Carlson Gracie

The Carlson Gracie Team traces its roots to 1964 when Carlson Gracie — son of Carlos Gracie Sr. and one of the most dominant vale tudo fighters of his era — opened his academy in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Often called BJJ's first superteam, the Carlson Gracie Academy produced legends including Ricardo Liborio, Murilo Bustamante, André Pederneiras, and Vitor Belfort. After Carlson's passing in 2006, his son Carlson Gracie Jr. continued the legacy from Chicago, with several major organizations including American Top Team and Nova Uniao tracing their roots to the team.