December 17th, 1998 was a day many of us were glued to the Internet waiting for results.
December 17th, 1998 was a day many of us were glued to the Internet waiting for results. It was a historic day in Jiu Jitsu. The Second Oscar de Jiu Jtisu was taking place right on the beach in Copacabana in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This event at the time marked a historic event in the fight world, the return of Royce Gracie to competition. Royce had already become the hero of many Americans introducing us to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with his performances in the UFC. But, know one had seen him fight in a while and the UFC has since evolved to have new champions. Royce was scheduled to fight Walid Ismail of the Gracies in Action tapes fame and legendary Carlson Gracie fighter. They were to fight a professional Jiu Jitsu match wearing gis in front of nearly 5000 people. Royce was a heavy favorite in the USA, but in Brazil the Jiu Jitsu game had kept evolving and the Carlson Gracie Team was the team to beat at the time. This event went on to launch what would become many of todays` biggest stars. Walid Ismail became a legend for choking a Gracie unconscious, it the USA at the time this was unheard of. Today that has become old news, but more importantly on this historic tape we get to see many of todays` biggest stars in their rise to fame and still wearing colored belts. Look at how many names you recognize on this tape. The are a few great stories behind some of these matches too. My favorite is David Camarillo vs. Fredson Paxiaõ. Two of my all time favorite fighters at this time. Fredson in 1998 was on a three undefeated winning streak as a purple belt submitting almost every opponent all long the way. He had won every match he had fought for three years straight! Originally, Fredson was scheduled to fight BJ Penn but David Camarillo ended up heading to Brazil on only two weeks notice to fight. No one gave this fresh off the boat gringo a chance in hell to win but, he did in a very close battle giving Camrillo instant fame and respect in Brazil. Daniel Morais the current CBJJ World championship was slated to fight legendary street fighter Pedrihno Brandao as purple belts. Renato Miragaya the Gracie Barra legend who had just won back-to-back Mundials and Brasileiro championships fought Daniel Cristoph putting on a clinic. Unfortunately Renato Miragaya never became the star he was in Brazil in the USA because his personal life forced him to retire from training to work and support his family. This is a sad story we hear often in Brazil because there is very little opportunity for Jiu Jitsu guys to earn a living in the sport in Brazil. This has attributed a lot to the decline in the growth of the sport there. Nino Schembri now of Pride Vale Tudo fame burst on the scene as the worlds greatest submissionist by submitting Pedro Duarte from Carlson Gracie Team. Pedro Duarte at the time was a true legend in Rio and one of the top players ever. This tape might seem a little old but the level of the matches on it rivals any tape ever. As a stud tool it is invaluable. It is a must in every Jiu Jitsu lovers collection. Paquetá the Jiu Jitsu video master and I digitized the old super VHS master tapes and remade the tape for everyone to have a crisp clean copy. This was an awesome event. Just take a look at the stars it features. Many of these fighters will never meet again due to the current political environment of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil and the popularity of the sport has since died off insuring that it is likely to never happen again. Leca Vieira (Mundial Champion) x Daniela Figueiredo Pedrihno Brandao x Daniel Morais (Current Mundial Champion) Marcel Ferreira x Claudio Moreno David Camarillo (DATM) x Fredson Paxiaõ (Mundial Champion) Renato Miragaya (Mundial & Brasileio Champion) x Daniel Cristoph Joao Roque x Fredson Alves Parrumpinha x Draculino Nino Schembri x Pedro Duarte Daniel Siomes Gracie (Pride Fighter) x Roberto Traven Marcio Feitosa (Mundial Champion) x Shaolin (Current Shooto & WFA Champion) Saulo Ribeiro x Fabio Grugel Alexandre Frota x Andre Segatti Walid Ismail x Royce Gracie