The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Vale-Tudo, to Carlson Gracie, to its Democratization

by Robert Drysdale

In this new addition to the history of BJJ, multiple time World Champion and the author of the bestseller “Opening Closed Guard,” Robert Drysdale explores the history of jiu-jitsu by concentrating on the major events and characters that were responsible for turning BJJ into a global phenomenon.
“The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” is divided into four parts, or four waves of practitioners (1934-1967; 1967-1993; 1993-2007 and 2007-present) as these practitioners were exposed to different brands of jiu-jitsu as the art evolved over time, in both cultural and technical terms. For this, the author takes a dive into the importance of vale-tudo in shaping the Gracie fighting system away from judo and into a more reality-based approach to combat. It also investigates jiu-jitsu’s continuous evolution inside its first federation as well as how the family feud between Helio and Carlson Gracie played a vital role in this evolutionary process.
Furthermore, the book discusses the importance of the brotherly-rivalry between Carlson and Rolls Gracie as setting the foundation for jiu-jitsu to evolve from its previous form into the brand of jiu-jitsu practiced by millions of people around the world today. According to the author, it was Carlson’s role in insisting on a competition-oriented approach to jiu-jitsu open to all that breathed life into the brand of jiu-jitsu that took the world by storm after the rise of Royce Gracie and the UFC in 1993. For these and other reasons discussed in the present work, the author places Carlson at the center of this history as the father of modern BJJ and MMA.
Lastly, this book discusses the struggles and importance of Carlos Gracie Jr. and the IBJJF in giving jiu-jitsu, structure, shape and professional credibility at a time where jiu-jitsu was under threat of becoming simply another fad. It also discusses the greatest challenges the art faces today as its popularity carries with it problems that threaten to fragment precisely some of the qualities that set jiu-jitsu apart from other martial arts to begin with.
BJJ has conquered the martial-arts world, yet its history remains only half told. Its rise and evolution are a captivating story of resilience, courage, rivalries and ambition that, ultimately, led to the prestige and popularity it enjoys today. This book is about this story and its main protagonists.


About the Robert Drysdale is the only American to have ever won the IBJJF Gi World Championships and the ADCC (the two most prestigious jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world) as well as having fought MMA successfully. He has also trained multiple UFC champions and BJJ World Champions. He is the co-founder of the Zenith BJJ team and the author of the bestseller “Opening Closed Guard.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in History and lives with his two daughters in Las Vegas, Nevada where he teaches daily.

Genres: Martial Arts, Sports

538 pages, Paperback

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Kyle Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Robert Drysdale provides an alternative telling of the Gracie family history. It also serves as a commentary on the growth of jiu-jitsu in the 20th century, and a noted concern for it’s future in the 21st.

Drysdale believes the popular narrative of jiu-jitsu undervalues the accomplishments of Carlson Gracie, overshadowed by his uncle Helio. Drysdale argues that if the BJJ community fails to incorporate Carlson’s spirit of excellence and simplicity over the lures of money, power, and fame, it is destined to become diluted with impracticality for future generations.

This book was informative and interesting, but suffered in two ways that make it hard to recommend to anyone outside of the the world of jiu-jitsu:

1. The book feels somewhat disorganized. Sometimes chapters focus on the evolution of the art/sport, sometimes, it reads like a biography about Carlson. Neither of these things are bad, but I craved a more continuity between the topics. As a side note, Drysdale’s own personal stories about jiu-jitsu as a teenager are interesting anecdotes, but I’m not sure they had a place in this particular book.

2. Drysdale makes powerful observations about jiu-jitsu and the Gracie family through the analytical lens of evolutionary biology, making the reader consider lineages of schools similar to the lineages of animal species. This gives the reader an interesting tool to analyze their own BJJ lineage. However, I wish that tool was applied more often in the last section of the book. Drysdale’s cynicism about the state of jiu-jitsu in the 21st century may not have been cured by applying more of the evolutionary perspective, but it would have made his critiques more valid, rather than his set of straw-man platitudes about “American Jiu-Jitsu”.

My guess is this book will serve as the foundations of a counter-narrative for the 2020’s and potentially the 2030’s. Jiu-jitsu books are often biographies or old instructionals, so a historical analysis is refreshing. That said, I would only recommend this book to someone who’s already highly curious about jiu-jitsu’s history and predicting it’s current trajectory.

