Oswaldo Fadda was an important figure in the development of jiu jitsu in Brazil, being also the main alternative lineage of the Brazilian grappling style to Gracie family, and one of the few men that achieved the rank of red belt (9th degree/nono grau). Oswaldo Fadda became an influential figure for the growth of jiu jitsu working from the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, where he set his own academy in the 1950’s. In recent times, the main academies developed under the Oswaldo Fadda lineage are Nova Uniao and GFTeam.
Oswaldo Fadda Jiu Jitsu
Full Name: Oswaldo Baptista Fadda
Nickname: N/A
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Luis França > Oswaldo Fadda
Main Achievements: N/A
Favourite Technique: His school was famous for using footlocks
Weight Division: N/A
Association/Team: Academia FADDA
Oswaldo Fadda Biography
Oswaldo Fadda was born in Bento Ribeiro – State of Rio de Janeiro on the 15th of January 1921. Fadda started training in 1937 after he joined the Brazilian Marines. His coach was Luis França, a former student of Mitsuyo Maeda who achieved his grade of instructor (allegedly*) around the same time as Carlos Gracie, the founder of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy.
Oswaldo Fadda received his instructor grade from the hands of his coach (França) in 1942 and soon after began teaching the style himself, from his home town in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
Always trying to promote jiu jitsu as a way of life, with a strong sense of discipline and honor, Master Oswaldo Fadda would often perform demonstrations on public squares, beaches, favelas (slums), outside churches and even in circuses and church patios. On the 27th of January 1950 Oswaldo Fadda finally opened his very own academy fully dedicated to martial arts.
Throughout his coaching career, Fadda was often portrayed as an outcast by jiu jitsu practitioners in the “Zona Sul” and town centre of Rio de Janeiro, who failed to see the potential of an academy in the suburbs. This ‘lack of respect’ caused Fadda to issue a challenge to the Gracie Academy in 1951, the contest was proposed through the media, in the Globo Jornal and it went as follows:
We wish to challenge the Gracies, we respect them like the formidable adversaries they are but we do not fear them. We have 20 pupils ready for the dispute.
Helio Gracie accepted the challenge and the competition was booked for the Gracie Academy. Oswaldo Fadda’s team won, making better use of their footlock knowledge, something Helio frowned upon, calling it “suburban technique” (técnica de suburbano) – according to Reila Gracie’s biography of Carlos Gracie. The highlight of the competition was when Fadda’s pupil, José Guimarães, choked Gracie representative Leonidas to sleep.
The event had good media coverage, which had a double effect. While the victories gave Oswaldo’s team notoriety (and more students) it also brought the interest of all the hard men of the nearby towns, who would often stop by Fadda’s academy to issue challenges to Master Oswaldo and his students. These challenges gained such proportions that Master Fadda decided to start taking one day off from the weekly schedule, where he closed the doors of the academy to fight any challengers. It is said that jiu jitsu never lost a fight.
In 1967 the first jiu jitsu federation is born, named “Federação de Jiu-Jitsu da Guanabara” in Rio de Janeiro. This organization was created with the approval of the national Secretaries of State. The rules were very basic and differed tremendously from today’s tournaments. According to research done by GracieMag back in 2014, positions such as takedowns and mount and back takes accounted for 1 point, and matches would last 5 minutes with 3 of overtime (adults). Helio Gracie became the president of the federation, while the illustrious Fadda took a position in the office as vice president of the technical cabinet (president being Carlson Gracie).
Oswaldo Fadda spent the rest of his days in his hometown of Bento Ribeiro, like the humble man he was, with his students and his family. With age he started suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Struggling with the illness for years, he finally succumbed to bacterial pneumonia in April 2005, at 84 years of age.
great man, did not have the same popullarity as the gracies but was as good as them.
Just curious, did Fadda fight in vale tudo fights? How about Luis França Filho? We understand that they are a non-Gracie lineage, but what is their contribution to vale tudo?
Was their contribution more towards sport BJJ or more towards jiujitsu as a form of combat?
wow i never knew there were others besides the Gracies to learn jiu jitsu from Maeda. So cool, we need more articles like this !!
Maeda had a lot of students throughout Latin America. Long before he arrived in Brazil he lived in Mexico, Cuba, and throughout central America. He helped introduce judo (Kano jiu-jitsu) to those countries.
