A poll from the popular mma.tv forums asking “Who is the top “Self Defense”/”Street” bjj teacher? put GM Relson Gracie on the first place with 34,8%, followed by his younger brother Rickson Gracie with 13,9% and Rorio Gracie with 5,70%.
Mixed Martial Arts (Vale Tudo in the old way of calling it) was born from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ has since then moved towards a sports aspect, what we call sport BJJ.
Relson Gracie had this to say:
“Helio Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – that’s the only source in Brazil right now to teach self-defense,” explains Relson. “A lot of positions, like Butterfly (guard) for sport, these don’t work for street fights… Helio Gracie says, ‘you don’t know self-defense, you don’t know Jiu-Jitsu.'”

Relson Gracie, son of Helio, shows some of the Connection Rio what the original Gracie jiu-jitsu is all about! These guys came to train BJJ in Rio, now they get a chance to train directly with one of the Gracie family at his academy in Leblon.
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