Gracie Family Tree (With Images)

The Gracie family is famous for creating and promoting a style of martial arts called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). They are originally from Belém, a city in Brazil. The Gracies learned Jiu-Jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese Jiu-Jitsu-Judo expert who brought the art to Brazil in 1914.

Founder of Gracie Family – Gastão Gracie:

The first member of the Gracie Family is Gastão Gracie (1872–1956), born in Paisley, Scotland. He was a Scottish businessman and politician. He migrated to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and married one of the richest women in Brazil, named Cesarina Pessoa Vasconcellos.

In 1914 he met the Japanese jiu-jitsu expert Mitsuyo Maeda (known in Brazil as Conde Koma, the “Count of Combat”). Gastão Gracie had 8 children: 5 sons and 3 daughters. He choose his eldest son, Carlos Gracie, to learn jiu-jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda. This is where the entire Gracie family tree began.

1. Carlos Gracie Sr. (1902 – 1994)
2. Oswaldo Gracie (1904 – 1978)
3. Gastão Gracie Jr. (1906 – 1989)
4. George Gracie (1911 – 1991)
5. Helio Gracie (1913 – 2009)
6. 3 Daughters of Gastão are Mary Gracie, Ilka Gracie and Helena Gracie.

The 5 sons of Gastao Gracie (Carlos, Helio, George Jr., Gastao, and Oswaldo) built the first generation of Gracie fighters. Even though Carlos and Helio became very close and worked together for many years, all 5 brothers made significant contributions to the growth of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil.

1st Generation of Gracie Family Tree:

The first generation of gracie family is include these 5 members but the most important role in gracie family is Carlos and Helio Gracie sir the remaining are also help the gracie jiu-jitsu but not like the oldest and smallest member of the family, below we’re discuss all the 5 members:

The oldest member of Gracie family Carlos learned jiu-jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda and then taught it to his four brothers. All five brothers practiced jiu-jitsu, learned it thoroughly, improved it, and tested the techniques in the fighting ring. Techniques that worked were improved, and those that didn’t were removed. 

1st. Carlos Gracie Sir (1902 – 1994)

Carlos Gracie Sir was born on September 14, 1902. He was the founder of the Gracie style of Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos was initially a weak and fearful person, but he was very interested in learning Jiu-Jitsu from Mitsuyo. 

So, he started learning Jiu-Jitsu and practicing a lot. Learning Jiu-Jitsu had a significant impact on him, helping him gain self-control and confidence that he had never experienced before. He tested his skills against many fighters, winning frequently and remaining undefeated, even by his four younger brothers. 

In 1925 he opened the first Gracie academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has taught jiu-jitsu for more than sixty years. He is also the teacher of his 4 brothers and his 21 childerns.

One day, his younger brother Helio started teaching a class and changed some techniques to suit his smaller size. Carlos saw how these changes worked well by using leverage instead of strength. Together, Carlos and Helio developed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Carlos Gracie Children:

Carlos Gracie has 21 children from 3 wives and from 2 partners. Thirteen of them earned their black belts in BJJ, check the explanations of BJJ belt ranking system, below are the 21 children’s:

1. With Carmen (1st wife):

1. Carlson Gracie (1932 – 2006)
2. Geysa Gracie (1935 – 2023)
3. Reyson Gracie (1942 – Present)
4. Rose Clair
5. Sonja Gracie Gronning

2. With Ilda:

1. Oneica Gracie Rodrigues (Picture not available on the internet)
   

3. With Lina:

1. Reyson Gracie (1942-Present)

4. With Genny (2nd wife):

1. Reylson Gracie
2. Rosley Gracie
3. Rolange Gracie
4. Carley Gracie
5. Rolls Gracie
6. Rocian Gracie
7. Carlion Gracie
8. Clair Gracie 

5. With Layr (3rd wife):

1. Carlos Gracie Jr.
2. Carla Gracie
3. Crolin Gracie
4. Reila Gracie
5. Rilion Gracie
6. Kirla Gracie

2nd. Oswaldo Gracie (1904 – 1978): 

Oswaldo Gracie began his training with his older brother Carlos but paused in the early 1920s to focus on work. When Carlos established the first Gracie Academy in 1925, Oswaldo resumed his training.

