Jiu Jitsu in Brazil- The Fraternity

Spending a year in Brazil was great.  Becoming a part of the Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Team was an honor.

Jiu Jitsu in Brazil is different. In my experience, it was like being part of a gang.  Loyalty to your Sensei is a must, which sometimes comes at a price.  

As my friend Damien says, "There are good senseis and bad senseis".

If you had a bad sensei the 200 dollars you gave to your sensei for a gi would be buying weed and hookers. Needless to say, you would not receive your gi or your money.  You would be beaten up at the gym, regardless of how young you were.  Elbows were used on you when someone had you in side control. You would be introduced to some new drugs (marijuana, the s-vitamin, PCP).

I was fortunate that this was not my experience, although I have some stories that would be wiser for me not to post on the internet.

I don't know of any American jiu jitsu teams that have secret handshakes or tattoos when they reach the black belt level.  That is the norm in Brazil.

When a Carlson Gracie member reached the black belt level, he gets the bulldog tattoos which are shown below.

For lack of better pictures, the two guys in front of the podium are some of the best guys I know, and I thank them for training me.  To Gunther and Alessandro, OSSSSSS

I will post more about doing jiu jitsu in Brazil in the upcoming days. And by the way, doing jiu jitsu in Brazil, and being good at it, will have the Brazilian ladies all over you.  And considering what they look like...

Keep it positive people.  Have a good day.