According to another review, Bahiano seemed to have the best of it in the first round. At the start of the second round, Bahiano, having already giving his best shot to win, had nothing left with which to resist Oswaldo’s” carotid choke that left Bahiano in a condition of semi-consciousness to the extent that he couldn’t stand up”.64 However, the reporter added, it isn’t time yet to supplant the national game with the efficiente meio de defesa nipponico.
The main event was a five round mixed fight between George Gracie and capoeira Januario, the “Terror de Villa Isabel”. Januario was a friend of Mario Aleixo. He was strong, fast, agile, and dangerous, a complete capoeira”.65 He was also a “veterano” (i.e., old).
Inexplicably, Januario didn’t show up. In compensation, George and Helio gave a demonstration instead. Caio Mendonça defeated Mané in a capoeiragem match, winning five of six rounds. In a five round (3 minutes each) luta livre match, Ismario Cruz and Vico drew [empataram]. Andre Jansen and Eurico gave a beautiful demonstrationof capoeiragem (both Sinhôzinho students). Thanks to Sinhôzinho and his students the program was not an absolute disaster [fracasso absoluto].66
As a demonstration of the superiority of jiu-jitsu over capoeiragem, the program left much to be desired. In terms of stimulating interest in one art over the other, capoeiragem seemed to come out ahead.
The jiu-jitsu people were not daunted however. Jiu-jitsu had one advantage that capoeiragem could not match. That was the promise that anyone can practice jiu-jitsu. Exceptional physical attributes, such as were required by luta romana and capoeiragem, were not needed in jiu-jitsu.
Geo Omori, accompanied by Carlos Gracie and Paulo Miqui Tacassau Firota, visited the offices of one newspaper to testify that, “among the Brazilians, I haven’t seen anyone who can apply the techniques of the Japanese method of defense [jiu-jitsu] better than the Gracie Brothers“. He added, “with whom I will be working in the near future”.67
In one masterful stroke, undoubtedly coached by someone else among the trio,68 Omori was able to promote himself, the Gracies, and their imminent mutual productions at no cost to themselves, while providing the paper with useable content and readers with entertainment. No doubt Carlos Gracie learned a few tricks by reading accounts of American fight promoter Tex Rickard, who we know Carlos was familiar with.69 Publicity was the name of the fight game as it was in show business. Working the press was the key.70
Luta Romana versus Jiu-Jitsu
Fresh off his victory over Bahiano, Oswaldo prepared to meet his next challenger, the aging luta Romana champion, João Baldi. Baldi was surprised to hear that he would be fighting Oswaldo. No one mentioned it to him. Nevertheless, he said, he was willing to fight any of the Gracies, but only with shoes and without kimono [eu lutarei apenas com calção, sem kimono].71 He was confident. The Gracies had never before encountered an authentic representative of luta romana. Moreover the conditions of the contract allowed him to use all of the resources of luta livre, in which he was also well-versed.72 He didn’t anticipated having much trouble with a 62 kilo mosquito like Oswaldo Gracie.
João Baldi was a strong man. Had completed a one-armed snatch [“’arraché’ de um braço”] of 60 kilos, breaking the previous world record of 58 kilos. He also unofficially snatched 120 kilos with two arms, 8 kilos more than the world record.73 Baldi was strong, there was no question about that. But was he strong enough to resist jiu-jitsu? Carioca fight fans would soon get the chance to find out.
Baldi had been a luta-Romana specialist during the first decade of the century, beginning in São Paulo at the Eden Theatro (Empresa J. Cateysson). Most theaters held championship tournaments [campeonatos] the winner of which would become the Brazilian champion or South American champion, or whatever champion the theater chose to call him.
In 1911 (June 4, 1911), Baldi was billed by Paschoal Segreto’s Theatro Casino as the Brazilian Luta Romana Champion [luta romana campeão brasileiro]. Baldi weighed 100 kilos at that time. His opponent on that Sunday was the São Paulo champion, F. Ricci, weighing 106 kilos.74
In 1913 Baldi was the champion of São Paulo.75 In November 1913 Theatro Casino held the “Campeonato Sul-Americano de Lucta Romana,” involving a troupe of eight fighters (Jose Floriano Peixoto, Casario, Dicke, Giovannoni, Nero, Mantanha, Julian, and Baldi himself [Giavannoni was probably Giovanni Raicevich, the “world champion”]. Baldi may have become the“South American luta Romana champion” at this time or possibly after.
