The UFC Story, Part 1: The Gracie Family and the birth of MMA

The UFC Story – The Birth of MMA

Today, MMA is the fastest growing sport and, after football, the most watched sport in the world. Its competitors are millionaire superstars adored by a legion of fans. Its events sell out and attract a global audience. Its corporate sponsorship deals are some of the biggest in sport. MMA today has entered the mainstream of human culture.

Given the heights it has reached and the number of lives it has touched, it is hard to imagine that just 23 years ago, there was no MMA. There were no big stars, no sold out arenas, no million dollar bank accounts. There was just the Gracies. Let me take you on a journey, from the jungles of Brazil to the stadiums of Australia.

It all started in 1917. Japanese prize fighter Mitsuyo Maeda was conducting a judo demonstration in a circus in the city of Belem in Brazil. Amongst the crowd was a young man named Carlos Gracie. Carlos was so enamoured by what he had seen that he implored Maeda to teach him judo. Maeda agreed.

After a few years of honing his skills under his master, Carlos began to teach others what he had learned. His first students were his four brothers. 3 of them took to the sport well. They mastered techniques at an impressive rate and were using what they learned in competitions across Brazil.

Carlos’ youngest brother Helio however, was a sickly child. He was too weak to bear the burden the intensive training put on his fragile body.

He would watch as his brothers improved day after day and excelled while he was left behind. Helio however, was not one to let life pass him by. While watching his brother’s train, he was learning. Helio began improvising moves to suit his diminutive physique.

He incorporated techniques of using his opponent’s own strengths against them and turning weaknesses into assets. His brother Carlos helped him along the way. Unknown to them at the time, they had just created the modern form of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Helio’s logic was simple. In every martial arts form he had come across, the philosophy remained the same; be strong, stand your ground, and fight like a warrior. It was all well and good for others and even his brothers to say this.

Helio however was small and weak. He didn’t have an imposing body and no matter how good his technique was, if he stood and fought against a man bigger than him, he would lose. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was his way out.

It was designed with the specific aim of helping the smaller guy against a bigger adversary. After years of hard work, Helio had found a way to beat men far bigger than himself. Now all he needed was to show the world what he could do.

That is what gave birth to the Gracie challenge. Once a month, Helio would invite martial artist from all over Brazil to fight him. They could use any style they wanted, he would use only Jiu Jitsu. Whoever stepped forward, was sent back tapping by Helio.

As his popularity grew, he began gaining international attention. Martial artists travelled from all over the world to face him, all bringing with them a variety of styles to challenge the great Jiu-Jitsu master.

The more that came however, the more that lost. Helio was quickly being recognised as the best martial artist in the world. With Helio’s success, the sport of Jiu Jitsu began to grow throughout Brazil. Helio, or another representative of the Gracie family, would compete at the famous Vale Tudo tournaments.

For years, the Gracies had a monopoly over the tournament. Whoever came up against Jiu Jitsu, fell before the Gracies.

Helio Gracie(left) and his brother Carlos are regarded as the creators of Jiu Jitsu

As Helio grew older, he stopped competing as much as he used to. His toughness and will to win however never dimmed. He famously broke his arm against Masahiko Kimura (the creator of the Kimura submission lock) when he refused to tap out.

By the time he retired, Helio was one of Brazil’s biggest sports stars and his matches attracted crowds that rivalled the attendance figures of the National football team. Even the President of Brazil would come to watch Helio. While he wasn’t competing anymore, Helio’s legacy was still being written.

After the success of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, it was time to take the craft global. Helio’s children left their native country for the United States. There, they began conducting the Gracie Challenge against US competitors. Much like their father before them, the sons of Helio beat all comers.

Their reputation began to grow and more and more people became fascinated with Jiu Jitsu and the Gracie way of life. The brothers set up academies across America and saw pupils flood in to learn the craft and fans come running just to witness a Gracie challenge.

One such fan was a man named Art Davie. Davie was so enamoured by the Gracie challenge that he wanted to take it mainstream. He convinced Helio’s eldest son Rorion, to help him put together an eight-man single elimination tournament called the “War of the Worlds.”

A no holds barred, style vs. style contest to determine the best martial art. Together they recruited fighters from all over the world spanning all disciplines. When it came time to name a representative of the Gracie family, everyone expected Rorion to step up. However he was older now and didn’t want to fight.

The next logical choice was Rickson Gracie. The best of all the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, to this day Rickson is regarded as the greatest Jiu Jitsu fighter of all time. Rorion however, nominated his younger brother Royce.

Royce Gracie in action at UFC 1

Royce was a small man, much like his legendary father Helio. Rorion felt that given Royce’s stature and size, people would expect him to be steam rolled so if and when Royce won, it would be a victory for Jiu Jitsu. It was the same story again, the smaller man against the bigger man, with the martial art being the hero.

Finally, with the 8 men ready, Art Davie and his co-promoters were set to launch the Gracie challenge to a global audience. All they needed was a name. They came up with, ‘Ultimate Fighting Championship.’

Royce would win the tournament to become the first ever Ultimate Fighting Champion and the world had witnessed the arrival of a phenomenon.