In the preliminary fights, Albino da Costa and Tavares Crespo drew after six rounds. The fight was described as active [movimento] but the reporter was not impressed with Crespo’s jiu-jitsu skills, suggesting that, despite his star status in boxing and adequate abilities in luta livre, he should leave jiu-jitsu to others.17
In boxing Balthazar Cardoso KOed Ferreira Manshino, and heavyweight Bunny Tunney sent Theotonio (Francisco) Costa to the land of dreams [mandou…para o paiz dos sonhos] also in the third round. Jiu-jitsu man Roberto Coelho beat Jose Ferreira in the second round of a luta livre match by desistencia.18
Jiu-jitsu fights were risky. They could be exciting, but they could also be dull if one or both fighters adopted an excessively defensive strategy. Jiu-jitsu was after all the art of self-defense. If the fighters took that literally, fans would most likely not be entertained. Boxing was a sort of an insurance policy against a night of passive fights. The only programs that did not include boxing were the exclusively “catch” shows, which generally could be counted on to provide a certain amount of action, or at least “entertainment”.
They had another advantage. They would invariably end on time.
The fans were dissatisfied with Gorge and Omori’s performance.19 So was George. He wanted to fight again with luta livre rules, thinking that he could force the action if he were permitted to use punches and kicks. Not only George, but Helio also wanted to fight Omori. Helio wanted no limit of rounds, despite his disappointing performance against Fred Ebert in 1932.20 Omori agreed to fight both.21
Carlos Gracie seemed to lose his appetite for ring fighting after the Manoel Rufino debacle, but he was never too busy for a demonstration of the Japanese art of self-defense. In May the Policia Especial promoted a night of boxing [Reunião Pugilistica] consisting of eight fights and one exhibition between champion Joe Assobrab and Ruben Soares. Carlos performed a two 5-minute round exhibition match [combate academica] with student Jose Torres Galvão.22
Brazilian Hyena
On Saturday June 3, at Theatro Recreio in São Paulo, Jose Detti, the São Paulo jiu-jitsu champion, fought a “lucta livre de kimono” [luta livre with kimono] against Gutosvski, from Germany. The match was five 5-minute rounds. Detti weighed 90 kilos, Gutovski weighed 83 kilos. The main event was a luta livre without time limits between Roberto Ruhmann and Archimedes Rogerio, the São Paulo luta livre champion who had lost many times before to Geo Omori. Ruhmann weighed 73 kilos, Rogerio weighed 83 kilos. The winner would take home 10:000$.23
On Saturday June 10, also at Theatro Recreio in São Paulo, Jose Detti fought the “Brazilian Hyena” [“a Hyena do Braz”]. The Hyena weighed 80 kilos. There was also a five round (of 5 minutes) jiu-jitsu match between two famous black belt jiu-jitsu teachers, Jack Muhai and Sugano. The main event was a “vale tudo” between Roberto Rhumann and João Baldi.24
The Bull of Copacabana
In July, the club of the Policia Especial organized a mixed program of boxing, luta livre, and other types of fights [“mixto de box e luta livre”]. There would four boxing matches, two luta livre contests, a “Royal Battle” conducted by the students of Gymnasio Villaça Guedes, and a demonstration of how the special police “subdue a man in two minutes”. The main event was a luta livre match between George Gracie and the “bull of Copacabana [touro de Copacabana] Tico Soledade.
Everything was permitted [valendo tudo], including chops [cutelladas], punches [soccos], slaps [bofetadas], kicks [ponta-pés], and head-butts [cabeçadas]. But not literally everything. Biting and low blows [dentadas and golpes nas partes secretas] were prohibited.25
Tico was a competitive weight-lifter. Like most strongmen, he dabbled in professional wrestling. A photograph in the April 6, 1932 issue of A Batalha indicated that he was probably a well-conditioned athlete, unlike many of the luta livre fighters of the time.
Tico had defeated João Baldi in a luta livre match, promoted by his brother Oscar Soledade, in April 7, 1932. Tico (83 kilos) quickly attacked Baldi (131 kilos) with chops [cuteladas] and head-butts [cabeçadas]. To avoid further punishment, Baldi ran out of the ring [preferiu fugir do ring a soffere o castigo]. Tico was declared the winner in round 1 by referee Salamiel de Oliveira.26
The George versus Tico match marked the beginning of a new era.27 Fights were generally hyped by emphasizing rivalries and grudges, but in this case the pretext came after the fight.