Baldi was indirectly responsible for Jack Dempsey’s second “million dollar gate”. It happened at the Club de Mayo, on avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires, in 1916. There he met a gigantic young man (he would have been 22 at the time) who wanted to learn luta romana.76 Baldi tried to explain the rules and show him correct technique.
But the youngster wouldn’t listen. He simply tried to use his power to throw Baldi to the ground. Baldi gave him such a “lesson” that the boy spent three weeks in bed recuperating. The boy gave up luta romana and took up boxing instead. He was Luiz Angel Firpo, the “Wild Bull of the Pampas”, who later fought and almost dethroned Jack Dempsey on September 14, 1923.77
By 1920 Baldi was disputing Antonio Esper [the first of several wrestlers known as “Dudú”] for the title of “campeão sul-ameriano”in the campeonato do Theatro Avenida.78 The match degenerated into a brawl and terminated without a “regular result” [“regular desfecho”].79 However the next day, Monday April 19, Baldi was being billed as the campeão sul-americano.80 for his match with international champion Gallant.
Those triumphs were in the past. Baldi was 51 years old in 1931. He was also heavier, and the extra weight was not necessarily muscle. But the promoters exaggerated his size, he complained. He weighed only 125 kilos, not the 138 kilos claimed by the Gracies. Whatever his precise weight at fight time, he was a big man. His neck was 50 cm., his chest 125 cm., his biceps 46 cm., and his height 172 cm.81
Baldi was unable to keep his luta livre skills polished in Brazil. All of the Brazilian luta livre fighters were too small to provide worthwhile training. The result of this training insufficiency became evident in a pair of back-to-back matches with Romulo Antonelli in São Paulo on Saturday August 22. The first was luta romana. Baldi took that one. The second was luta livre. Antonelli submitted him in the fifth round with a neck tie choke [gravata].83
Mosquito versus Mastodon
After many delays and postponements, the evening of fights and demonstrations took place, beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday November 19, 1931 at Theatro Republica in Rio.
In addition to Oswaldo versus Baldi, George Gracie would meet family friend and business partner Jayme Ferreira. Capoeira Andre Jansen would engage in a five-round capoeiragem contest against Bahiano.in what was anticipated as the most spectacular fight of the evening. Caio Mendonça and Zeca would perform a demonstration of capoeiragem. There would also be a demonstration of acrobatas olympicos by “Les Grecs”.84
The event was marketed as jiu-jitsu versus capoeiragem. Luta romana stylist Jayme Ferreira represented capoeiragem, despite having few or no qualifications. A Noite published three photographs of Ferreira in a demonstration of capoeireagem. One simply showed him flexing his muscles (he seemed to be in very good shape for a middle aged man). Another showed him doing a handstand, and the last showed him in a rasteira (crouching position). According to the accompaning article, Jayme would use a mixture of luta livre and capoeiragem.85
The main event was Oswaldo versus João Baldi. “How long can Oswaldo Gracie hold out againstJoão Baldi?” the headline in Diario de Noticias asked.86 Whether he weighed 138 or 120 kilos, or in between, Baldi was still considerably heavier than Oswaldo at 62 kilos (even if he understated his weight, as most jiu-jitsu proponents tended to do). Writers called Oswaldo a “mosquito” and Baldi a “mastodon”. 87
Baldi was also more than 20 years older, and probably not in top athletic condition, even though he continued to compete (if that is the right word), in professional luta romana.88 He m
ay have retained much of his extraordinary strength and he may have had some knowledge of luta livre, and he may have already resisted chokes [collar de força] attempted by men much larger than Oswaldo. He didn’t mention that he had been choked out by Antonelli in August. Despite his strength, he was shaped like a pear. Scrambling on the ground could not have been his ace in the hole.