Oswaldo became famous for participating in Vale Tudo fights, where he once defeated a 300-pound wrestler, even though he weighed only 135 pounds.

From 1925 to 1934, Oswaldo was a primary instructor at the Gracie Academy in Rio. He later moved to of Belo Horizonte, where he started his own Gracie Academy.

Oswaldo Gracie had no children and passed away without any descendants.

3rd. Gastão Gracie Jr. (1906 – 1989):

Gastão Gracie Jr. learned jiu-jitsu from his older brother Carlos and helped him when he was opening the first Gracie Academy in Rio in 1925. From 1925 to 1930, he helped his brother. After that, he went to São Paulo, a city in Brazil. In 1934, he came back to Rio to continue teaching with his brothers. 

He was a favorite teacher among the first students who learned Jiu Jitsu at the Gracie academy and he became one of only 6 people to achieve a 10th degree black belt, which is the highest rank in BJJ. Learn more about the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Ranking System.

Gastão Gracie Jr. Children’s

Gastão Gracie Jr. have 2 children’s

1. Gastão Gracie III 
2. Helio Fusco Gracie

Pictures of both of Gastão Gracie Jr.’s children are not available on the internet.

4th. George Gracie (1911 – 1991): 

George Gracie (Jorge) is one of the strongest builders of the Gracie Brothers, he helped his brother Carlos open the first Gracie Academy in 1925. He was also the healthiest of the Gracie brothers and helped Carlos Sr. create the Gracie diet. He had a short temper and red hair, which got him the nickname ‘Red Cat.’

He fights in many matches such as boxing, Vale Tudo, and no-rules fights. After some time George moved to another city of brazil, São Paulo, to work as a businessman and start a family. In 1950 he went back to Rio and opened his own academy. it created disagreements and conflicts between him and his brothers, Carlos and Hélio.

Gorge Gracie Children

Gorge has just 1 children 

1. Leana dela Casa (Picture not available on the internet)

5th. Helio Gracie (1913 – 2009):

Hélio Gracie and his older brother Carlos play very important roles to create Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). He was small and not very strong, so some techniques are difficult for him to perform properly and impress his older brother Carlos. 

Therefore, he decided to find new ways that worked for him. He focused on using leverage and timing instead of strength and speed.

Helio learned and improved the techniques from his brothers by practicing a lot. He made these techniques better and developed his own style of Jiu-Jitsu and often tested them in tough public matches.

Helio had his first fight when he was 18 and they fought against people who practiced other fighting styles like boxing, luta livre (a type of Brazilian wrestling), capoeira, and luta romana (a type of Roman wrestling). 

With new techniques and the help of his brother Carlos, Hélio Gracie participated in several important challenge matches and won many of them. Later, these new techniques became part of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. 

After some time Carlos, his older brother, was very busy teaching and managing the family business and now the helio is also good in Jiu-jitsu. So he decided to start teaching BJJ in the Carlos academy and he also helped his other brothers, Gastao Jr., George, and Oswaldo Gracie. Master Hélio spent 40 years showing everyone that the Gracie family’s martial art works well.

Interesting Fact: Helio once jumped into dangerous shark-infested waters (where there are a lot of sharks) to save a man who was drowning. For his bravery, he was given a special medal to honor his heroism.
Source: Graciemag, Bjj-world. 

Helio Gracie Childrens:

Helio has 9 children and 7 of them earned black belts in BJJ. He had 3 children with his first partner, Isabel ‘Belinha’ Soares, and 6 children with his second wife, Vera. He did not have any children with his first wife, Margarida. These are the childrens of Helio: 

• With Isabel “Belinha” Soares (his first partner):
  • Rorion Gracie (1952-Present)
  • Relson Gracie (1953-Present)
  • Rickson Gracie (1959-Present)

• With Vera (his second wife):
  • Rolker Gracie (1964-Present)
  • Royler Gracie (1965-Present)
  • Royce Gracie (1966-Present)
  • Rerika Gracie
  • Robin Gracie (1971-Present)
  • Ricci Gracie

Children Source: Gracie 

2nd Generation Of Gracie Family Tree:

In the first generation, we discuss all five members. However, in the second generation, it’s difficult to mention everyone, so we will focus only on the important members of the Gracie family who played a significant role in popularizing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Note: I’m adding some images again from earlier so you can enjoy the article. Don’t be confused just read the article completely, and by the end, everything will make sense.