According to George, Tico visited his academy 18 months earlier with a mutal acquaintance named Edgard Rocha. Tico wanted to roll with George. George had already wrapped up his day’s training and was tired, but agreed, under conditions of absolute secrecy and behind locked doors. Tico put on a kimono and within 25 seconds, tapped out. He wanted another go at it, and took off the kimono. He lasted 20 seconds before tapping out again. Tico later said that things would have been different in a “luta vale tudo” or in a “real fight” [verdadeira briga] with leg trips, spinning kicks, elbow strikes, chops, head-butts, punches, knee strikes [rasteiras, rabo de arraia, cotovellada, cutellada, cabeçada, socco, joelhada], and the like. Tico wanted to fight the next day. George was in no hurry. If there was going to be a fight, why not sell tickets?28
Tico got his chance on Saturday July 8, 1933, at Palacio das Festas, on avenida das Naciões. Tico weighed 80 kilos, George weighed 58 kilos.29
Tico initiated with a violent punch to George’s face. George responded with a straight kick [ponta pé] to the stomach of Tico. They exchanged punches, kicks and chops [cutelladas]. Finally George managed to apply a violent chave de braço [armlock] on his rival. To escape the armlock Tico apparently turned his back because George ended up on Tico’s back and delivered a series of violent punches. George then applied a rear neck-tie choke [gravata] with the hooks in.30
Recognizing that it would be impossible to dominate such a strong adversary on stand up, George had intentionally set a trap for his antagonist. Tico, not understanding the ‘guarda’ of jiu-jitsu, fell into the trap. That was “the beginning of the end”, said George.31
A picture of George and Tico an instant before the fatal trap was sprung showed Tico standing above George, ready to pounce. George had his shins on Tico’s pelvic bone and his hands clasping Tico’s ankles. George lifted his hip off the mat and Tico fell back, with George in the “mounted position,” from which he executed his chave de braço.32
The decisive ‘gravata’ [neck-tie choke] was recomposed for a picture in A Batalha.33 Gravata referred to almost any “arms around the opponent’s head” position, and could mean either a headlock or choke depending on the context. The picture shows that George’s gravata was a rear naked choke.34
Tico was prodigiously strong, even stronger than George had expected [“não pensei que elle fosse tão forte”]. But strength didn’t factor into the result. George needed only five minutes to dispose of The Bull of Copacabana.35
Discussing the result, George said “The victory doesn’t thrill me” [“a victoria não me deu nenhuma emoção”]. But naturally he was satisfied that “the Gracies could practice in the ring what they preached, something that many people didn’t believe”. He praised Tico, possibly back-handedly, as “a worthy opponent who knows how to lose like a true sportsman”.36
Jose Brigado, sports analyst for Diario de Noticias took a more hardnosed view. George won and looked pretty [foi bonito] doing it. No one can deny that, Brigado wrote. But it should be remembered that Tico Soledade, while a very muscular man, knew nothing about luta livre or jiu-jitsu. He had no technique, and didn’t know how to defend or attack [“um homem de possante musculatura, mas que infelizmente, nada conhece de luta livre ou jiu-jitsu… não tem technica, não sabe defender-se nem sabe atacar”]. Brigado didn’t want anyone to miss his point. He repeated it several times. Tico was “strong, very strong, but without technique or ring skills” [“um homem forte, fortissimo, mesmo, mas sem technical, sem habilidade no ring”].
In fact, as far as anyone knew, Tico had never trained any form of “self
defense”. If he had been a trained fighter, George’s victory would have had meant something. As it was, it proved nothing other than that a skilled smaller fighter can defeat a stronger unskilled man, which was not news to anybody even in 1933.
Brigado had no criticism of George. He beat Tico Soledade. That suggested that jiu-jitsu could be effective against an untrained, unskilled, big, strong attacker. But it proved nothing about the superiority of jiu-jitsu over any other system of defense, because it had not yet tested itself successfully against a qualified practitioner of one.