Nonetheless, as Diario de Noticias pointed out, luta livre is a sport that is always full of surprises [comoo sporté sempre cheio de supresas]. Anything could happen and sometimes did. Baldi was confident. Diario de Noticias predicted that Oswaldo would need to draw on all his reserves of strength and technique to avoid a devestating loss [para evitar um revés fulminante].89
After squashing Oswaldo, Baldi wanted to fight Carlos, Helio, and George, and after that Benedicto Perez. After dispensing with this small and bothersome swarm of mosquito-like jiu-jitsu representatives, he wanted revenge against a serious adversary, a big man, his nemesis Romulo Antonelli.90
Baldi originally said that he would only fight in shoes and without kimono. He was finally pressured into wearing a heavily reinforced kimono. The public protested and demanded that he take it off. But he wore the kimono. Neutral observers had no doubt that it worked greatly to his disadvantage.91
The fight was scheduled for eight rounds. Baldi didn’t make it past the first. Oswaldo, in no apparent awe of Baldi’s great bulk, made several feints before attacking Baldi’s foundation. Somehow he was able to apply a choke [golpe de estrangulação]. Baldi struggled and then fell heavily outside the limits of the ring. Baldi got up and tried to take off his kimono. After a period of confusion they restarted and Baldi wrestled Oswaldo to the ground. They started again and Oswaldo took Baldi down again. This time Oswaldo finished him off with a choke [chave de pescoço], “confirming the efficiency of the powerful Japanese method of defense”.92
Diario da Noite reported that Oswaldo initiated with a choke. Baldi fell out of the ring, taking Oswaldo with him; Baldi was injured in the fall [ficou em máo estado] but was helped back in. Baldi then tried to choke Oswaldo (with a golpe ao pescoço), but Oswaldo managed to free himself and applied a counter throat-lock [chave na garganta]. Baldi gave the signal of defeat early in the first round.93
A Noite reported that the disproportion between the fighters’sizes was chocante [shocking]. Oswaldo was a mignon [half-pint], Baldi was mastodontico [like a mastodon]. They looked like David and Goliath. After several feints [fintas] Oswaldo managed to apply a golpe de estrangulação. Baldi, confidant about the muscles in his bull-like neck, tried to resist. Baldi fell heavily out of the ring [caiu pesadamente fóra a dos limites do ring]. It was the beginning of the end. Led back to the center of the ring, the luta romana champion complained loudly about the kimono. Oswaldo hadn’t released his choke. Baldi finally managed to free himself. The fight re-started. Seconds later Baldi fell again to the canvas, victim of Oswaldo’s powerful chave de pescoço [choke].94
Although highly confident publically, Baldi had some misgivings about the kimono and complained about it. He wasn’t a jiu-fighter and the fight was luta livre, so why should he have to wear a jiu-jitsu costume, he asked? Oswaldo retorted that the kimono compensated for Baldi’s enormous weight advantage. Baldi ended up wearing a kimono, and as he had feared, it was partly responsible for his loss. The kimono unquestionably made it easier for the jiu-jitsu men to apply their techniques, to Baldi’s disadvantage, Diario da Noite commented, and recommended that in the future the jiu-jitsu people should let their opponents wear what they prefer, to more convincingly demonstrate the efficiency of their art.95
Treason
Carlos Gracie declared that to fight without a kimono would be treason to the sport of Japan. But Geo Omori, who was Japanese, didn’t think so. He was ready to fight anyone, with or without a kimono.
Omori’s reasons weren’t philosophical. He wanted to work. There were simply too few jiu-jitsu fighters around to fight. If he wanted to fight regularly, he had to face luta livre opponents, and almost always that meant without a kimono. In time, George Gracie came to the same conclusion, for the same reason. In addition, fans preferred no-kimono contests because they tended to be more action-packed. But that was all hypothetical. On Thursday November 19, 1931, Baldi wore a kimono. He got choked and lost.
Jayme Ferreira couldn’t blame his loss on his kimono. He didn‘t wear one. It didn’t matter. George took Ferreira immediately to the tapete [ground] and applied a choke [chave de estrangulomento]. Ferreira resisted but not for long. Feeling that he was about to be asphyxiated, he signaled defeat.96
Although the fight didn’t go past the first round, it left a magnificent impression [deixou elle magnifica impressão]. In general, unlike Oswaldo’s previous fight, the entire program was a success. Andre Jansen defeated Bahiano, a bit less impressively than he did Mané the month before, but enough to earn the decision. Caio and Walter, who like Jansen, were students of Sinhôzinho, gave a seven-round demonstration of capeoiragem that was warmly received. The public also enjoyed the Olympic acrobats.
The referee for Oswaldo Gracie versus João Baldi fight was Mario Aleixo, assisted by Hugo Italo, both selected by representatives of the press. Aleixo was a professor of capoeiragem and had his own appointment with George Gracie just two weeks in the future. He was sure that a real capoeira would have little trouble defeating jiu-jitsu.