Carlson Gracie 1932 – 2006

Carlson Gracie is the oldest son of Carlos and nephew of Helio, first person of the 2nd generation of Gracie family. He learned jiu-jitsu in childhood from his father and his uncle and when he participated in his first Martial Arts competition that time their age was just five and started fighting professionally when he was 18.

Carlson believed everyone should be able to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and that coaches should teach everything they know. He started group classes, welcomed everyone, and even trained students for free if they were dedicated to improving. He trained many champions in BJJ and MMA. Some of his famous students includes

• André Pederneiras, who started Nova União
• Ricardo Liborio, who started American Top Team
• Murilo Bustamante and Mário Sperry, who started Brazilian Top Team

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie

Robson Gracie (1935 – 2023)

Robson Gracie is the second oldest son of Carlos Gracie. He is the second person in the second generation of the Gracie family. He has spent his life teaching and promoting BJJ and holds a high rank as a 9th-degree red belt. 

Robson started practicing BJJ at a young age and learned it from his family, especially from his father, Carlos Gracie, and his uncle, Hélio Gracie. He also learned directly from some of the best practitioners and teachers in the world.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr > Helio Gracie > Robson Gracie

Reyson Gracie (1942 – Present)

Reyson Gracie is the 3rd son (7th child) of Carlos Gracie and a red belt athlete. He started teaching BJJ in 1960 and is popular for introducing BJJ in the Amazonas and Bahia states of Brazil in the 1970s.

Thanks to Reyson Gracie, many top people learned BJJ, including world champion brothers Saulo Ribeiro and Xande Ribeiro.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Reyson Gracie

Reylson Gracie (1943 – Present)

Reylson Gracie is Carlos Gracie Sr. fourth oldest son and has played a big role in helping BJJ grow. He began learning Jiu-Jitsu at age 4 under his uncle Helio Gracie and started teaching at the Gracie Academy by age 14. In 1962, at the age of 18/19, he earned his black belt and opened his own school a year later.

Reylson also created many of the technique names used in Jiu Jitsu, like the “mata leao” (Rear Naked Choke). He was the first Jiu Jitsu practitioner to introduce colored kimonos (uniforms) into the martial art.

In 1991, he moved to the United States, opening academies in California, Las Vegas, and Florida, and promoted one of the first American black belts, Ken Gabrielson.

He and Rorion Gracie were among the first to bring Jiu Jitsu to the US. Reylson returned to Brazil in 2012 to restore his father’s martial arts tradition, reopening his gym in Rio de Janeiro.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Reylson Gracie

Carley Gracie (1947-Present)

Carley Gracie was a champion of Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo. He joined the US military so he helped his brothers Reylson and Rorion, to introduce BJJ in the US. He teach the Jiu-Jitsu in the different cities of US include Connecticut, Maryland, Florida

Carley Gracie is known as one of the best at Jiu-Jitsu in the family. Now he runs his own school called Carley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in San Francisco, California.

Carley Gracie has 2 childrens Ralston Gracie and Clark Gracie which is the most important practitioners of Gracie family.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlson Gracie > Carley Gracie

Rolls Gracie (1951-1982)

Rolls Gracie, brother of Carlson Gracie, started learning Jiu-Jitsu as a child and helped his uncle Helio teach when he was 12. He also learned a lot from his older brother, Carlson. 

As a teenager, Rolls travelled to different countries to learn Sambo, Judo, and Greco-Roman Wrestling to improve his Jiu-Jitsu. Rolls started using techniques from other martial arts in his Jiu-Jitsu. Because of this, people called him “The Guru.

He became a Black Belt at 16 and had big dreams for Jiu-Jitsu. He thought competing in tournaments would help the sport grow. 

In 1970, Brazil was going through tough political times, and Jiu-Jitsu was losing popularity. Rolls used his skill, and ability to keep the sport alive and inspire young people in Rio de Janeiro. In 1975 Rolls was the Brazilian National Wrestling Champion.