He specifically mentioned the jiu-jitsu versus capoeiragem and boxing matches and pointed out that in the only legitimate capoeiragem versus jiu-jitsu match held in Brazil so far, the capoeira had won by knock-out.37
Obviously, more tests were needed. George was immediately challenged by his trainer Dudú to fight under the same conditions. George accepted.38
Soon after, Manoel Fernandes expressed his interest in fighting George, noting that he previously defeated Dudú under the same rules, even more violently than George had defeated Tico, which made him the logical choice as George’s next opponent.39
Most working fighters, hence available opponents, were luta livre men, and they tended to be big and slow. George increasingly looked to luta livre for opponents. The reason was simple: There were no opponents in his weight class in Brazil.40 That gradually changed, somewhat, with the arrival of the Ono brothers, Yassuiti and Naoiti. Japanese fighters generally were of the right size for the native Brazilian jiu-jitsu representatives. When a smaller and more agile opponent was wanted, managers and promoters looked to the Japanese colony, where there were some gifted and legitimate fighters. Unfortunately, they were fewer than were needed to supply all of the shows. Some Japanese fighters had to be manufactured on short notice.
Bad Luck and Trouble
More bad luck afflicted the Gracie brothers in July. In the early hours of July 29, 1933, 19 year old “Jiu-jitsu expert” Helio Gracie, of rua Marques de Abrantes n. 17 [sic], drove his motor-cycle under a bus on rua Voluntarios de Patria, in Botofogo, fracturing his left leg. He was rushed to the Hospital de Prompto Soccorro.41
Two of the Gracie brothers now had broken legs, one courtesy of a luta livre wrestler, one thanks to a city bus. Helio made a remarkable recovery and was back in the ring within a year. In the meantime, George represented the family name, if not his brothers’ academy.
Traidor
In September, luta livre wrestler Manoel Fernandes challenged George to a luta livre match. George accepted.42 Fernandes had an ace up his sleeve. He was taking jiu-jitsu lessons from Geo Omori. Carlos and George complained and called Omori a “traidor” [traitor]. Fernandes seemed amused. “The red haired cat is afraid to face me”, he said [“o ‘gato ruivo’ tenha receio de enfrental-o”]. But that was understandable. “George’s fear is natural because he knows that when I climb into the ring I will have been prepared by Geo Omori, who is undeniably a true master of jiu-jitsu and luta livre”, Fernandes explained.43
The rules were negotiated. Unlike Carlos, who wanted to extract every concession and advantage before climbing into the ring or sending his brother in, George was generally ready to fight anyone, anytime, under any rules, and for any amount of money. Despite Fernandes’ boast, George didn’t seem at all in awe of Fernandes. Fernandes out-weighed George by 20-25 kilos. But so did Tico Soledade the night he lost “like a true sportsman”.
The fight took place October 8 at Feira de Amostras. The action began at 11:44 p.m., with George on offensive. Within two minutes, Fernandes’ face was deformed by slaps [bofetões] and chops [cuteladas]. George applied an armlock, forcing Ferndandes to give up.44
Not everyone was impressed. Despite his pre-fight boasting, Fernandes did not put up much of a fight.“It’s more difficult to beat an agile fighter in your own class than an inert mastodon”, commented one observer.45
Roberto Coelho was a jiu-jitsu man who primarily competed in luta livre.46 He felt that Manoel Fernandes and George’s previous victim Tico Soledade were not legitimate fighters. He wanted to test George himself.
George did not accept Coelho’s challenge, saying “I don’t understand this boy’s desire. I don’t see him as having the skills to fight me. Coelho should first fight one of the Gracie students, Jose Cayat or Jayme Ferreira. If Coelho beats one of them, then he can fight me” [“caso esses meus alumnus caim vencidos, então, eu o enfrentarei”], George said. At the very least, he should beat Jayme Ferreira.
Ferreira jumped at the chance for a pay-day. At that time described as a “Gracie student” [pupillo de Gracie] and Carlos Gracie as his trainer [preparador], Ferreira believed he could beat the much younger Coelho.47
George’s easy win over Manoel Fernandes shook up the sports world in Rio. Everyone wanted to fight George Gracie.48 Jiu-jitsu men had taken advantage of the easy publicity by challenging boxers. Now boxers were returning the favor.
Middleweight boxer Joseph Zeeman challenged George under any conditions. George didn’t accept.49 Attempting to goad George into fighting him, Zeeman’s manager Bertys Perryn promised that the jiu-jitsu representative would not be able to last more than one round in front of the Czech middleweight boxer.50
It didn’t work, George didn’t fight Zeeman. Even heavyweight boxer José Santa, who had almost gone the distance with Max Baer in California in 1931, wanted to get into the act, declaring that he would flatten George with one punch.51
George didn’t accept these challenges but he continued to challenge boxers. In fact matches between legitimate and in-shape boxers and jiu-jitsu men were rare. Publicity was the name of the game. Being famous, whether adored or despised, helped to sell tickets. But sooner or later, the fighter had to climb into the ring and deliver.
