5) Gracie Jiu Jitsu

When Carlos opened his school in Rio de Janiero it began in the living room of a small home. Carlos was the older brother of Gastão Jr., Oswaldo, George, and Helio and welcomed them into his school. He wanted to show them how to be fighters, how to be champions, and most importantly, how to be men. He also began teaching local police and soldiers this new way of ground-fighting.

Helio would go on to be the first famous fighter in the family winning multiple national contests despite being born weak and sickly. He used the unique form of the martial art to gain leverage and control much stronger opponents. The Gracie family, including their cousins from the Machado and Faca families, expanded this style into what is known today as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ).

BJJ grew in prominence over several decades but was not well known until Royce Gracie, grandson of the founders, won the first three Ultimate Fighting Championships in the early 1990s. Gracie beat opponents in full-contact fights that specialized in every fighting style imaginable and thus brought prestige and international attention on the martial art that began with his grandfather. Today BJJ is used for self-defense, physical and mental health, and high-level prize fighting. The martial art specializes in takedowns, grappling, control of your opponent, and submissions through joint manipulation and chokes. Smaller fighters learned to use leverage to defeat those stronger than them. This is the lineage of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.