History
Hélio Gracie: The Frail Brother Who Rebuilt Jiu-Jitsu
The life of Hélio Gracie (1913–2009): the sickly boy from Belém who reworked judo around leverage, fought Kimura and Santana, and lived to see UFC 1.
10 min read · 21 Sept 2026
History · Region
Latin America
Martial arts that originated in or were shaped by Latin America.
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History
History
Rickson Gracie: The Family's Best Fighter
The life of Rickson Gracie: Hélio's son, the vale tudo fights with Rei Zulu, the Japan tournaments and PRIDE, the 400–0 legend and the record behind it.
9 min read · 21 Sept 2026
History
The History of Capoeira: From the Senzala to World Heritage
How enslaved Africans in Brazil created capoeira, how it survived a century of persecution, and how two masters in Salvador made it a UNESCO heritage.
8 min read · 20 Sept 2026
History
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Maeda to the Gracies
How Maeda Mitsuyo brought judo to Brazil, how the Gracies rebuilt it around leverage, and how UFC 1 in 1993 made it the grappling base of MMA.
9 min read · 17 Sept 2026