Carlos Gracie, Jr.

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Carlos Gracie Jr.
Born January 17, 1956 (1956-01-17) (age 56)
Rio de Janeiro (state) Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Residence Rio de Janeiro (state) Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Style Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Teacher(s) Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, Rolls Gracie
Rank          7th degree red and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Website http://www.graciebarra.com/, http://www.gbaustin.com/

Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie, Jr. is a 7th degree Red and Black Belt[1][2][3] (The belt designated to a "Master" or "Mestre") in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He started the Gracie Barra Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is head of the Gracie Barra, one of the largest and most successful worldwide Jiu-Jitsu associations. He's a member of the legendary Gracie family.

Carlos is the creator of the International Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-jitsu which run the largest Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in the world: the Mundials, Pan American and European Championships.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Carlos Gracie Jr. was born January 17, 1956 and grew up under the strong influence of his family of fighters. Really connected with the life philosophy and teachings of his father Carlos Gracie, Carlinhos – as friends and family called him – grew up observing and learning from some of the most influential characters his family ever created: Carlos, Helio, and Rolls.

The most important years of his childhood and early teenage years were spent at the famous Teresopolis House – a huge ranch with several rooms where most of Carlos’ and Helios’ son lived and trained together for many years. There, Carlos Gracie Jr. learned how to live in a community in which all members needed to get along, share, and learn from each other. This seems to have become an ideal for him. In many ways, Master Carlos is replicating that lifestyle on a larger scale today, through the same environment that nurtured his personal development at the old Teresopolis House.

Carlinhos was always a very technical fighter and inherited the open mind of his brother Rolls. His vision that a fighter should always rely on technique and be well-rounded was clear to note at a young age due to his dedication to mastering Take Downs from Judo and Wrestling, Self-defense techniques, and, of course, the many recent technical jiu jitsu developments introduced by his brother Rolls, among them the open guard.

Carlos Gracie Jr.’s dedication to the sport and lifestyle of Jiu-Jitsu would go side by side. He enjoyed training, teaching, and learning from his brothers and cousins, and also competed extremely well in many Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. But he was also really intrigued by the teachings of his father Carlos and was becoming more and more dedicated to developing the Gracie Diet as a way to support his family’s athletes and to cure diseases. Carlinho’s curiosity led him to pursue a college degree in Nutrition Sciences to deepen his understanding about the influence food could have on one’s body.

Master Carlos Gracie Jr. began to teach at the main Gracie school in Downtown Rio de Janeiro, like many of his cousins and brothers. He worked along side his older brother Rolls and Cousin Rorion, from whom he learned a lot. Eventually, Rorion decided to live in the United States, and Rolls established his school in Copacabana, while Carlos Gracie Jr. was called upon to assume the responsibilities of running the School with his cousin Rickson Gracie.

After two years as one of the main instructors at the main Gracie School, Carlos joined forces with his brother Rolls as his school was closer to the university he was attending for his degree in Nutrition Sciences. After working as Rolls’ assistant instructor for seven years, Carlos was hit by the news of his brother Rolls’ death.

During that situation, all of the students got together and, together with Rolls’ wife, asked him to assume the responsibility of continuing the path that his brother Rolls had began.

Carlinhos stayed in Copacabana for about four years, after which he decided to move to Barra da Tijuca, a promising newer neighborhood in the western part of the city that was growing. From that school originated the expression “Gracies of Barra,” and eventually, as we are called today, “Gracie Barra.”

[edit] Gracie Family

Carlos is the younger half brother of the late Carlson Gracie, Robson Gracie, Geysa Gracie, Rose Gracie, Sonja Gracie-Gronning, Oneica Gracie, Reyson Gracie, Reylson Gracie, Rosley Gracie, Rolange Gracie, Carley Gracie, Rocian Gracie, Carlion Gracie, Clayr Gracie, and the late Rolls Gracie. And older brother to Karla Gracie, Crolin Gracie, Reila Gracie, Rillion Gracie, and Kirla Gracie.[4][5]

Carlos is the cousin of Rorion Gracie, Relson Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Rolker Gracie, Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, and Robin Gracie. He is also a cousin by marriage to the Machado brothers; Carlos, Rigan, Roger, Jean-Jacques, and John Machado.

He is also the uncle to a number of notable Gracie family members Carlson Gracie Jr., Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ralph Gracie, Ryan Gracie, Flavia Gracie, Cesar Gracie, Rodrigo Gracie, Roger Gracie, Crosley Gracie, Rolles Gracie, and Igor Gracie. He is also the great-uncle of Kyra Gracie Guimaraes.[4][5]

According to Renzo Gracie, he is related to Carlos Gracie, Jr. on both sides of his family. “He’s brother to my father and he’s cousin to my mother.”[1]

[edit] Personal

Carlos has two children; daughter Caroline and son Kayron.[4][5] Kayron is a black belt under his father and is an instructor at the Gracie Barra America in Irvine, California.[6]

Though everyone said Gracie Barra was a bad idea, in little over one year the students grew from 20 to 200, most were either surfers or/and local hard men looking for a challenge. With time different Jiu Jitsu academies started opening all over Rio, many formed by Carlson Gracie’s black belts. Carlos saw a need for an organized competition and a credible federation, being the visionary that he is, he created CBJJ – “Confederação de Brazilian Jiu Jitsu“.

Although Many have fought through the years against this CBJJ for the lack of a democratic election, lack of prize money’s for the competitors or even the over pricing of it’s competitions, the matter of fact is that many federations have come and gone, and the CBJJ is still standing as the most prestigious and best organized federation in Jiu Jitsu and it’s titles are still regarded as the most prestigious by the Jiu Jitsu community. In the mean time, in between opening academies and federations, Carlos still managed to produce some of the very best BJJ fighters and coaches the world has to offer and have the most successful BJJ team in History, the one with the most international titles all around.

Carlos Gracie Jr. will always be remembered as a true ambassador of the sport/martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and as a token of that status, he was awarded his Coral Belt in 2008, one of the greatest honours there is in the Jiu Jitsu World.

[edit] Black Belt Students

Black/Red Belt, 8th degree

Black/Red Belt, 7th degree

Black Belt, 6th degree

Black Belt, 5th degree

Black Belt, 4th degree

Black Belt, 3rd degree

Black Belt, 2nd degree

Black Belt, 1st degree


Black Belt

[edit] See also

Uflacker is a second degree blackbelt

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Carlos Gracie Jr. receiving his 7th degree red and black belt URL accessed on June 7, 2009
  2. ^ Rickson Gracie honors Carlos Gracie Jr.
  3. ^ Carlos Gracie Jr. acceptance speech
  4. ^ a b c Gracie Family Tree URL accessed on June 5, 2009
  5. ^ a b c Charles Gracie Family Tree URL accessed on June 5, 2009
  6. ^ Gracie Barra America Instructors URL accessed on April 4, 2010

[edit] External links

Gracie Barra


CBJJ/IBJJF

BJJ Heroes
First Generation
Carlos Gracie  · Oswaldo Gracie  · Gastão Gracie, Jr.  · George Gracie  · Hélio Gracie
Second Generation
Third Generation
Fourth Generation
Related

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