In 1976, a Karate instructor appeared on TV and said that Jiu-Jitsu might not be very good for fighting. Rolls Gracie heard this and wanted to prove that Jiu-Jitsu was effective, so he accepted the challenge and fought in a No Holds Barred match (a type of fight where almost any technique or move is allowed). 

Rolls started his own Gracie School and shared a space with Carlson, teaching on different days. There are many students of Rolls, including Rickson Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr., Royler Gracie, and Rigan Machado. 

Additionally, Rolls promoted six students to black belt: Mauricio Motta Gomes, Marcio Stambowsky, Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti, Nicin Azulay, Paulo Conde, and Mario Claudio Tallarico. 

Sadly, in 1982 Rolls died in a hang gliding accident at 31, but his impact on Jiu-Jitsu is still felt today.

Carlos Gracie Jr. (1956 – Present)

In 1982 after Rolls sudden death his brother Carlos Gracie Jr. took responsibility for continuing his brother’s work. He spent his childhood at the Teresopolis House, a large ranch where many Gracie family members lived and trained together.

Carlos Gracie Jr. learned jiu jitsu from his father Carlos Gracie Sr., and other important family members like Carlos, Helio, and Rolls. He also learned Judo, and Wrestling techniques. 

Carlos Gracie Jr. was dedicated to Jiu-Jitsu and also interested in his father’s Gracie Diet. He pursued a degree in Nutrition Sciences to support his family’s athletes through a healthy diet. He began teaching at the main Gracie school in Rio de Janeiro, working with his brother Rolls and cousin Rorion.

In 1986 he moved to Barra da Tijuca and started the Gracie Barra school, which quickly grew from 20 to almost 200 students in its first year. The school became known for its special teaching style and supportive environment, helping students grow in Jiu-Jitsu and life.

The school is still in the same building today and is one of the most popular schools for BJJ all over the world. People from all backgrounds, including doctors, engineers, and lawyers, found a positive Jiu-Jitsu learning environment at Gracie Barra under the instructor Carlos Gracie Junior. 

In 1994, Carlos Gracie Jr. led efforts to establish the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. This organization set rules for tournaments and organized the first Brazilian National Championship. In the same year Carlos Gracie Jr. also launched a magazine called Graciemag to promote the BJJ.

Carlos Gracie Jr. also established the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) to help the global spread of Jiu-Jitsu.

Crolin Gracie (1957 – Present)

Crolin Gracie is a lesser-known but still significant member of the Gracie family in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He had health problems, so he could not compete in matches.

However, he helped many of his brothers to open Jiu-Jitsu academies in Brazil and the US. He also helped Carlos Gracie Jr. and Rilion when they were starting the Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu academy.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Crolin Gracie

Rilion Gracie (1963 – Present)

Rilion Gracie is another important member of the Gracie family. He is the youngest son of Carlos Gracie Sr. and the best guard in the entire Gracie family.

On his Instagram profile, he has over 73K followers, and he had a major influence on the development of Jiu-Jitsu in southern Brazil.

Rilion Gracie also helped his brothers Carlos Gracie Jr. and Crolin to create the Gracie Barra academy. Now he is run his own academy with the name of Rilion Gracie.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Rilion Gracie.

Up to here, we discussed the generation of Carlos Gracie. Carlos had 21 children, so we only talked about those who played an important role in BJJ. We missed a few names only.

Now, we are discussing the generation of Helio Gracie, (brother of Carlos Gracie), as discussed above, Helio had 9 children, and we’re going to discuss their 7 children who are black belt athletes. Here are their names: Rorion, Relson, Rickson, Rolker, Royler, Royce, and Robin Gracie.

And please note that this is still the 2nd generation of Gracie Family Tree.

Rorion Gracie (1952 – Present) – Creator of UFC

Rorion Gracie was born on 10 January, 1952, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is the son of Hélio Gracie and nephew of Carlos. He has played a major role in popularizing BJJ, starting the “Gracie Challenge” in the U.S. to popular Jiujitsu, it means that every person from every martial art fight to the student of Gracie jiu-jitsu with no rules and this plan worked, and many people from different countries learned about BJJ.

In 1993 Rorion Gracie and businessman Art Davie created an organization called “Ultimate Fighting Championship” (UFC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, US.

