Gracie challenge
From OTMWiki
The Gracie challenge refers to a challenge issued by some members of the Gracie Family to have anyone come and fight them in a Vale Tudo style match. It was first issued by Carlos Gracie Sr. in the 1920's to promote and develop the Gracie's style of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and as an attempt to show that it was superior to other styles of martial arts. The matches typically featured a smaller Gracie versus a larger and/or more athletic looking opponent, and became increasingly popular. Carlos and later his brother Hélio Gracie and both of these men's sons defeated martial artists of many different styles such as boxers, judoka, karateka, and wrestlers, while experiencing few losses.
The Gracie challenge experienced a resurge in popularity in the 1980's when Rorion Gracie came to the United States and offered 100,000 dollars to anyone who could defeat him or one of his brothers. This challenge served as the underlying influence for the creation of the first Ultimate Fighting Championships in 1993.
References
- Martial Arts Masters; Paman, Jose. The Rio Story. www.gracie.com. URL last accessed February 25 2006.
- Walter, Donald. Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?. www.grapplearts.com. URL last accessed February 25 2006.Template:Martialart-stub
