Carlos Gracie with his son Carlson.
Carlson Gracie, born in August 13, 1932, was Carlos Gracie eldest son. He learned the gentle art of Jiu-Jitsu from, both, his father and uncle Helio Gracie. Besides being an acclaimed fighter, Carlson is considered one of the best Jiu-Jitsu coaches to have ever lived.
Hemeterio, Helio and Carlson.
The oldest son of Carlos was a renowned fighter. He fought eighteen “Vale Tudo” fights in his career, with only one loss to Euclides Pereira by decision in a fight held in Bahia, Brazil. His most notable fight was a match against Valdemar Santana, who has defeated his uncle Helio Gracie in a legendary match in 1955. Carlson beat Valdemar to revenge his family and arise as the number one Gracie fighter to reign as a champion for thirty years.
Carlson Gracie Vs. Valdemar Santana
According to Carlson’s brother, Carlos Gracie Jr. school’s website www.graciebarra.com, At the age of 43, Helio could not maintain the physical level required to allow him to compete at his best. The reputation of the Gracie family was hurt when Valdemar, a former student, defeated Helio Gracie, so Carlson was called upon to bring the family name back to the top.
Carlson Gracie at his school.
Becoming a famous coach who had taught at his uncle’s academy for several years, the young Carlson started his own school in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro where he built a strong competition team and many of the greatest names in Jiu-Jitsu like Ricardo De La Riva, Allan Goes, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Wallid Ismail, Pablo Popovitch, Andre Pederneiras, Ricardo Liborio, Rodrigo Medeiros, Marcelo Alonso, Vitor Belfort and many others.
Carlson and his students in Brazil.
Carlson had a very important role in stimulating the competitiveness in Jiu-Jitsu that further contributed to the technical development of the art. Very competitive himself, Carlson built a strong team of young athletes that had a remarkable performance on the 70′s and 80′s at the already many emerging Jiu-Jitsu tournaments held in Brazil. http://www.graciebarra.com/gracie-barra-overview/gb-bjj/heritage/
In 2001, Carlson moved to Chicago, Illinois and established the Carlson Gracie Team in the USA. Click here to visit: www.carlsongraciechicago.com
As a nine-degree red belt, the Grandmaster passed away in 2006 of a heart failure. He had 3 children: Rosane, Karen & Carlson Gracie Jr. and two grandchildren.
Carlson Gracie Jr. and his father.
Carlson Gracie made history in Jiu-Jitsu and his legacy will live on forever. Showing our appreciation for everything that Grandmaster Carlson Gracie Sr. has done for Jiu-Jitsu, GRACIEMAG shares here today the affectionate testimony of people who were fortunate enough to share the last years of Carlson’s life with him in Chicago. They tell us stories and talk about Carlson’s genuine personality, coaching and much more!
Watch below:
