Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil 1856-1949 (Volume 1)

by Roberto Pedreira

  13. O Radical 29-4-35.

  14. A Federação 7-6-35.

  15. A Manhã 7-7-35; Gazeta de Noticias 9-7-35.

  16. A Federação 3-8-35.

  17. A Federação 22-8-35.

  18. A Noite 3-9-35.

  19. O Imparcial 19-9-35.

  20. Diario de Noticias 27-9-35.

  21. A Manhã 27-9-35; O Radical 26-9-35.

  22. Gazeta de Noticias 29-9-35.

  23. [“O japonez mostrou habilidade nas rasteiras”]. “Rasteira” (singular) was a word with many meanings, including “trip” (as in “cause someone to fall by blocking the movement of one or both of their legs with one or both of your own”). In this case it probably referred to foot sweeps, such as “ashi-barai” and possibly other similar looking techniques, such as osoto-gari, osoto-gake, kouchi-gari, and the like.

  24. Gazeta de Noticias 5-10-35 [“antes de soar o gong para o segundo round o ‘celebre’ Grillo desistirá”].

  25. A Manhã 3-10-35.

  26. Gazeta de Noticias 6-10-35.

  27. Gazeta de Noticias 6-10-35.

  28. Gazeta de Noticias 10-10-35.

  29.Gazeta de Noticias 11-10-35.

  30. A Federação 23-10-35.

  31. O Imparcial 25-10-35 mentioned that Jansen lost to George Gracie in the sixth round of an unspecified fight.There is no record of an Andre Jansen versus George Gracie fight. If George or any other jiu-jitsu representative had managed to defeat a capoeira of Jansen’s stature it is unlikely that they wouldn’t have mentioned the incident. George and Jansen did fight (other opponents) on one or more programs however. The October 25 O Imparcial report may have been incorrect.

  32. O Imparcial 25-10-35. [“será a primeira em todo o territorio bahiano e uma das poucas do norte do Brasil”].

  33. O Imparcial 31-10-35.

  34. O Imparcial 5-11-35 [“desistam de continuar a peleja, ou percam os sentidos”].

  35. Gazeta de Noticias 26-11-35. Later reports said that Ono was a 3-dan. Whether 3-dan or 5-dan, he was very good at what he did.

  36. A Noite 4-12-35 [“Ono, contrariando todas as caracteristicas essenciaes aos japonezes, tem falado demais”].

  37. Gazeta de Noticias 4-12-35 [“entre a technica de Helio e a violencia do Ono”]. Gazeta de Noticias 5-12-35 [“estylo aggrssivo”].

  38. Diario Carioca 5-12-35. It isn’t clear what outcome betters were wagering on―Helio to win or Helio to avoid losing.

  39. O Imparcial 8-12-35.

  40. A Noite 11-12-35; Gazeta de Noticias 12-12-35.

  41. Gracie 2008. Reila describes this aspect of Carlos’ life in extensive detail.

  42. Stein, 1985, chapter 8; Birman & Leite 2000.

  43. The ad read: “Quer Ganhar Sempre na Loteria? Orientando-me pela data de nascimento de cada pessoa, descobrirei o modo seguro que minha experiencia todos podem ganhar na loteria sem perder uma só vez. Mande seu endereço e 600 reis em seilos, para enviar-Ihe GRATIS "O SEGURO DA FORTUNA". Millhares de attestados provam as minhas palavras. Meu endereço, Prof. PAKCHANG TONG, Gral. Milre, 224L, Rosario (S. Fé) (Rep. Argentina).“

  In January 1931 Diario Nacional ran a series of article exposing the celebrated Buenos Aires based charlatan [celeberrimo charlatão] “Professor” Pakchang Tong and his scams [bruxarias]. At that time, he was based in Buenos Aires. Pakchang Tong promised that by using his secret knowledge of “radio fluidico astral” anyone could always win (or at least, have enviable luck) in lotteries, gambling, etc., [jogos da loteria, do bicho, do cartas, de corridas, etc.] (Diario Nacional 2-1-31).

  Tong’s modus operandi was not very different from 21st century internet scammers. If someone sent him stamps for the free book, that individual was marked as potential victim. He or she obviously needed good luck and had some degree of belief that it could be obtained using a secret method and that there was no risk－after all, the book was free, and thousands of people could verify that it was true. At least Prof. Tong said they would.

  One of the secrets that Prof Tong was able to reveal was that of “Pedra Iman Polarisada,” a talisman that had no less than 150 degrees of force [150 graus de força]. Another was the “magnetic powder of Cleopatra” [o pô magnetico de Cleopatra], which when used correctly would irresistibly attract desirable partners of the opposite sex.

  There was no free email in 1933-1938. Packchang Tong had to pay for all those ads, which means people were sending him money. Prof. Tong’s methods worked well in making him rich, at least judged by the numbers of people who later filed complaints and wrote to Diario Nacional. Some of them were well-educated people. All needed money, but also had enough to send to Tong and his colleagues in Brazil.

  In 1933 Packchang Tong relocated to Rio. Ads began appearing in Brazilian newspapers and magazines. They ran in the following periodicals between 1933 and 1938: A Noite, Diario da Noite, Correio Paulistano, A Scena Muda, Careta, O Malho (in Bello Horizonte), Revista de Semana, Correio da Manhã, Diario Carioca, Diario da Manhã, Fon Fon, Jornal da Moças, Vida Domestica, Sports llustrado, Eu Sei Tudo, Correio de Paraná, Diario Nacional, Diario de Noticias, and O Imparcial.

  In August of 1935, Correio de S. Paulo printed an article about Prof. Tong and the curious fact that his ads seemed to be everywhere. The police had already been receiving complaints. An Argentine named Alfredo Serrano, recently arrived from Buenos Aires on board the “Massilia” with his wife, was under suspicion (Correio de S. Paulo 9-8-35.) The ads continued until August 1938 and then stopped. The reasons have not been revealed but it was certainly not for lack of gullible people in Rio.

  44. Gracie 2008.

  45. Gazeta de Noticias 7-12-34. Eberle may have been Eberle Haubert.

  46. Gracie 2008, chapter 26.

  47. A Noite 26-12-35.

  48. Gracie 2008.

  49. Diario de Noticias 20-12-35; O Radical 20-12-35.

  50. A Manhã 7-7-35.

  .

  Chapter 16

  1936

  1. A Noite 23-1-36.

  2. A Noite 3-4-36. “Uma Luta Sensacional de George Gracie”]. A Noite was published by Gracie family friend Roberto Marinho.

  3. O Radical 26-9-35.

  4. Correio de S. Paulo 3-4-36.

  5. Correio de S. Paulo 16-4-36.

  6. Correio de S. Paulo 20-4-36.

  7. Gazeta de Noticias 3-5-36.

  8. He was also called “Estevam”, Estafano”, “Stefano”, “Jiskus”, and Jurkis”, and by the nickname Bataglia.

  9. Correio de S. Paulo 22-5-36; 23-5-36; Correio Paulistano 22-5-36.

  10. Correio Paulistano 21-5-36; Correio de S. Paulo 23-5-36.

  11. Gazeta de Noticias 1-9-36. George had been beaten (submitted, not pinned) by Zbyszko on October 6, 1934. But that wasn’t a jiu-jitsu match so technically George was still undefeated in jiu-jitsu.

  12. Gazeta de Noticias 31-5-36.

  13. Gazeta de Noticias 12-6-36.

  14. A Noite 13-6-36.

  15. O Imparcial 12-6-36.

  16. Diario Carioca 14-6-36 [“nada disso porem aconteceu. O combate foi monotono, desnido de menor interrese. Foi devéres uma luta que decepcionou a quantos ali foram em busca de emocões“].

  17. Diario de Noticias 14-6-36.

  18. Gazeta de Noticias 14-6-36.

  19. Diario Carioca 16-6-36.

  20. Helio made a comeback and fought five more times between 1950 and 1955.

  21. A Noite 16-6-36.

  22. Gazete de Noticias 16-6-36; 17-6-36.

  23. A Noite Illustrada 29-6-32.

  24. Diario Carioca 3-11-32. He may have been the Antonio Rocha who was a “monitor” at the Gracie Academy in 1931 Diario da Noite 2-7-31. Such alternative spellings of names was not unusual.

  25. Diario Carioca 23, 24, 25-8-28.

  26. Diario da Noite 24-6-36.

  27. A Batalha 2-8-36.

  28. A Noite 3-8-36.

  29. Yamada and Massagoichi posed together in kimonos for a publicity photo, which appeared in Gazeta de Noticias 7-8-36
and 13-8-36.

  30. Gazeta de Noticias 8-8-36.

  31. A Batalha 8-8-36.

  32. Diario da Noite 8-8-36.

  33. Diario Carioca 7-8-36.

  34. Gazeta de Noticias 7-8-36. “Iamada, o adversario de Ruhmann em companhia do professor Massagoichi, considerado o campeão sul-americano de jiu-jitsu” [“Yamada, the adversary of Ruhmann in company with professor Massagoichi, considered the South American jiu-jitsu champion”]. It is unclear who was being described as the champion. However, Massagoichi was not described as the South American jiu-jitsu champion in other articles, so it seems that it was Yamada who was. No evidence was offered that he was a champion of anything or even that he had any jiu-jitsu skills.

  35. Diario de Noticias 8-8-36.

  36. The boxing matches were Gonçalves da Cunha versus Fumaça; Acosto versus Negrito; and Schleinkofer versus Benjamin Rutta.

  37. Diario de Noticias 8, 9-8-26.

  38. Diario de Noticias 9-8-36.

  39. A Offensiva 6-8-36 [“Nunca ouvi falar nesses campeões mysteriosos e tenho tanta certeza de que elles pouco conhecem jiu-jitsu”]. The phrase pouco conhecem might be interpreted as “know little,” “don’t know much,” among other possible translation equivalents, but the point is the same. If they had legitimate credentials, Yano certainly would have known about them.

  40. A Offensiva 8-8-36.

  41.Gazeta de Noticias 1-9-36. The main office of the Brazilian Federation of Pugilism [Federação Brasileiro de Pugilismo] was located at 175 Avenida Rio Branco, 1st floor.

  42. Diario de Noticias 7-8-36; Diario Carioca 14-8-36.

  43. A Batalha 11-9-36.

  44. A Noite 17-8-36.

  45. Correio da Manhã 14-8-36 [“Precisa provar, com uma exhibição publica, as suas possibilidaes technicas”…apresentando as suas credenciaes adquiriu o direito de enfrentar Helio Gracie, o campãeo nacional da luta japoneza”].

  46. Diario de Noticias 12-9-36 [“deixou magnifica impressão de seu ensaio official”].

  47. A Noite 12-9-36.

  48. Correio da Manhã 13-9-36.

  49 Diario Carioca 13-9-36 [“Helio Gracie venceu o japonez Massagoichi, aos doze minutos de luta com uma chave de braço…poz em evidencia os seus vastos conhecimentos no jiu-jitsu”].

  50. A Offensiva 16-9-36 [“As luctas de jiu-jitsu realizadas em nossa capital, com rarissimas excepções, vêm se tornado, cada dia, mais desmoralizadas, em consequencia dos desfechos apresentados, positivamente suspeitos”].

  51. A Offensiva 19-9-36.

  52. O Paiz 4-4-34.

  53. A Noite 26-4-32.

  54. Jornal do Brasil 5-9-36. George’s defeat by Wladek Zbyszko in 1934 had been forgotten, but that was a luta livre match. George hadn’t lost either of his three jiu-jitsu matches up to that point (draws with Geo Omori and Takeo Yano and a win over Shigeo).

  55. Diario de Noticias 6-9-36.

  56. O Imparcial 20-9-36.

  57. Diario da Noite.12-10-36.

  58. Diario de Noticias 3-10-36.

  59. A Noite 5-10-36.

  60. Diario de Noticias4-10-36．

  61. Correio de S. Paulo 5-10-36. “Golpe” referred to techniques in general, but in this case it apparently more specifically meant throws. If it referred to submission attempts, it would have similar implications.

  62．In the boxing contests, G. Schneider KOed Santa Anna in the 3rd round, Acosta KOed Barzolo in 3, and Gonçalves de Cunha decisioned Juan Belleza.

  63. Diario Carioca 13-11-36.

  64. Diario Carioca 18-10-34.

  65. Diario Carioca 24-7-36.

  66. Gazeta de Noticias 13, 14, 15-11-36.

  67. Gazeta de Noticias 17-11-36.

  68. Correio de S. Paulo 30-11-36. In the same article, Yano’s name was spelled Jairo, Zario, and Zano. To add confusion, the first paragraph of one article called George “Helio”. George’s name was also written Jorge and Georges. It was not unusual for a person’s name to be written two, or even three different ways in the same article, occasionally even in the same sentence. Yano’s name was also written as Iano, and his first name as Taqueo. Confusion about Yano’s (first name) also was apparently not unusual. Even his friend Kimura Masahiko was unsure how to write it (Kimura 1985, p. 161).

  69. Correio de S. Paulo 9-12-36.

  .

  Chapter 17

  1937

  1. As Kimura explained in his book Demon Judo[鬼の柔道] “私がプロレスに関心を持ってたのは柔道なんかより楽で、しかも金儲けができるからだった”] (Cited in Masuda 2011, pp. 359).

  2. A Federação 8-1-37.

  3. A Federação 9-1-37.

  4. Correio de S. Paulo 14-1-37.

  5. A Noite 23-2-37.

  6. A Federação 28-1-37. Stock was undoubtedly Luiz Stock.

  7. Gazeta de Noticias, 16-3-37.

  8. Correio Paulistano 9-4-37.

  9. Lopes 2000 p. 242. Rowing was also an upper-class sport, because boats were expensive. Football required only a ball.

  10. See chapter 10 for details about Helio’s Gracies early sports activities. Helio represented Clube de Regatas do Botafogo (C.R. Botafogo). On Saturday April 26, at the C. R. Botafogo, he was the coxswain [patrão] on the boat Mira. His oarsmen [remadores] were Jose de Camargo Simões and Jose Carlos ds Silva (Diario da Noite 1-4-30). On August 31, he again commanded the Mira. His oarsmen were Henrique Cordeiro Oest and Emilio Gottschalk (Diario Carioca 15-8-30).

  11. The club was sometimes referred to as Club (or Clube) de Regatas do Flamengo, C.R. do Flamengo, Flamengo, “Fla”, and by its nickname Rubro-Negro [Red and Black].

  12. O Imparcial 17-3-37.

  13. A Noite 31-3-37.

  14. A Federação 29-4-37.

  15. O Imparcial 1-5-37; A Noite 6-5-37.

  16. Diario da Noite 9-4-37 [“Uma luta entre dois novos que casou viva sensação. Empataram Carnera e Bueno depois de apresentar grande variedade technical de recursos”].

  17. O Radical 6-5-37.

  18. O Imparcial 3-7-37. Ellysio Gentil de Aguiar’s opponent’s name was garbled. His first name was Luiz and he represented the L.S.M.

  19. A Noite 3-9-37 [“Espero que George não se mantenha na defensiva trocando golpes commigo. Se elle fizer isso, conseguirei o meu maior anseio de lutador: vencer um Gracie”].

  20. A Noite 11-9-37. The professional luta livre matches were Tommy Schaff versus Enzo Rolle, and Antolim Rodrigo versus Hans Norbert (A Noite 11-9-37).

  21. O Imparcial 4-91-37 [“Ono garantiu-nos que não haverá empate e que será um duelo até a morte”].

  22. [“Poderia ter evitado a derrota em cima da ring desistindo depois da queda….Mas entre o perder lutando e o fugir covardamente, preferi o que qualquer lutador brioso preferiria: pelejar até que as minhas energies se esgostassem”].

  23. A Noite 16-9-37 [“A classe de Ono patenteou-se de modo absolute reaffirmando-se suas caracteristicas de profundo conhecedor dos segredos de jiu-jitsu”].

  24. A Noite 14-9-37.

  25. Diario de Noticias 12-12-37. Round 1: “foi bem disputado este assalto. Ono obteve vantagem nas quedas (6 X 3) Demonstrando George efficiencia na defesa. O nipponico levou vantagem.” Round 2: “Este assalto tanscorre mais equilibrado. George reage e o combate apresenta mais animação. Ono obteve ligeira vantagem.”

  26. By 1941 Rio wrestling fans people were more familiar with the Kodokan terms for the most common throws, but unfortunately by that time catch wrestling/luta livre had come to dominate the scene. Techniques generally did not have standardized names, and in any event, fans did not know them. Writers used their powers of improvisation in describing what they saw. See Glossary for examples.

  27. Diario de Noticias 16-9-37.

  28. A Noite 13-9-37 [“Não fóra a queda violenta que soffreu, teria resistido mais tempo. Do qualquer fórma, porem, esperava vencer”].

  29. A Noite 15-9-37 [“Isto não significa que o sceptro do jiu-jitsu no Brasil tenha saido dos mão de um Brasileiro
”].

  30. A Noite15-9-37.

  31. A Noite 16-9-37 [“Se Helio offereces combate a Ono como fez George, em menos de 20 minutos estará liquidado”].

  32. A Noite 23-9-37 [“Ono não vive somente de lutas. Tem negocio em Sao Paulo, é instructor de 4th B. C., do Tieté-São Paulo, de Guarda Nocturna, e tem sua academia”].

  33. Oninho’s name was also written as Nauite, Naotit, and Nauiti, Naoite, and Igoti. He was also occasionally called “Caçula Ono” [kid brother Ono]. On at least one occasion he was called Paulo.

  34. O Imparcial 28-9-37.

  35. A Batalha 18-9-37.

  36. According to boxrec.com, Klausner’s record between January 1, 1930 and February 1 1938 was 22 wins (15 by KO), 9 losses, and 6 draws. However this does not include his fights from March 1926 to 1930. Klausner was described as the amateur champion of Estonia [campeão amador de Estonia] (O Paiz 4-7-26; Correio da Manhã 7-7-26). In 1937, he had a respectable professional record of 22 wins, 8 defeats, and 5 draws, with 15 KOs. Ervin Klausner was born March 24, 1907 in Estonia. His first appearance in Brazilian rings was Thursday March 25, 1926 when he faced another newcomer, W. Schelk of Germany, in a 10 round heavyweight fight at Theatro Republica in Rio (Correio da Manhã 23-3-26). By July 10, 1926, when he was scheduled to face the former Canadian heavyweight champion Soldier Jones at the Botafogo Football Club. Klausner had already earned a nickname; he was the “Blond Jaguar” [Onça Loura] (O Paiz 30-6-26). Soldier Jones had fought (and was soundly beaten by) Gene Tunney in a preliminary to the Dempsey versus Carpentier “Fight of the Century” on July 2, 1921 (Roberts 2003, p. 122). Soldier Jones was the trainer of Jose [o ‘Camarão’] Santa. Klausner worked as Santa’s sparring partner and also fought him on January 1, 1926, losing in the second round (Correio da Manhã 1-9-27).

  37. A Noite 27-9-37; Correio da Manhã 28-9-37.

  38. A Batalha 26-9-37.

  39. A Batalha 30-9-37.

  40. A Batalha 30-9-37.