[Aaron Lapointe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a fantastic book that should be treasured by the BJJ community. It is an educational and entertaining read that made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Anyone interested in learning more about the history of BJJ would be wise to read it. Throughout this book the author Robert Drysdale does an exceptional job of disputing some of the false narratives that have been told to the American people regarding the history of BJJ. Doing so he highlights the significant contributions of Carlson and Rolls Gracie. He even makes a compelling argument that Carlson Gracie is the father of modern BJJ and if you train BJJ there is a strong probability that your lineage can be traced back to the academy Carlson opened up in 1972 and later shared with his brother Rolls. Robert makes such claims by reviewing historical documents from the Brazilian National Library and by interviewing people (i.e., martial artists, journalists) who were witnesses to these events when they occurred. Like most people who knew Carlson I can attest to the accuracy with which Carlson is portrayed in this book, particularly with regard to his competitiveness and generosity. For example, I specifically remember a time in Chicago when Carlson was at a restaurant with his students. After one of these students told Carlson he liked his watch, Carlson took off his watch, gave it to this student, and refused to take it back.

More than just a martial art’s book, The Rise and Evolution of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a book on Brazilian history and culture. I found the chapter on malandragem to be fascinating and I liked hearing about the cultural differences between Brazil and the USA. I also enjoyed hearing Robert talk about his own personal experience with BJJ, and the cultural variables that attracted him to BJJ in the first place (e.g., pit-boys). Toward the end of the book Robert gives his opinion on the current state of BJJ in America and the direction it is heading, for better or for worse. Although you do not necessarily have to read this book from start to finish, I highly recommend that you do so in order to truly appreciate the timeline of events and the author’s message. My only critique, albeit minor, is that there are a number of misspellings and grammatical errors throughout the book. Although this does not diminish the book’s content or message, I do hope these errors are corrected.

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and practitioner, I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Robert managed to write a book that was coherent and "ground breaking" , at least in the world of jiu-jitsu. I personally know that most people think the art descended directly from Helio to...well, everywhere. I even practice in a Carlson Gracie gym that had Helio's picture but not Carlson's on the wall. They changed it after I gifted them this book, that that tells you how important this book is to the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Going back to the format, the book is more similar to a documentary than a regular non-fiction book. It has interviews with many legends of the sport through ought the book while Robert tells the story. Also, the book touches on many topics including language, culture and history overall. Every martial artist should read this.

[Chuck Kechter · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting point of view on the history of BJJ

I respect Robert Drysdale, both as a Jiu-jitsu teacher/competitor and now as a historian. This is a (singular point of view) deep dive on the roots of BJJ, its course, its growth and course corrections over time.

it’s well written - in its use of language, and footnotes. It seems well researched. But, this treatise could be (at least) about 1/3 shorter just by using a heavier editing hand. It’s “heavy” in its use of repetition (which is useful in Jiu-jitsu, less so in writing). There were many times I thought about stopping - putting the book aside, as I was frequently bored by the repetition. I would have given it five stars but for that.

YMMV

[Andrew Wyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did a great job of highlighting a part of the sports history that has previously been in the shadows. I think that is what any good history book should have as its goal. The book is fun for practitioners to read but at times can be a bit repetitive and a-little preachy. There is probably no one on earth more qualified to write this book and it is great that it exists. I wish there could have been more editing of grammar, typos, and trimmed length but overall was a good book. You could sense the authors passion through the pages.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lengthy book. You definitely need to be interested in the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to read this book. The history is so fascinating because there are so many people involved and it's cool to learn more about the history because you may be practicing BJJ but you don't learn this things at class

[Tracy Curreri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Historical Survey of BJJ

BJJ is full mystery and myths. Drysdale balances the story of BJJ, highlighting Carlson’s contributions to what we actually practice today. He offers perspective on the tug of war between the purity of martial arts and its dilution via commercialization. Very thought provoking.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version. There were a few editorial mistakes, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book. As someone who knew Carlson in his later years, I think this book accurately captures his history and his personality.

[James-Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable books on the history of BJJ that's not afraid to challenge the "Helio-centric" narrative, among other things often taken for granted within the Jiujitsu community.