Helio Gracie, the father of BJJ and Gracie family patriarch, dead at 95

[from MMAJunkie]

Helio Gracie, the father of BJJ and Gracie family patriarch, dead at 95
by Dann Stupp on Jan 29, 2009 at 12:45 pm ET

Helio Gracie, the Gracie family patriarch and instrumental figure in the rise of early mixed martial arts, has passed away at the age of 95.

With his older brother Carlos, Helio, who died early Thursday in Rio de Janiero, helped create what we know today as Brazilian jiu jitsu.

With a slight build and weighing no more than 150 pounds, Gracie adapted traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu principles so that leverage and position could make up size differences between opponents.

Called Gracie jiu jitsu, which son Rorion used to help launch the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the fighting style would soon prove dominant. Another one of Helio's nine sons, UFC hall-of-famer Royce, successfully implemented the strategies in early UFC events despite facing significantly larger opponents.

Royce's and the fighting style's success sparked the explosion of modern jiu jitsu among the martial-arts world.

The discipline, now better known as Brazilian jiu jitsu, remains a key foundation in any MMA education.

Helio, himself, also fought, oftentimes to prove jiu jitsu's dominance over disciplines such as boxing, wrestling and judo. Many of the fights took place in front of remarkably large crowds as Helio became one of Brazil's biggest sports stars.

In one of martial arts' first super fights, nearly 20,000 people watched Helio fight Masahiko Kimura in 1951. Kimura, who outweighed his opponent by nearly 80 pounds, eventually won the fight with a submission that now bears his name.

Four years later, in his final match, Helio fought former student Valdemar Santana in a nearly four-hour Vale Tudo ("no holds barred") match. Santana won the fight after Helio tired, but his nephew Carlos eventually avenged the loss, a common occurrence for a clan committed to the family's honor.

Helio remained a fixture in MMA circles as the family continued his legacy in recent decades. He was oftentimes seen ringside as Gracie members flourished in top MMA organizations around the world.

We Could All Learn Something from Evan Tanner

While I'm the first to admit that I'm a big fan of all things mixed martial arts I try not to post too many things relating to the sport on this site. I realize most people don't care much about MMA, but I think Evan Tanner was an inspiration to many and had lots to teach the world about being yourself and following your dreams.

Last week when I found out the news that 37 year old former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner was found dead, I was shocked. Evan Tanner wasn't the biggest name in the UFC or the best fighter but he was a very interesting and original person that had lots to share with the world.

Many referred to him as a "journeyman" and mmajunkie.com described him this way:

At one point in his life, he led a nomadic existence, bumping from one odd job to another, everything from bouncer to contractor. However, living life to the fullest was a constant. Whether surfing, sailing, four-wheeling or overindulging, Tanner's life rarely moved in slow motion

During his travels Tanner created a blog on his website and later blogged for SpikeTV where he wrote about everything from fighting to life and spirituality. As news of his death spread I began to notice people posting their favorite excerpts from his postings all over the internet. Here are some of those:

And to think, there are still places in the world where man has not been, where he has left no footprints, where the mysteries stand secure, untouched by human eyes. I want to go to these places, the quiet, timeless, ageless places, and sit, letting silence and solitude be my teachers.

It is a shame that in this society we've been taught to judge a man's worth by what he owns instead of who he is. Everything is surface, and so few look beyond it. A man will sell his soul, he will lie, cheat and steal, for money. If he has it, he can buy respect. Wear the right clothes, drive the right car, have the right friends, that's all that matters. Our lives are consumed in a selfish, self absorbed quest for possessions, the latest and the best in a never-ending cycle until the day we die. We forget what it means to be truly human. We forget the things that really matter. We lose the magic of what life should be.

I won't live by rules that make no sense to me.

I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I feel, I will feel everything. When I love, I will love with everything.

There was a time when I was younger that I didn't know any better than to be a liar, a cheater, and a thief. I have since learned to despise those things. I have had great friendships. I have had great loves. I have been a lover, I have been a son, a brother, and a friend. And I was once a world champion.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your own potential for greatness. Believe that you can change the world. It is something that is within each of us. Believe in the power of one.

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Take the time to remember and appreciate everything that's truly important in life (family, friends, loved ones). Live your life how you want, not how you think you should. Believe in the power of one.