In the UFC, different types of martial artists fought against each other in a tournament

In 1993, Rorion Gracie decided that his younger brother ‘Royce Gracie’ from his family would compete as an MMA fighter in the UFC against Kimo Leopoldo who practiced boxing, karate, wrestling, judo, and other martial arts but he Rorion won the fight.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie >Ryron Gracie

Relson Gracie: (1953 – Present)

Relson Gracie is the second son of Master Helio Gracie, nicknamed Campeão (meaning Champion in Portuguese). His first jiu-jitsu competition came at the age of 6.

A 9th-degree red belt athlete, Relson moved to the United States in 1985 to teach jiu-jitsu in California and later moved to Hawaii in 1988, where he grew his school and organized the first official BJJ tournament outside Brazil in 1992.

He also taught self-defense to many important organizations in the U.S., including the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, and many local police departments.

Relson is the first person to create an American team and bring them to Brazil in 1997 to compete.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Relson Gracie

Rickson Gracie: (1959 – Present)

Rickson Gracie is the third oldest son of Master Hélio was born November 21, 1958, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, By the age of five, he was already showing great skill in grappling, a talent that would later make him one of the greatest fighters. He played an important role in popularizing BJJ. Rickson has fought in over 400 fights and most all of them. He also fought in the UFC, 11 times and won all the 11 fights.

He fought many times in Japan, including in PRIDE FC, a Japanese MMA promotion company. Rickson is the founder of Rickson Gracie Academy where he charge 199$/per year and the Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation (JJGF).

He also has a YouTube channel with 30K+ subscribers and Instagram account with 550K+ Followers where he shares knowledge free of cost.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie

Rolker Gracie: (1965 – Present)

Rolker Gracie is the fourth oldest son of Master Hélio, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and holds a coral 7th degree belt in BJJ. Like his brothers, Rolker started training BJJ as a child, around the age of six.

Although Rolker did not have a big impact in competitive BJJ, in the 1990s, he became one of the head instructors of the Gracie Humaita academy after his brother Rickson moved to America to coach. Rolker and his brother Royler turned Gracie Humaita into one of the top BJJ teams.

Now, Rolker stays in Rio de Janeiro and is the main coach of the Gracie Humaita team there. 

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolker Gracie

Royler Gracie: (1965 – Present)

Royler Gracie was born on December 6, 1965, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is the 5th oldest son of Master Hélio. He is known as the greatest featherweight grappler of all time, started learning jiu-jitsu from his father at the age of 7 or 8.

He also trained with his cousin Rolls. After Rolls’ passing, Royler trained under his brother Rickson and eventually took over the Gracie Humaitá Academy, developing some of the best jiu-jitsu fighters.

In 2010, he moved to San Diego, where he enjoys a relaxed life and surfing.

Royce Gracie (1966 – Present) – First UFC winner

Royce Gracie, the sixth son of Hélio, played the most important role in popularizing the Gracie family and BJJ. He earned his 7th-degree black belt at the age of 18.

In 1993, the big brother of Royce, Rorion Gracie decided that his younger brother from his family would compete as an MMA fighter in the UFC against Kimo Leopoldo who practised boxing, karate, wrestling, judo, and other martial arts. 

Royce Gracie was small and didn’t seem very strong compared to his opponent, but he won the fight using BJJ moves like choke holds and joint locks and he became the first UFC champion. 

After that, he won the UFC 2 and UFC 4 tournaments. This helped make BJJ, or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, popular all over the world.

Here’s the UFC 1 video of Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo, where Royce Gracie won.

Robin Gracie (1971 – Present)

Robin Gracie was born on September 6, 1971, the youngest son and second last child of Helio Gracie before Ricci.

He actively competed in both jiu-jitsu and Vale Tudo. He won a silver medal at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

He traveled to different countries in Europe and North America to teach seminars.

He now runs the official Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Barcelona, Spain.

Third Generation of Gracie Family Tree

Carlson Gracie Jr. (27 July 1969)

Carlson Gracie Jr., the only son of Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr., was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 27, 1969.

He started Jiu-Jitsu at 3 years old and earned his 5th-degree black belt at the age of 22 under his father.

