It’s no secret that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu once dominated MMA. Even by today’s standards, it’s still commonly used and most cards in UFC or Bellator at least feature a handful of submissions. With this in mind, it’s fair to say that BJJ is a staple of MMA and always will be. In this article, we shall be paying respect to the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and bought it into MMA.
It’s fair to say that after the arrival of the Gracie family, the world of MMA was never the same again and the Gracie name went global after originally beginning in Brazil. Also, whilst people often associated BJJ with submissions, it was much more than that.
The entire fighting style changed due to BJJ and ground positions became far more advanced and technical as a result. Even without submissions, the likes of sweeps and guard passes became more precise. Below is a list of the BJJ pioneers in MMA.
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Royce Gracie brought Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to UFC
Royce Gracie simply dominated the early UFC events and left the promotion after 2 years. Here, he won 11 fights and drew 1. Literally, all of his wins were by submissions, the bulk of these being chokes. In fact, even his draw was against Ken Shamrock who was also very well versed in submission grappling himself (being a trained catch wrestler).
Looking back at this, it was some achievement. What’s even more astonishing is that many of these early fights took place with Royce wearing the gi. The gi is a traditional kimono that is worn by BJJ practitioners and allows for certain chokes. However, for the most part it would only advantage the opponent in the fight who could grip it and this outfit would tire you out quicker due to the heat.
Such was the early success of Royce Gracie, is that some believe it was almost a conspiracy and that the Gracie family and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s reputation benefited massively from it as a result. For the most part, these ideas aren’t based on much but it is nonetheless interesting and shows just how influential Royce Gracie was in bringing BJJ to the USA.
Rickson Gracie brought Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to Japan
Over in Japan, MMA was also kicking off in the 90s but had slightly earlier roots from shooto during the 80s. Here, Royce’s brother Rickson helped push the early wave of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This can be seen in the classic MMA documentary ‘Choke’ which shows Rickson’s approach to fighting.
Rickson’s record was just as impressive and he retired after 6 years. His pro record was 11-0 and most of his fights ended in submission victory. Like Royce, most of these came by choke. Here, Rickson fought in big promotions such as PRIDE and Vale Tudo.
To modern MMA fans, the record of Royce will sound more impressive due to the UFC being bigger than ever. However, back then you have to remember that the quality of fighters in Japan was no joke either and in fact many of these guys could grapple. In some ways, you could even claim Rickson had harder fights as a result, as their styles didn’t compliment his as much. As a result, it’s fair to say that the Gracie brothers did a lot for BJJ in early MMA.
Helio Gracie had the biggest BJJ influence in MMA
Although the Gracie Brothers took most of the credit and deservedly so, it was their father who masterminded their success and had a plan to use MMA to market Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the family name. Away from marketing though, undeniably his family was the best in the world for fighters at one point and their dominance in MMA proved this.
So, who was Helio Gracie? Helio is seen by many as the main figure of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and was the head of the Gracie family. The likes of Roger Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the Machado family are all related to him which says it all.
Back in the early 90s, it was Helio who decided his two sons would fight in different continents and promotions. As a result, the spread of BJJ and the family name became global. Like his sons, Helio also fought in MMA dating back to the 30s and was also beaten by a figure four lock which broke his shoulder.
This was done by the legendary Japanese Judoka Masahiko Kimura which is where the name came from. In short, Helio Gracie is nothing short of a legend and his spread of BJJ to the world cannot be understated. Because of this, many would actually give him the most credit in bringing BJJ to MMA – even more so than his prestigious sons.
Conclusion
Overall, the Gracie family deserves a lot of credit regarding bringing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the world of MMA. From PRIDE in Japan to UFC in USA, the family name became synonymous with MMA. Even today, there are still fighters who carry the Gracie name in MMA which speaks volumes.
It should also be noted that other skilled submission grapplers also brought their own take to the cage. For instance, the likes of Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and Kazushi Sakuraba all used submissions in their own way. However, the distinct Brazilian Jiu Jitsu style was pioneered by the Gracie family who changed the face of fighting forever.
If you want to learn more about the origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then check out this book by Robert Drysdale which is an in-depth look into the martial art.
