Carley Gracie - the Pioneer

I'm not sure how to feel about Carley.

I mean, he was the first Gracie in the U.S., and I think he was in the right during his lawsuit against Rorion, but what else? Sure, he's Clark's dad, but how much of Clark's success is Carley and how much is Rodrigo Medeiros?

I've heard he's a tough bastard to roll with and has an encyclopedic knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu, but was less than enthusiastic as an instructor and like many older Gracies, tended to not show techniques outside of the family.

Interesting interview regardless.
 
I remember around the time Marco Ruas won an early UFC tourney Carley said he could still beat him, and I thought that was pretty low class and over the top. Pretty brazen really, as Ruas was in great shape and very good.
 
Helio's checklist for Sunday August fourth, 1966:

1. Wake up all children, by attacking them to toughen them up. 2. Get Rorian to do laundry. 3. Get Rorian to go shopping. 4. Get Rorian to plow fields. 5. Get Rorian to cut grass. 6. Ask Rorian why he wants to move to America. 7. Kill Carley's fucking horse. 8. Fight for three hours again. 9. Run children until they throw up. 10. Claim I invented Jui Jitsu to another newspaper. 11. Kill another Capoeira player--third one this week. 12. Toughen forehead for headbutts by headbutting a cow to death. 13. Hide dead cow from family--they are vegetarians. 14. Teach children to butt-flop to guard again. 15. Sue all other members of family for various reasons. 16. Claim to have invented the Internet. 17. Claim to have invented boxing, kicking, breathing, and running. 18. Destroy all evidence of dresses I like to wear. 19. After children finish running and puking, get Rorian to clean up puke. 20. Ask Rorian why he is in such a bad mood all the time. 21. Buy three hundrend pound gorilla so children can practice grappling with it. 22. Call all my children pussies for not fighting hard enough.
 
Bojovnik Slav said:
Helio's checklist for Sunday August fourth, 1966:

1. Wake up all children, by attacking them to toughen them up. 2. Get Rorian to do laundry. 3. Get Rorian to go shopping. 4. Get Rorian to plow fields. 5. Get Rorian to cut grass. 6. Ask Rorian why he wants to move to America. 7. Kill Carley's fucking horse. 8. Fight for three hours again. 9. Run children until they throw up. 10. Claim I invented Jui Jitsu to another newspaper. 11. Kill another Capoeira player--third one this week. 12. Toughen forehead for headbutts by headbutting a cow to death. 13. Hide dead cow from family--they are vegetarians. 14. Teach children to butt-flop to guard again. 15. Sue all other members of family for various reasons. 16. Claim to have invented the Internet. 17. Claim to have invented boxing, kicking, breathing, and running. 18. Destroy all evidence of dresses I like to wear. 19. After children finish running and puking, get Rorian to clean up puke. 20. Ask Rorian why he is in such a bad mood all the time. 21. Buy three hundrend pound gorilla so children can practice grappling with it. 22. Call all my children pussies for not fighting hard enough.
Click to expand...
Just revisited this thread-- that post is freaking epic! Props!
 
Bojovnik Slav said:
Helio's checklist for Sunday August fourth, 1966:

1. Wake up all children, by attacking them to toughen them up. 2. Get Rorian to do laundry. 3. Get Rorian to go shopping. 4. Get Rorian to plow fields. 5. Get Rorian to cut grass. 6. Ask Rorian why he wants to move to America. 7. Kill Carley's fucking horse. 8. Fight for three hours again. 9. Run children until they throw up. 10. Claim I invented Jui Jitsu to another newspaper. 11. Kill another Capoeira player--third one this week. 12. Toughen forehead for headbutts by headbutting a cow to death. 13. Hide dead cow from family--they are vegetarians. 14. Teach children to butt-flop to guard again. 15. Sue all other members of family for various reasons. 16. Claim to have invented the Internet. 17. Claim to have invented boxing, kicking, breathing, and running. 18. Destroy all evidence of dresses I like to wear. 19. After children finish running and puking, get Rorian to clean up puke. 20. Ask Rorian why he is in such a bad mood all the time. 21. Buy three hundrend pound gorilla so children can practice grappling with it. 22. Call all my children pussies for not fighting hard enough.
Click to expand...

Link please.
 
Helio's diary,
August 8 1966

Today, I take my revenge on Carley's horse. That damn horse ate all the vegetables out of my garden, forcing me to kill small woodland creatures, tear out their stomachs and feed my children with the vegetables the animals had nibbled on. I plan on challenging the horse to a no holds barred, no time limit fight. Helio Gracie.
 
From: HahahaEVIL
Date: 27-Nov-99 | 05:48 PM

This guy wrote this in 1999 ? damn !
MMA was not even close to becoming mainstream back there.
 
lts5025 said:
I'm not sure how to feel about Carley.

I mean, he was the first Gracie in the U.S., and I think he was in the right during his lawsuit against Rorion, but what else? Sure, he's Clark's dad, but how much of Clark's success is Carley and how much is Rodrigo Medeiros?

I've heard he's a tough bastard to roll with and has an encyclopedic knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu, but was less than enthusiastic as an instructor and like many older Gracies, tended to not show techniques outside of the family.

Interesting interview regardless.
Click to expand...

regarding "what else", I think it's not just the fact that he was the 1st in the U.S. but that he encouraged his brothers and cousins that they should also move to the United States and/or showed them that there was an opportunity for them to spread the art and make a living abroad.

Sure, it may have happened eventually anyway, but someone has be the first one to set sails, so to speak, and take the leap into unchartered territory. That sparked the eventual international awareness of BJJ via the first UFC's and the subsequent spread of BJJ to North America, Europe, etc.
 
This was at my home school and I was lucky enough to be able to attend.

Carley was awesome and very friendly the details that he added to the most simple moves was great!

Congratulations again to Tom for earning his black belt I was so happy to be on the mat when he got it.
 
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