He is the head of the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Association, coaches at the Carlson Gracie US headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and was part of his father’s team in the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with his father until his passing in 2006.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie >Carlson Gracie > Carlson Gracie Júnior.

Renzo Gracie (11 March 1967)

Renzo Gracie is another member of the Gracie family, the son of Robson Gracie, born on March 11, 1967, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Renzo had his first real fight at 25 years old in a competition called the Gracie Vale Tudo Challenge.

In this fight, he made his opponent, Luiz Augusto Alvareda, give up using a move called the rear naked choke. Renzo won this fight. You can check the fight details on ESPN.

He is an MMA and BJJ legend, having won 2 ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) Championships in 1998 and 2000. He also fought in several MMA matches in Japan, Brazil, and the US. His Current MMA record is 14-7-1 W-L-D.

He owns the famous Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City, training their from more than 20 years, trained many successful MMA fighters some of them are Georges St. Pierre, Chris Weidman, Matt Serra, John Danaher, Ricardo Cachorão, Shawn Williams, Jerry Rinaldi and many, many others.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Junior > Renzo Gracie

Igor Gracie (4 Feb 1980)

Igor Gracie is the second son of Rolls Gracie and the brother of Rolles and Gregor Gracie.

He is a 4th degree Black Belt under Renzo Gracie. He also teaches at the Renzo Gracie Academy.

Now he owns a Jiu-Jitsu academy called Igor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

He also works part-time as a male model. You might have seen him in ads for cologne and clothes.

Gregor Gracie (1985 – Present)

Gregor Gracie’s actual name is Gregor Rangel, but people also call him Gregor Gracie. He is not related by blood to the Gracie family, but he is the half-brother of Rolles and Igor Gracie.

Their father is the famous Rolls Gracie. 

Gregor was a world champion in BJJ before entering MMA. He is a black belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie.

He now teaches at Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City and has also had a career as a model.

Ryan Gracie (1974 – 2007)

Ryan Gracie is the youngest son of Robson, was born on August 13, 1974, Ryan Gracie was a Brazilian mixed martial artist and a black belt in BJJ. He was part of the Gracie family, being the grandson of Carlos Gracie. He Trained with his brothers Renzo and Ralph Gracie. Starting to compete in 2000 and last fighting in 2004.

Unfortunately, known as the “bad boy” of the Gracie family, with a reputation for street fighting experience.

Ryan Gracie faced many problems with the law and personal issues. In 2007, he was arrested in São Paulo, Brazil, for stealing a car and trying to take a motorcycle. He was hit on the head and taken to jail. While in jail, a doctor gave him too much medicine, which led to his tragic death. Ryan Gracie was found dead in his jail cell later that day. Source Wikipedia.

Ralph Gracie (1971 – Present)

Ralph Gracie (The Pitbull) is the son of Robson Gracie, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a 5th-degree black belt and trained with his uncle, Carlos Gracie Jr.

Gracie’s first appearance in “Battlecade Extreme Fighting” was in 1995 in America. He fought against Makoto Muraoka, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, winning the matches with the longest fighting time being 1 minute and 34 seconds.

His current MMA record is 6-1-0 W-L-D, Source: Sherdog) Because of his dangerous fighting style, Ralph earned the nickname “The Pitbull.”

Now, he has his own academy, Ralph Gracie, in different countries.

Rolles Gracie Jr (1978 – Present)

Rolles Gracie Jr., sometimes also called Rolles Gracie, is the son of Rolles Gracie and a member of the 3rd generation of the Gracie family. In BJJ, he is a 5th-degree black belt athlete and a former UFC fighter.

In 1998, Rolles Gracie Jr. moved to Boca Raton, Florida, to live with his mother. There were no BJJ schools nearby, so he started practicing Judo. After a year, he returned to Rio de Janeiro to continue his BJJ training under Carlinhos Gracie, who eventually awarded him his black belt.

Rolles has won at the IBJJF Pan American Championship (No Gi) and the Brazilian National Championship.

Now, he teaches at the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York, US.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlos Gracie Jr > Rolles Gracie Jr.