That is about what Ferreira said before the capoeirgem versus jiu-jitsu show in July. But even Carlos Gracie stopped short of claiming that Ferreira was a competent capoeira or qualified teacher of the art. The most Carlos was willing to say was that Ferreira was a “professional luta romana man who is said to know capoeiragem”.97
Mario Aleixo, on the contrary, was hghly respected. Moreover he wasn’t an ordinary capoeira. He was also a master of the Japanese game. In fact, he had been teaching jiu-jitsu since 1913, before the Gracies came to town, and even before Carlos allegedly met Conde Koma.98 Aleixo felt secure that the Gracie brother wouldn’t spring any technical suprises on him.
Aleixo did not approve of Jayme Ferreira pretending to represent capoeiragem. It made the national game look bad. Capoeiragem and luta livre people had no illusions about what Carlos Gracie was trying to do, which was to elevate the status of his product at the expense of theirs. The problem was that he recruited patently unqualified people to represent rival styles so that he (or rather his brothers) could impressively defeat them. The ill-will this created was tempered by the fact they he was creating interest in public fights that other styles could get paid to participate in, and providing newspaper editors with free content. As a consequence, opinions about Carlos Gracie ranged from love to hate, with ambivalence in between. No sports fan could be indifferent to Carlos Gracie. He was like a bad penny. He just wouldn’t go away.
When Ferreira was tapped for the role of Mario Aleixo’s substitute, veteran capoeira Reynaldo complained that Jayme Ferreira “knows nothing about capoeiragem” and he would “only demoralize those who genuinely practice it”.99
Before the Oswaldo versus Baldi fight rumors had circulated that the fight had been “fixed” to let Baldi win. Carlos Gracie assured the fans that there was absolutely no foundation to the rumors. The fans were not entirely convinced and remained on high alert ready to raise hell if they were displeased with the fight.100 After the fight, the public was still not convinced that there hadn’t been some sort of funny business. Baldi lost suspiciously easily, they thought.101
The Grand Equation
Fixed fights were not rare in Brazil but it was unusual for genuinely fixed fights to attract attention (although it did happen). Rather, rumors were part of what Tex Rickard called the Grand Equation: Rumors = Interest, and Interest = Money.102 Jack Dempsey was news in Rio, and few articles about Demspey did not mention Tex Rickard, his methods, and the sums involved in his promotions. Carlos read about Jack Demspey and therefore he read about Tex Rickard.103
Rickard’s stratagem of planting a rumor a
bout a possible “fix” and then firmly and indignantly denying it was a technique that Carlos Gracie used on more than one occasion. Not only Carlos, of course, all promoters big and small who wanted to sell tickets. It was too easy and too effective not to use.
If you were in the fight game, you could not do better than study and emulate Tex Rickard. With five “million dollar gates” in seven years (1921-1927), at a time when a million dollars was still worth something, Tex Rickard could not have failed to inspire people like Carlos Gracie. Whether Carlos was aware of it or not, Rickard was the man who pioneered and fine-tuned the promotional techniques that made boxing a big business. Carlos had vaguely similar aspirations for his jiu-jitsu.
The Flavor of Defeat
On Wednesday November 25, 1931 Geo Omori was in Rio again looking for fights. Accompanied by Carlos Gracie, Omori explained to Diario de Noticias that he lived inSão Paulo and had fought many times in the United States and had “never tasted the flavor of defeat” [“sem vencido até hoje, não conheço o dissabor de uma derrota”].
Carlos had visited the day before as well and insisted that the kimono is part of jiu-jitsu just like gloves are part of boxing, neither more nor less” [“O kimono faz parte integrante do jiu-jitsu, como as luvas fazem parte integrante do box. Nem mais nem menos”].
Carlos was more Japanese than the Japanese when it came to maintaining traditions that worked to his advantage. But he could also be very nationalistic when that suited his purpose.
Omori and Carlos had different points of view about the kimono. The writer asked Omori about his next opponent, Manoel Fernandes, the luta livre champion of the local Portuguese colony. Fernandes wanted to fight Omori, but with luta livre rules, or rather mixed rules. Omori could use jiu-jitsu rules, and Ferndandes would use luta livre rules. Either way, luta livre rules, or mixed rules, neither was anything new to Omori. [“aceito ao condicões imposts por Manoel Fernandes”]. He didn’t want Fernandes to complain later that he lost because of the rules [“Acho que elle não tem razão a suas desculpas são terdias”]. Omori was confident about his jiu-jitsu [“confio no jiu-jitsu e istoé a bastante”], but acknowledged that defeat was not impossible. “Win or lose, I know how to be a sportsman,” he declared [“Vencedor ou vencido, saberei ser sportsman”].104
Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil 1856-1949 (Volume 1) Page 15