat Santana with strikes from the mount. Both fighters met again a couple of years later, although hype and expectation of the 1st two fights had passed away and the 3rd fight was a lackluster draw once again.

Carlson was always a creative fighter and teacher, he used to go to the beach in Rio and ask for people to fight him, the challengers could use any methods at their disposal (punches, kicks, head butts, the works) while Carlson would only use his grappling although never submitting. He would wear them out until they gave up.

Carlson reigned supreme for almost 30 years. He broke up with Gracie Academy and had a bit of rivalry with his own uncle Helio, sometimes disregarding Helio’s coaching methods. Carlson believed the only way to move forward was to test yourself and to do so you needed to open your knowledge to the public. He opened the famous Carlson Gracie Academy where he started the first group classes in Jiu-Jitsu (previously only taught in a one-on-one basis), he also opened the doors of his gym to the lower classes, and allowed students to train without paying, asking in return full commitment and to step up in competitions. In the process, Carlson assembled one of the greatest teams that ever competed, with fighters like Ricardo Liborio, André Pederneiras founder of the Nova Uniao Academy, Murilo Bustamante world champion and UFC middleweight champion as well as founder of BTT (Brazilian Top Team), former UFC Light-heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort “The Phenom”, Walid Ismail (another BJJ legend) among many, many others. This team would break up in the early 2000s as Carlson was spending most of his time in the United States leaving the Rio de Janeiro team relegated to a secondary stage. Most of the students from Brazil decided to open their own academy though some remained faithful to their master.

Always opinionated and charismatic, his loss on the 1st of February 2006 in Chicago, came as a shock to the Jiu-Jitsu community. His achievements will be remembered forever.

Official List of Carlson Gracie’s Black Belts

Note:
This list was written by Master Carlson Gracie himself before passing away in 2006. It was designed to prevent charlatans or, as the Gracie said himself, “confused people” from using his name to promote themselves or their party. The list was released by several BJJ newspapers and other media streams at the time and it was not built by BJJ Heroes. If you believe someone you know is a Carlson black belt but he/she is not on the list, then that person is not a Carlson black belt.

• Aaron Laponte
• Alberto dos Santos
• Alexandre Nascimento de Oliveira
• Alexandre Macedo
• Alexandre Derizans
• Allan Goes
• Amaury Bitetti
• André Mendes
• André Pederneiras
• Anselmo Montenegro
• Antônio Cláudio Correia Leite Buchaul
• Antônio Gadelha “Tony Malone”
• Antônio Ricardo Bittencourt Cavalcanti
• Antonio Ricardo Jardim Liborio
• Antônio ‘Tuninho” Rodrigues
• Armando “Maninho” Alves Gonçalves Filho
• André Mendes
• Arthur Vírgilio Neto
• Ary Galo
• Bráulio Carsalade
• Cassio Cardoso
• Carley Gracie (Brother)
• Carlos “Penão” Alexandre Conceição
• Carlos Antônio Rosado
• Carlos “Bagana”
• Carlos Henrique “Caíque” Vieira Cavalcanti Gomes de Oliveira
• Carlos Rollyson
• Carlson Gracie Júnior
• Carlson Guimaraes
• Cássio Cardoso
• Christian Kennedy Grandi
• Clayton de Souza
• Clóvis de Souza
• Crézio de Souza
• Daniel Cristoph
• Djalma José de Santana Filho
• Edyr Moreira da Silva “Monge”
• Edson Carvalho “Baiano”
• Elair Gilberto da Silva Reis
• Élcio Figueiredo
• Fábio Macieira
• Felipe Fígalo Barbosa
• Fernando Carlos “Nutri-Baby” Carvalho da Silva
• Fernando “Pinduka” Melo Guimarães
• Fernando Rosenthal
• Francisco “Grego” Trivelas
• Francisco “Toco” Albuquerque Neto
• Gustavo Gussem
• Gutenberg Mello
• Henrique Chvaicer
• Isaias De Souza
• Francisco “Grego” Trivelas
• Jerônimo Dix-Huit Rosado Ventura
• João Antônio Fernandes Filho
• José de Oliveira
• José Eduardo Vieira Cavalcanti Gomes de Oliveira
• José Mário Sperry
• Júlio César “Foca” Nunes
• Léo D’Ilha
• Luis Fernando “Nando” Da Costa
• Luís Carlos “Manimal” Mateus
• Luiz “Bebeo” Duarte
• Luís Carlos Vallois
• Luís Cláudio Isaías de Souza
• Luís Fernando “Nando” Costa
• Manoel Maria “Maneco” Cardoso Neto
• Marcel Laguna Duque Estrada
• Marcelo Allonso Duque Novais
• Marcelo Alonso
• Marcelo Pache
• Marcelo Procópio
• Marcelo “Bocão”
• Marcelo Saporito
• Marcelo Tadeu Domigues de Oliveira
• Marco Aurélio Kühner de Oliveira
• Marco Aurélio Lisboa Valladares
• Marcos “Parrumpinha” Da Matta
• Marcos “Flexa” Neves Mello
• Marcus Vinícius de Macedo Soares
• Marcus “Conan” Vinícius Figueiredo da Silveira Júnior
• Mário Cupertino
• Marvin Swhab
• Mauricio “Saddam”
• Miguel Kelner
• Miguel Monteiro de Carvalho
• Murilo Bustamante
• Orlando Saraiva
• Oswaldo “Paquetá” Gomes da Rosa
• Oswaldo Viana
• Otávio Augusto “Peixotinho” de Oliveira
• Paulo “Mamão” de Albuquerque Martins Pereira Filho
• Paulo Leite Filho “Paulão“
• Pedro Paulo de Secco Freire
• Renato Tavares
• Ricardo de La Riva Goded
• Ricardo Jucá Santos
• Ricardo Luis Moraes “Rey” Diogo
• Ricardo Luiz Perrone
• Ricardo “Kiko” Velloso
  Rinaldo Santos
• Rocyan Gracie (brother)
• Rodrigo Medeiros
• Sérgio Abimerhy
• Sérgio “Bolão” de Souza
• Sérgio Íris de Almeida
• Wallid Farid Ismail
• Walter “Soldado” da Silva
• Walter Guimarães
• Wander de Souza
• Vauvernargues Xavier Vicentini
• Vitor Belfort