Hélio Gracie
| Hélio Gracie | |
|---|---|
Gracie in 1952 | |
| Born | October 1, 1913 Belém, Brazil |
| Died | January 29, 2009 (aged 95) Petrópolis, Brazil |
| Other names | "Caxinguelê" ("Squirrel"), "O Caçula" ("The Youngest") |
| Style | Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, Catch wrestling |
| Teachers | Donato Pires Dos Reis, Carlos Gracie Orlando Americo da Silva Chugo Sato |
| Rank | 10th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 6th dan red/white belt in Judo |
| Years active | 1932–1937, 1951–1955 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 19 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 8 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Draws | 8 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Gracie family |
| Notable students | Rolls Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, Relson Gracie, Rorion Gracie, Rener Gracie, Ryron Gracie, Carlos "Caique" Elias |
Hélio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009) was a Brazilian martial artist who together with his brothers Oswaldo, Gastao Jr, George and Carlos Gracie founded and developed the self-defense martial art system of Gracie jiu-jitsu, also known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
Considered as the Godfather of BJJ, according to his son Rorion, Gracie is one of the first sports heroes in Brazilian history; he was named Man of the Year in 1997 by the American martial arts publication Black Belt magazine. A patriarch of the Gracie family, multiple members of his family have gone on to have successful careers in combat sport competition, including mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2001, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.