In the midst of this flurry of boxing against jiu-jitsu challenges, Carlos Gracie challenged Geo Omori to fight his “student” Jose Cayat.
Dudú, vowing to teach George a lesson, issued his own challenge.”Dudú is a worthy fighter”, George said, “but he will fare no better against me than Manoel Fernandes did”. Nevertheless, George accepted the challenge. He insisted however, on liberty of action, including but not limited to elbow strikes [cotovelladas], chops [cutelladas], head-butts [cabeçadas], punches [soccos], kicks [ponta-pés], stomps [pisadas], and knee strikes [joelhadas].52
But George was in no hurry to fight Dudú. He wanted to fight Geo Omori, who prepared Fernandes for his confrontation with George. George declared “I want to fight Omori to avenge the treachery he committed to our sport [“Quero lutar com Omori para vingar a traição praticada a nossa especialidade esporta”].
Geo Omori wanted to fight Carlos. He was annoyed that Carlos claimed to have almost beaten him in 1930. Omori explained that Carlos and his father asked him to “carry” Carlos to a draw so that a profitable rematch could be staged. Carlos’ father explained that the boy needed money. Omori agreed. It wasn’t an unusual practice at the time, and Omori had no qualms about such arrangements. It was just an exhibition, after all. Carlos however, took advantage, and when Omori put himself in a vulnerable position, Carlos tried to apply an armlock. Omori referred to Carlos as “con artist fighter”.53
Omori pointed out that he challenged Carlos many times but each time Carlos sent his brothers or students to fight for him.54 (Omori wasn’t the only one to point this out. Mario Aleixo originally challenged Carlos, who accepted, but then substituted George; Manoel Rufino made the same claim). Under the circumstances, Omori objected to Carlos challenging his (Omori’s) students on behalf of his own students. One of Omori’s students who Carlos challenged was Saburo Senda. Omori complained that “Carlos Gracie should’t make challenges in his student’s names. It’s ugly. As a teacher, like me, he should make challenges in his own name”. Omori offered to fight Carlos under any conditions as soon as possible.55
Carlos never personally accepted. Instead, he persisted in sending his brothers and students in his place. He recruited u
nskilled, big, tough men and luta livre fighters, such as the Syrian Jose Cayat, to represent his school. He bet that Omori wouldn’t last two rounds with Cayat. A Noite sarcastically commented that “as everyone knows, Carlos Gracie is too busy to fight himself”.56
Vale Tudo Jiu-Jitsu
In the meantime, Omori accepted George’s challenge. The revenge match was set for December 23, 1933. In addition to breaking their empate [no winner, no loser] result of April 8, 1933, George would have the chance to punish Omori for revealing the secrets of jiu-jitsu to a Gracie opponent. The first fight had gone on for 90 minutes without a winner or loser. This time, all techniques would be permitted because the two men did not want to fight for more than an hour.57
The fight was expected to be the most violent in recent times. Three days before the fight, Carlos predicted that “Omori won’t last to the second round…the fight will be over relatively quickly…George will win violently”.58
He also asserted that Omori would be “defeated spectacularly” if he didn’t try to run away.59 According to the report, the fight would definitively establish who was the supreme jiu-jitsu fighter in Brazil. George trained with Gracie representative Jose Cayat.
Cayat was a luta livre fighter and quite a bit larger than Omori. He probably wasn’t the ideal training partner for that particular fight. But George didn’t have any other choice. Oswaldo and Helio were out with leg injuries. Oswaldo’s rehabilitation progress was kept quiet, but Helio, readers were informed on December 20, was still recuperating.60
George versus Omori was ten 5-minute rounds, fought by vale tudo rules. It was held at Stadium Brasil on December 23, 1933.61
The weigh-in [pesagem] took place at 11:00 a.m., at Associação Christa de Moços. Omori weighed 67.2 kilos; George weighed 62. 2 kilos. George vowed that even if Omori broke one of his arms, he would fight on with his remaining arm [“pode quebrar-me o braço. Ainda me ficará outro”]. No last-minute rule changes occurred. Most techniques were permitted, including elbows, chops, head-butts, punches, kicks, knees, sting-ray tail kicks [cotovellada, cutellada, cabeçada, socco, ponta-pé, joelhada, rabo de arraia]. It was also permitted to stomp on the opponent when he was on the ground [pisada quando um estiver cahido].62
Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil 1856-1949 (Volume 1) Page 23