GRACIE JIU JITSU GRACIE BRASILIAN JIU JITSU THE BARRA GRACIE ACADEMY PETER DE BEEN - A BRIEF HISTORY GRACIE JIU JITSU IN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA'S FIRST GRACIE JIU JITSU BLACK BELT THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF BRASILIAN JIU JITSU GRACIE BRASILIAN JIU JITSU The development of Gracie Jiu Jitsu owes its legacy to the unlikely relationship between Mitsuyo Maeda, the Japanese Jiu Jitsu champion and the Gracie family of Brazil. In the early 1900s Maeda immigrated to Brazil and Gastão Gracie, a politician of Scottish descent, assisted him. As a way of thanks Maeda taught Jiu Jitsu techniques to Gastão's oldest son, Carlos Gracie. This was about 1918. Carlos in turn taught his brothers, including Helio, who would later have a major influence over the development of the art. The first Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy was opened in 1925. Over the years the style of Gracie Jiu Jitsu has been modified to become a more efficient and complete art, and has developed through the emphasis on effective leverage and technique over brute strength. It is in essence a grappling style, which is highly effective due to its use of ground grappling submission techniques such as chokes and joint locks. Since the 1950s the Gracie family has become known for the ongoing development of this unique style, which has become more widely known as Brasilian Jiu Jitsu. Through a series of deliberate challenges to other fighting arts, the style of Gracie Jiu Jitsu has continually proven itself to be very effective. It has grown substantially in popularity since the international exposure it received following the success of Royce Gracie in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, held in the United States in the early 1990s. In the past decade it has grown phenomenally and Gracie Jiu Jitsu is now practiced widely in Australia, the United States and Europe. Although a traditional style, Gracie Jiu Jitsu continues to evolve and refine its techniques. It is both a method of self-defence and an ever increasingly popular sport. Because of its focus on technique over strength Gracie Jiu Jitsu is suitable to most people regardless of their gender, age or physical ability. THE BARRA GRACIE ACADEMY The famous Barra Gracie Academy is located in the suburb of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The story of Gracie Barra is directly related to the story of its head instructor: Master Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos Gracie Jr. was born into a family of fighters that had as its leader his father, Carlos Gracie Senior, the original founder of the fighting style now known word-wide as Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Carlos Gracie Sr's goal was to expand the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, since the knowledge of this art had brought so many positives to his life. Carlos Senior was a spiritualist by nature; he passed on his knowledge to others so that they too could experience the same benefits. Living in this kind of environment meant that Carlos Jnr. was exposed to the art and philosophy of Gracie Jiu Jitsu at a young age. In his father's academy in downtown Rio, Carlos Jnr. (Carlinos) started his training in Gracie Jiu Jitsu with his uncle, Hélio Gracie. Soon Carlos Jnr. started as an instructor, and finally as a teacher. At that point the main teachers at the academy were his brother Rolls and his cousin Rorion. When Rorion decided to move to the United States and Rolls set up a new Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy in Copacabana with his older brother Carlson Gracie, 'Carlinos' was called upon to take over the academy with his cousin Rickson. He stayed there for approximately two years, and after that went to college to study nutrition. Since he was living in Copacabana while he studied, Carlos decided to assist his brother Rolls at the Copacabana Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy. In 1982 Rolls Gracie (the family champion) tragically died in a paragliding accident. After a period of mourning Carlos Jnr. accepted an invitation to take over the Copacabana academy. He taught there for four more years before deciding to move the Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy to Barra da Tijuca. That is where the name Gracie Barra Academy came from - it was an academy started to promote the "Gracies of Barra." Its present location is in Avenue Comandante Julio de Moura, "Espaco Vital" in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. As well as being the head coach of Barra Gracie Academy, Carlos Gracie Jnr. is also the founder and President of the International Federation of Brasilian Jiu Jitsu (CBJJ). He oversees the Mundial (World Championship) and the Pan American titles. The main instructor at Gracie Barra now is multiple World Champion and Pan American Champion: Marcio Feitosa. The Barra academy has produced many outstanding Gracie Jiu Jitsu athletes and is considered to be the most successful Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy in competition. It is also the home academy of Australia's Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt instructor Peter de Been. Adapted from the Gracie Barra Website. PETER DE BEEN - A BRIEF HISTORY Whilst it was the unforgettable images of Royce Gracie easily despatching his much larger opponents in the original version of the Ultimate Fighting