Today, the world of mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mourns the loss of Grand Master Helio Gracie.
There wouldn't be any point in telling the exploits or life tale of Helio Gracie. For those who know it, it is legend. For those who do not, it is not a tale to be told today. Today is a day that for even the briefest of moments, fighters and fans around the world should pay tribute.
It doesn't have to be a prayer; It isn't about religion. It doesn't have to be condolences; Most of us have never met the man. Instead it should just be a moment of respect for the influence that one man has had on the world.
They say that fists can't change the world, but maybe the guard can.
Those who read my articles know that I don't use the first person. Sporting events aren't about me. However, in this article I can't help but to be selfish for a moment as I sit in reverence to a man I never met, who changed my life.
Like most anyone reading this article on this page of this site, I am an MMA fan. I was an MMA fan before I started practicing and competing in kickboxing. I was an MMA fan before I started practicing and competing in BJJ.
I am an MMA fan because the legacy of Helio Gracie made MMA what it is. Without BJJ, what would MMA be? Probably a bunch of wrestlers and boxers. Submissions would be minimal, perhaps neck cranks or twisters.
The guard game would not exist. We would not have the likes of BJ Penn, Frank Mir, Big Nog and a near endless list of submission fighters who made the ground game about more than just elbow strikes against a cage.
Helio Gracie's influence on jujitsu changed the face of combat.
Not just that, he gave the world Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ isn't just about getting into the cage or ring. There are thousands of grapplers out there whom you have never heard of. Fighters who have no desire to step foot into a cage. Fighters who leave it all on a mat. Fighters who wear a gi.
Maybe this article is selfish. Maybe at the moment I can't express how I feel about life with BJJ versus life without it, let alone the world of MMA without it.
However, as a blogger who spends as much time on the computer as in the gym, this is my outlet. This is my means to pay my respects to a man I never met who gave me a gift that I love.
Rest in peace, Grand Master. You will be missed.
Helio Gracie: Oct. 1, 1913—Jan. 29, 2009
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