Marcelo Garcia's 1st Brown Belt - Philzinho Balmant 

For example when Kano talks about how he found a way to throw a stronger opponent with a "fireman's" carry, the term for the version he developed escapes me, the judo term, but he developed this from the wrestling firemans carry, Helio used the same innovation when he developed his typical ground game of his back which became his "bread and butter" which transformed and developed into modern day BJJ, in my opinion, but GRACIE jiu jitsu in specific is very much a true self defense and all around fighting art, and BJJ is very much sport, utilizing grappling, basically they all, Judo, BJJ, and GRACIE jiu jitsu and developed hand and hand

+mike black yes I'm sure he is. The Gracie family was taught directly from a judo/ ju jitsu master. And GRACIE jiu jitsu utilizes many,if not all Judo aspects on the feet and ne waza, ground fighting

If you think about it the meaning of Gracie jiu jitsu and judo are very similar. And there origin. Judo and GRACIE jiu jitsu both involve using strategy and physics to defeat a stronger or more agile opponent. Both teach one to use the utensils one possesses to win a defend ones self. Both originators Kano and Helio Gracie talked about being weaker than larger opponents and using their knowledge and vast understanding of ju jitsu techniques to defeat these opponents.

But I believe the artist that taught the Gracie family was a judo/Japanese ju jitsu expert, as Jiguro Kano was, and the Gracies absorbed this amazing information and utilized so well because they were, and are, great athletes and scholars.

Jiu-Jitsu, moving life in a more interesting direction one day at a time.

congratz to Philzinho

Awesome!

he went from brown to black in less than 2y..

One of the good guys!