Mitsyyo Maeda
1878-1941 – Japanese ambassador of Judo and Jiu Jitsu, he studied with the founder of modern Judo, Jigaro Kano, in the late 1800′s. He traveled with his master, Tomita, throughout North and South America before settling in Brazil. He taught Jiu Jitsu to Helio and Carlos Gracie in the 1920′s.
Helio Gracie
1913 – 2009 – Studied Jiu Jitsu with his brother Carlos under the Japanese master Mitsuyo Maeda. Helio had 7 sons; Rickson, Rorian, Relson, Robin, Rolker, Royler and Royce.
Rickson Gracie
1958- present – The king of the Gracie family, he beat all challengers in Jiu Jitsu and MMA from the 1970′s until his last MMA fight in 2000. He perfected his craft under his father, Helio, his brothers, and his exceptional older cousin Rolls, who lived with the family and died in 1982 in a hang gliding accident. Rickson claims to only be a developer of Jiu Jitsu and gives credit to all the masters who came before him.
Rodrigo Vaghi
Rodrigo studied at the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the 1980′s. Rodrigo studied under Helio, Rickson and Royler along with the rest of the Gracie family. Rodrigo moved to St. Louis in 1996 where his school is headquartered today.
More information about BJJ lineage can be found at www.bjjtree.com
