The last 2 Episodes of the Fightworks Podcast opened up a passionate debate again after 2 members of the Gracie family used the BJJ Radio Show to put forward their personal views about the sports roots and lineage.

In researching Jiu Jitsu when I was just getting into the sport it was obvious to me that there were 2 camps of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Gracie Humaita and Gracie Barra.

Gracie Humaita was founded by Helio Gracie and Gracie Barra was the lineage of Carlos Gracie. (It should be noted that Carlos Gracie Jr is head of Gracie Barra but a Gracie Humaita Black Belt.

There is always he debate about who the real father of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is. Or more recently 'What is the real Jiu Jitsu'And there is obvious tension between the 2 camps. You can sometimes get a glimpse of this at competition after fights and you see crowds and fighters getting very heated slapping their GI patches and interacting with the camps in the bleachers.


Relson Gracie (Gracie Humaita) made comments in Episode #189 that "jiu-jitsu was built and developed 100% by Helio Gracie" & he knocked Gracie Barra in saying "Roger is the only one that keeps the Gracie style" and that he doesn't think anyone at Gracie Barra is practicing the original jiu jitsu.




Then in Episode #190 Renzo Gracie, a Carlos Gracie Jr Black Belt and head of Gracie Barra New York was on the show to give his rebuttal to the claims of Relson. It was a side of Renzo that not many people had heard before. He is pretty passionate.


Do yourself a favour and listen to each Episode.

Click here for Ep# 189 & Ep# 190

You can read Relson's comments here:


You will learn alot about the history of the martial art and the Gracie Family.

Renzo makes many great points and I find his interview to be refreshing and full of important values and insights.

...and so the debate continues...

Lastly...in listening to both these audio pieces it became clear that Helio's son Rolls Gracie, who died in 1982, was a huge influence and perhaps even more so that Rickson. So the art lost something when he passed.