Hélio Gracie
Hélio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009) was a Brazilian martial artist who together with his brothers Oswaldo, Gastao Jr, George and Carlos Gracie founded and developed the self-defense martial art system of Gracie jiu-jitsu, also known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
| Hélio Gracie | |
|---|---|
Hélio Gracie in 2004 | |
| Born | October 1, 1913 Belém, Brazil |
| Died | January 29, 2009 (aged 95) Petrópolis, Brazil Natural Causes |
| Other names | "Caxinguelê" ("Squirrel"), "O Caçula" ("The Youngest") |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Catch wrestling |
| Teacher(s) | Donato Pires Dos Reis, Carlos Gracie Orlando Americo da Silva Chugo Sato |
| Rank | 10th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 6th degree red/white belt in Judo |
| Years active | 1932-1937, 1951-1955 |
| Notable relatives | Gracie Family |
| Notable students | Rolls Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, Relson Gracie, Rorion Gracie, Carlos "Caique" Elias |
Considered as the Godfather of BJJ, according to his son Rorion, Gracie is one of the first sports heroes in Brazilian history; he was named Man of the Year in 1997 by the American martial arts publication Black Belt magazine. A patriarch of the Gracie family, multiple members of his family have gone on to have successful careers in combat sport competition including mixed martial arts (MMA).
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