Unfortunately, his teachings didn’t spread or last in many of those countries like it did in Brazil. He left Mexico in 1910, which was the year the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) started, which could be a/the reason why jiu-jitsu didn’t spread.
In Cuba he had more success, which is probably why Cubans are some of the best judokas around. Maeda along with three other Japanese judo masters were known as the “Four Kings of Cuba”. From Cuba he finally went to Brazil.
Great info!!! Thanks for the insight!!!!
Rodolfo Viera, who just choked out Rubens " Cobrinha " Charles in Abu Dhabi, is of non-Gracie BJJ lineage. I am a Gracie Jiujitsu black belt and I never new about the Luis Franca lineage until recently. Also, check out Luta Livre for a unique, no-gi grappling from Brazil that developed completely apart from jiujitsu.
I'm with the Alliance Team and I was bummed to see that, but Cobrinha is a almost unbeatable at his chosen weight class, Vieira is a beast though, that judo enhanced top game of his is super dangerous.
I was suprised to see the existance of another lineage as well. Funny that Fadda's school is the reason why they frown on footlocks hahaha.
Fadda to the Gracie's is like Mary Magdalene and Jesus to the Catholic Church, they knew about it but didn't let anyone else know about it and keep it on the under ground
What??? Reading too much Davinci Code…lol!
This was an eye opening article for me as well. I thought only Gracies could receive a red belt.
Hi John, not at all! There have been many other red belts (Pedro Hemeterio, Osvaldo Alves, Armando Wridt, etc, etc). The 5 original Gracies are the only ones that had the rank of 10th degree. That degree is applicable only to the founding fathers of the style
Does anyone find it a little wrong that there is not much information on Luis França Filho? He doesn't even have a page in BJJ Heroes. I just recently found out that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu didn't come from just the Gracies. This might just be the BJJ nerd in me, but I feel a litle lied to. Throughout my 5 years being involved with Jiu Jitsu and MMA all I've heard from the Gracies is how they brought Jiu Jitsu to the world. If possible I'd love to learn more about this remarkable man (Professor Fadda), Luis França Filho, and Non- Gracie BJJ in general. Hey BJJ Heroes! Maybe you should sponsor a trip to Brazil for me so I can get more information out to you and the world, maybe a documentary? 😉
Hey Adrian, it is hard to find information on Luis França. Jiu Jitsu wasn't big in those days, and there is not alot of info around about the non Gracie lineage, though there were a few guys outside the Gracies teaching similair styles. As for your campaign for a trip to Br, if I had the money I would go myself 😛
Master Edmilson Alvez is a living legend from that lineage.. very humble man, if you have any questions look for him.
Haha figured it was worth a try :p
EvolveMMA.com.au has a 2nd degree black belt under Master Wilson and under Professor Fadda its Professor Minol, his our full time coach and he leads the Evolve Team. EvolveMMA is Minols headquarters as the head coach with 2 of his black belts and 3 blue belts.
come down and see us http://www.evolvemma.com.au
Professor Minol Tavares Tutida is no longer teaching at Evolve MMA. he has opened his own club in Preston Victoria Australia. Come down and learn the FADDA Lineage of Brazilian Jiujitsu.
minol originally was black belt under carlos toyota in japan whos under osvaldo alves
he got his bb from eduardo da rocha not carlos toyota. my mistake. so hes a true faddal lineage from white to black
Robert Drysdale is doing a major documentary on the REAL history of BJJ and everyone is excited! The Gracies will hate him but people deserve to know the Fadda lineage
Are there any videos out there that teaches you the basics? something like what the Gracie have
Any info on Master Deo? Or Ronny Lis? Would really appreciate it,great job with the site.
Great article. It's Great to read about the other branch of BJJ and this Mr. Fadda. I'm NOT a Gracie hater at all, but I have to always kinda laugh when I hear someone say that," It all came from the Gracies." or "The Gracies invented ju-jitsu." When I ask them what language does the word ju-jitsu come from ? Or show them a 1950s Judo textbook showing a armbar, it hilarious and watch them still try to fumble and stumble with a reply. The fact is,yes the Gracies took an existing art and refined,modified and added to it but they didn't invent ju-jitsu,the armbar or gi/no gi grappling. There are many forms of grappling that pre-date the Gracies that have similar or the same armbars,leglocks,chokes and takedowns.