Roger Gracie (1981 – Present)

Roger Gracie is the son of Reila Gracie and the grandson of Carlos Gracie Sr. He is one of the top fighters in BJJ today. If you search ‘BJJ Best Fighters’ on Google, you’ll find many websites listing Roger as number one, and some ranking him in the top 3 or top 5.

Roger fought in 10 matches and won 8 of them. He is a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame and the ADCC Hall of Fame.

Roger won 10 IBJJF World Championship titles from 2004 to 2010 and is a two-time European Champion.

He holds 14 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship titles (10 as a black belt) and won multiple gold and silver medals.

Mauricio Gomes, Renzo Gracie, and Carlos Gracie Jr. are the trainers of Roger Gracie.

Roger Gracie established the Roger Gracie Academy in London, England in 2004. He announced his final retirement from BJJ competition in 2017 and from MMA in 2017.

Ralek Gracie (1985-Present)

Ralek Gracie is an American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and MMA artist. He is the third son of Rorion Gracie (who created the UFC), the older brother of Rener and Ryron Gracie, and the nephew of Rickson Gracie.

He was awarded his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by his grandfather, Hélio Gracie.

Ralek Gracie is most famous for managing and organizing Metamoris, a professional jiu-jitsu competition event.

Ralek had a short MMA career in which he fought 4 fights and won 3 of them. Source: Sherdog

Clark Gracie (1984-Present)

Clark Gracie is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete and member of Gracie family, son of Carley Gracie, born in San Francisco, California, U.S.

Clark began learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when he was 10 years old at his father’s academy in San Francisco, California. When he turned 15, he moved with his father to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and lived there for a few years. He came back to the US to complete high school. 

He is the best in omoplata technique (The omoplata is a shoulder lock submission in BJJ, applied from the guard by using your legs to trap and twist your opponent’s arm.)

In 2010, when he was 26, Clark earned his black belt from his father, Grand Master Carley Gracie, at Rodrigo Medeiro’s academy in Pacific Beach, San Diego.

Now, he runs Gracie Allegiance Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego and La Jolla, California, and travels all over the world to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Cesar Gracie (1966-Present)

Cesar Gracie is the son of Sonja and the grandson of Carlos Gracie Sr.  Although he is not as popular as other members of the Gracie family, he went to the United States with his mother and joined the US Marines. 

After finishing his training, he went back to Brazil for some time and then returned to the United States in 1990. There, he started Jiu-Jitsu training at the Gracie Academy in California.

Since he already had experience in the US Marines, he progressed quickly. In 1992, he received his black belt from his uncle, Robson Gracie.

He is the “Coach of the Year” at the Fighters Only 2010 World MMA Awards.

Rodrigo Gracie (1974-Present)

Rodrigo Gracie is the son of Reylson, a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. He started Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 4 and earned the 7th Degree Coral Belt at the age of 18 in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

He participated in 8 matches and won 6 of them. He is also a Gold Medalist in the 1998 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

In the US, he taught Jiu-Jitsu at his father’s academy in California. A few years later, he went to New York to work and train with his cousin Renzo Gracie.

He then opened his own academy, named Rodrigo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, in Palos Verdes, California.

Ryron Gracie (1981-Present)

Ryron Gracie is the oldest son of Rorion Gracie and grandson of Helio Gracie. He started jiu-jitsu at a young age, beginning his training at 12 under his father. At 12, he was cleaning mats after bouts in the UFC. 

As a brown belt, he fought his cousin Crosley Gracie in a 90-minute match in 2001. After winning the Gracie International Open in 2003, Grand Master Helio Gracie awarded him the black belt.

Now, Ryron and his brother Rener run the Gracie University HQ in Torrance, California, US, and they also run a YouTube channel called GracieBreakdown to teach everyone online for free.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie >Ryron Gracie

Rener Gracie (1983-Present)

Rener Gracie is the son of Rorion Gracie (creator of UFC), born in Torrance, California. He is a BJJ black belt practitioner, teacher, inventor, and the brother of Ryron Gracie. As discussed above they both are running the Gracie University HQ in Torrance, California and they also run a YouTube channel called GracieBreakdown to teach everyone online for free.

He also recorded a long video of more than 2 hours in which they teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for free. You can watch the video below.

