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ABOUT THE AFBJJ
ABOUT US AFFILIATES OUR SPONSORS EVENTS RESULTS HOME HEALTH CHECK ON JIU JITSU'S PHENOMINAL WORLD WIDE GROWTH With Carlos Gracie Jr., President, International Brasilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. The following interview was conducted by Peter de Been, President of the Australian Federation of Brasilian Jiu Jitsu, at the 2001 Pan American Jiu Jitsu Championships in Florida, U.S.A. PdB: Carlos, what is the condition of Jiu Jitsu around the world? CG: Jiu Jitsu is growing fast all around the world - because of this, there are some problems. For Jiu Jitsu to be strong everyone must work together. In the United States many people love Jiu Jitsu, there are many organizations, federations and academies. The problem is that in the U.S. people mistake their own association for the National association, mixing their personal ambitions with national thinking. We must have one organization to manage all the associations - imagine a country having two or three governments, how is it possible to grow in this way? The National organization must make the rules to govern everything. Australia can have a National Team with one governing organization, the AFBJJ. The United States cannot have a National Team because there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. In the United States everyone wants to be a chief! I am spending a great effort to bring the United States to one organization, but it is difficult. In most other countries there is one governing organization. In the next year I will continue working to resolve the problems in the U.S. There are many good people there. I am positive. Soon maybe we can have a true world sport! The AFBJJ was the first Federation for Brasilian Jiu Jitsu in the world after Brasil. It was established under my guidance following the same rules as we use in Brasil in 1994. It has done a wonderful job in the last seven years. Anyone who wants to be recognised as a Black Belt in Australia must be a certified member of the AFBJJ to be officially recognised by the International Brasilian Jiu Jitsu Federation in Brasil. PdB: Carlos, you have a very busy life as president of the IBJJF - and yet you still manage to coach the current World Champion team - Barra Gracie. What is the secret to Barra Gracie's success? CG: First let me say, Barra Gracie is an Affiliate Member of the IBJJF, it is my private Academy and I make all the rules! Barra Gracie has Academies all around the world. Not just any of my students can open a Barra Gracie Academy - only my best most loyal students have this privilege. The people I choose for this must feel Jiu Jitsu with his soul, not the ones who want to do business and get money with this. At Barra Gracie our secret is to be one family. We all fly the same flag! This is our strength. Any person who is not welcome at one Barra Gracie Academy is not welcome at any Barra Gracie Academy. This includes the Academy that I run in Barra da Tijuca, Brasil. In the past many people would come to train at my Academy in Brasil, from all over the world - now things have changed - only people who train at a Barra Gracie Academy can train at my academy. I give my full support to all my academies around the world. We are a champion team not just a team of champions. In Brasil, the best teams are like this, they only fly their flag. PdB: Carlos, Your father began this great art around 80 years ago. How do see the development today and what are your thoughts for the next 80 years? CG: Jiu Jitsu develops like everything - to compare my fathers Jiu Jitsu to now is like comparing a World War 1 aircraft to one now. It was good at the time but is obsolete today, but it is still Jiu Jitsu - the same style, with advanced techniques. In the next 80 years I expect the same growth - the real Jiu Jitsu guy will develop the next 80 years, he will not mix other things into it. With the governing organizations in each country protecting it, Jiu Jitsu will have the same amount of Success in the next 80 years as it had in the last 80. PdB: What do you mean about mixing in other things, Carlos? CG: Jiu Jitsu is Jiu Jitsu, it is not like anything else. If a guy is a swimmer - he is a swimmer, not a cyclist or a runner. They cannot be champions of everything. You have to specialise. If you want to be a Jiu Jitsu Champion then you must practice Jiu Jitsu. Vale Tudo, you can practice everything. PdB: Carlos, what are your thoughts on Vale Tudo? CG: Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo are different. Jiu Jitsu is a sport - Vale Tudo is a fight. Jiu Jitsu guys see the chance to make a lot of money, so they go to Vale Tudo. PdB: There are many different styles of competition these days such as Vale Tudo and Abu Dhabi style. Do you think they will grow with the same speed as Jiu Jitsu? CG: There is only one answer for this - in Abu Dhabi there are a few competitors with a great deal of prize money, free air tickets and accommodation. In Vale Tudo there are few competitors with a great deal of prize money, free air tickets and accommodation. At Jiu Jitsu championships, like the Mundial (World Championships), the Pan Americano and the Brasileiro(Brasilian National Championships) there are thousands of competitors travelling from all over the world at their expense, they pay around $US100 to hope to win a medal! Where is the real love? PdB: Finally Carlos, what future do you see for the Pan Pacific Championships coming up for its third year? CG: I am very proud to have this contest. In my mind it is the number three international contest in the world. This year, I hear there will be many more Brasilians going to Australia to fight in this contest. Australia is a very beautiful country - everyone wants to go there. In the future the path will be faster and the way shorter. PdB: Thank you Carlos, you have many great ideas and history, it would be great to one day see you write a book. CG: Thank you Peter. |