History of Modern MMA pt. 1
Brazil, circa 1925: the unlikely friendship of two men that would revive mixed martial arts from the dead. Mitsuyo Maeda, a Judo champion who sought to establish a Japanese colony, and Gastao Gracie, a Brazilian politician who used his connections to help the foreigner. Maeda offered Gracie to teach his son Carlos the art of Judo. From age 15 to 21, Carlos learned, and then began teaching his four brothers, eventually opening a jiu-jitsu academy in Rio de Janeiro. Unrestrained by Japanese tradition, the Gracies modified Judo to be more practical in real fights, creating a uniquely Brazilian flavor of fighting.
As part of an advertising campaign, Carlos called an open challenge in Rio to all fighters to beat him in 1 on 1 unarmed combat, called vale-tudo. He and his brother Helio defeated opponent after opponent, first from local Rio and eventually Japanese fighters. From 1931 to 1951, Helio fought over 1000 fights, often outweighed by his opponents (he was 135). Vale-tudo exploded in popularity, coming in right under soccer in ticket sales. Eventually, it would incorporate fighting styles such as muay Thai, luta livre wrestling, and boxing.
