Gastão Gracie

Gastão Gracie Filho was a red belt in BJJ and the brother of Carlos, Oswaldo, George and Helio Gracie, all of which form the founding members of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu style.

 

Gastao Gracie in Detail

Full Name: Gastao Gracie Filho (filho translates to Junior)

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Gastao Gracie

Main Achievements:

• (No record)

Weight Division: (No Record)

Team/Association: Gracie Jiu Jitsu

Gastao Gracie Biography

Gastao Gracie was born on 1906, making him de middle brother within the Gracie’s first generation of fighters. While growing up, his father (also called Gastao Gracie) had several different types of businesses, one of which was the sale of dynamite within the city of Belem do Para, it is said that Gastao (senior) stored his dynamite stash in Gastao Junior’s room, and that on many occasions, Gastao slept on a bed of dynamite.

Just like his brother Oswaldo, Gastao Gracie started learning Jiu Jitsu with his brother Carlos as he started giving classes to keep busy and the techniques fresh while his own Jiu Jitsu instructor – Mitsuyo Maeda – went on a trip (a class that also had the participation of another Maeda student by the name of Jacinto Ferro).

It is said on Reila Gracie’s book “Carlos Gracie – O criador de uma dinastia” that Gastao Gracie Junior was very much against the Catholic Church after a bad experience with a priest. He was a mystical man and believed he could see people’s auras was well as curing them by way of hypnoses. He was also only made literate by the age of 16, after which he was sent to his father in the city of Juiz de Fora to work there with him in maintaining a bar.

When Carlos Gracie opened his first Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy in 1925, he called upon his brothers to help out, Oswaldo and Gastao were already versed in Jiu Jitsu, and they were the first to help with the classes while George and Helio stood by and learned. Gastao was the least competitive of the 5 brothers, but he was also the most amicable which made him a favourite amongst the Gracie Jiu Jitsu students. He spent 5 years teaching at the academy while also working part time jobs to help pay for the gym’s expenses when the going got tough. In 1930 however he went to Sao Paulo where he stayed for the following 4 years.

Gastao returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1934 and rejoined his brothers coaching at the academy (while also working as a security chief for the hotel “Copacabana Palace”). He didn’t stay in Rio for long and moved back to Sao Paulo where he established himself for good. He kept his coaching career, even teaching people in important jobs such as Congressman Ademar Barros and at the Officer’s School.