Championships in 1993, that sent many traditional martial artists on a sudden quest to learn and incorporate the "new" Brazilian style of Gracie Jiu Jitsu ground-fighting into their training; Peter de Been's discovery of the practical and realistic art had well and truly pre-dated this event. In fact it was while Peter was on a training trip with fellow Australian martial artist, John Will, between late 1990 and early '91, that he was first exposed to the 'unpolished gem' that is Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Pete recognized immediately that in Gracie Jiu Jitsu he had finally found his true calling as a martial artist. As Peter recalls: "During my initial training trip to Brazil, I couldn't believe what I was experiencing. We were easily getting tapped out by white belts, and I knew then that I had found something quite unique." Rather than continue training in a hybrid style fighting art, Pete immediately felt connected to the Gracie Barra (pronounced Bar-ha) academy in the beachside suburb of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, and he realised that he wanted to learn and practice the authentic style of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. After further solo training trips to Brazil, and with the encouragement of Carlos Gracie Jnr., the head coach of the Gracie Barra academy, Pete decided that the only way to really learn Gracie Jiu Jitsu was to return to Australia and start teaching it to others. GRACIE JIU JITSU IN AUSTRALIA With Carlos Gracie's approval Pete was able to open the first Gracie Barra academy in Australia. He established a small club in his hometown of Torquay, which at that time made it only the 14th Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy in the world - a rare honour. As the popularity for Gracie Jiu Jitsu training grew, the need for a Melbourne based club became apparent. Peter started a second Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy in Highett, but in 1996 moved the club to 179 Barkly Street in the fashionable inner Melbourne suburb of St. Kilda Beach, where it is presently located. With his loyalty and connections to the Gracie Barra family firmly established, Pete became an active member of the Barra competition team in 1995. He has since competed in seven Pan American and six World Championship events to date. His competition record is impressive and includes: a Pan American silver medal in 1996, Pan American Masters gold and a World Championship 5th place in 1997. In 1998 and again in 1999 he won bronze at the Pan Americans. At the 2000 World Masters Championship he received silver, and in 2001 another Pan American bronze medal. In 2003 he finished with a 5th place in the World Championships after retiring with illness, and in 2004 he became an International Super Fight Champion after winning a professional challenge match in Sao Paulo, Brazil. AUSTRALIA'S FIRST GRACIE JIU JITSU BLACK BELT It was after an eventful Pan Am's in Florida in 1999, that Pete reached an important goal when he was awarded his Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt by coach and mentor Carlos. This made him the first, and to date, only Australian ever to train and be graded to the coveted rank of black belt in Brazil. In fact for a long time Pete was the only 'gringo' (non-Brazilian) training Gracie Jiu Jitsu regularly at Barra, until around 1994-95 when some Americans began to make the pilgrimage to Brazil to learn the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF BRASILIAN JIU JITSU The formative years, which saw Peter de Been working towards the rank of black belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, also coincided with his efforts to establish an organised tournament scene in Australia. The Australian Federation of Brasilian Jiu Jitsu (AFBJJ) was formed in 1994 and through Pete's efforts in the role of President; it has grown in line with the ethos and official rules, which govern the International Brasilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. By anyone's standards Peter de Been has had a stellar competition career. After winning his professional International Super Fight as part of the 'star studded' Koral Jiu Jitsu Team in July 2004, Pete has spent more time dedicated to coaching his students in the finer points of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Already Pete has produced the first and only Australian Gracie Jiu Jitsu athlete (Michael Wilson) to win a gold medal at World Championship (Mundial) level. The legacy of Peter de Been and Gracie Jiu Jitsu is very significant. He is the person who first introduced Australians to the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu and he has continued to help the style grow in this country. But when asked who has been his greatest influence in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Peter de Been has no hesitation in naming his friend and instructor Carlos Gracie Jnr. "He is the person who first enthralled me with the art of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, and he has continued to stand by me all these years. My friends from Barra have also helped to guide me along the way: Renzo, Gordhino, Marcinho, Gordo, Draculino and many others have supported me totally. They give me the enthusiasm to keep training Gracie Jiu Jitsu and to continue to devote my life to teaching and spreading the Gracie Jiu Jitsu message in this part of the world."