You won't believe how hard it is to find someone like you.
In fairness, the Gracies were the ones who exposed the world to their version of jujitsu/judo. Could Oswaldo's lineage have done the same? Yes, but it didn't.
yes, they did. its alive here in TX
AFTER the Gracies had already brought BJJ out of Brazil and into the world. After the Gracies opened the door, everybody and their mothers started coming to the U.S. to rip the benefits. If it was for the Fadda lineage, maybe we would still not know what BJJ was till this day.
if fadda had 20 children then yes Fadda Jiu Jitsu would be just as big.
lol…Yes the Gracies are certainly fertile…..
The 21 children played a significant role in spreading Brazilian jiu jitsu, but the financial support and media exposure were also crucial. The Gracies marketed a narrative that they were the sole creators of Brazilian jiu jitsu, overshadowing the contributions of many others involved in its development. The Gracies, who were from an upper-class background, aimed to dominate BJJ and control its financial aspects. Oswaldo Baptista Fadda was a notable practitioner and innovator of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, achieving the rank of ‘nono grau’ (9th degree red belt). In 2014, he was posthumously honored with the 10th degree (‘décimo grau’). Fadda is recognized as one of the highest-ranked non-Gracie black belts and for his efforts in teaching students from the poorer regions of Rio de Janeiro, where Brazilian jiu-jitsu was traditionally seen as an upper-class sport. His lineage, the most prominent after the Carlos Gracie lineage, continues today through teams like Nova União, Grappling Fight Team, Deo Jiu-Jitsu (Deoclecio Paulo), and Equipe Mestre Wilson Jiu-Jitsu (Wilson Pereira Mattos). Even without substantial financial backing and media coverage, Fadda’s team managed to defeat the Gracies. The Gracies are not superior in Brazilian jiu jitsu; they simply have better funding and connections.
I would love to see a documentary that reveals the true history of Brazilian jiu jitsu and highlights that the Gracies did not want the less privileged to participate in the sport.
do some research on Deo Jiu Jitsu. a red belt from a non gracie linage. FADDA JIU JITSU
Wow one could argue that this great man was even greater than helio in wanting to spread bjj to all people which is where the falling out happened cause helio wanted to keep it in the richer areas
If you guys didnt already know 1 of the 2 guys whos started nova uniao is from the same lineage . His name is alexander wall abd he teamed up with andre pedeneirasto create one of the most prestigous schools out there ! Another sick lineage that i was very interested to come across was reyson gracie and oswaldo alves who if in not mistaken is jacare souza and andre galvaos lineage!
Hey Guam. The co founder of Nova União, Wendel Alexander is also on BJJ Heroes.
lol ! im sorry ima lil rusty about his name ! i read about nova uniao a while ago !
I recieved my Brown belt of a direct student of Grand master Fadda in 2005. " Master Edson Leonardo Da Silva was just promoted to 7th degree "carol" red and black belt by Grand master Fadda in Japan just before his death. His lineage has a large influence for BJJ in Japan. I always enjoy tell people why heel hooks and other leg submissions were banned in BJJ completion.
Why are heel hooks banned for bjj competitions Andrew?Is it because of Fadda's students using it with so much success against Hellio's students? I thought all other leg locks are legal(at least from brown and above) and heel hooks are legal in professional grappling tournaments, like the NAGA elite division and ADCC. Anyway i personally think it's a positive think that heel hooks are banned!
Franca, Fadda, Deo and Lis Jiu-Jitsu linage lives in the US, here in Laredo, Texas and Austin with Professor Ronny Lis.
Grappling Fight Team! ( GFT ) Some of the worlds most prominent BJJ black belts in the world. Luis Franca – Oswaldo Fadda – Monir Salomão – Julio Cesar Pereira
Hi my name is darryl mcmillan, im married to master carley gracie daughter heather gracie of largo fl.we argue the fact that her family wasn't the 1st to start bjj, shes so bullhead, she wont read the history
Any info on the Gommes lineage would be appreciated.thanks
Can someone identify all of the people in the image at the header of the page. I have taken a real interest in the history and lineage of Oswaldo Fadda. Thanks!