Rener is a highly regarded coach who has helped many top UFC fighters, including Ronda Rousey, Brian Ortega, Brendan Schaub, Javier Vazquez, and Lyoto Machida. Additionally, he has trained WWE wrestler CM Punk and pro boxer Ryan Garcia. He has also worked with celebrities such as Vince Vaughn and Travis Barker.

In 2014, Rener married ex WWE wrestler Eve Torres.

Rener is also the best inventor. He introduced a product named Quikflip (a type of clothing) on the TV show Shark Tank, which boosted its popularity and sales. It was even featured on Time Magazine’s list of the best inventions of 2019.

Crosley Gracie (1979-Present)

Crosley Gracie is the son of Rosley, and brother of Rosley Gracie. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Crosley started training at age nine with his uncle, Grand Master Reylson Gracie. His MMA record is 2-2-0.

In 1992, he moved to his uncle Carlos Gracie’s academy and won his first Jiu-Jitsu match that year. In 1999, he moved to the US to teach BJJ.

He earned his black belt in 2003 at the age of 24 from his cousin Ralph Gracie.

Crosley now runs the Crosley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Brentwood, California, USA. At his academy, Crosley has helped many students become world champions.

Rose Gracie (1975-Present)

Rose Gracie, the daughter of Rorion (Creator of UFC), started the Gracie Tournament series. This includes events like Gracie Worlds, Gracie Nationals, and Gracie Regionals. (Currently these events are not available but the domain is registered so maybe it can continue soon).

Rose prefers competitions where the only way to win is by making your opponent give up (submission), instead of using points to decide the winner. Read more on BJJ Heroes.

She also cares a lot about studying and raising awareness about concussions and brain injuries. 

Kron Gracie (1988-Present)

Kron Gracie is the second son of Rickson Gracie (a red belt athlete) and the grandson of Helio Gracie. His nickname is “Ice Cream Kron.” He is a BJJ practitioner and MMA fighter who has competed in the UFC. 

Kron was trained by his father and also by Nate Diaz. Before receiving his black belt, Kron won the IBJJF World Championship twice and the Pan-American Championship four times.

He received his black belt at the age of 19 and also holds a black belt in Judo.

Up to 2008, Kron set a record by winning 51 consecutive matches with submissions in major tournaments. He also won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championship. In MMA, Kron current status is 5-2-0. He is currently fighting for the Rizin promotion.

Roggan Gracie (1991-Present)

Roggan Gracie is the son of Rilion Gracie. He is not very well-known in the BJJ community and hasn’t appeared much in MMA.

As an MMA fighter he just fight 3 times and won all of them (Source: sherdog).

He has almost 6,000 followers on his Instagram account.

Roggan also teaches Jiu-Jitsu at the Rilion Gracie HQ in Miami, Florida.

Fourth Generation of Gracies

Kyra Gracie (29 May 1985)

Kyra is the granddaughter of Robson Gracie, who is the second son of Carlos Gracie Sr., one of the most professional and talented female BJJ practitioners.

She is a four-time IBJJF World Champion and a three-time ADCC Champion. 

She is the first woman from the Gracie family to compete in sports and the first woman with a fourth-degree black belt.

She also has a black belt in judo. She lived for several years in the US, where she is associated with the Renzo Gracie and Gracie Barra academies.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Kyra Gracie

Deborah Gracie (August 12, 1986)

Deborah Gracie is the daughter of Robson Gracie and Carla Gracie, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is the second member of the Gracie family to become a BJJ black belt practitioner under Márcio Stambowsky (the first being Kyra). 

Deborah Gracie helped grow jiu jitsu in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She built a strong team of female jiu jitsu athletes through the UAE’s school program.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Márcio Stambowsky > Deborah Gracie

Neiman Gracie (December 12, 1988)

Neiman Gracie is the son of Renzo Gracie, one of the top professional MMA fighters, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a second-degree BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie and Royce Gracie. 

He has fought in MMA 18 times and won 13 times at the time of writing. He is the brother of Deborah Gracie, who is the second member of the Gracie family to become a black belt athlete (as discussed above).

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr. > Renzo Gracie > Neiman Gracie.

Khonry Gracie (23 April 1997)

Khonry Gracie is the son of Royce Gracie, born in the US.

He is a fourth-generation member of the Gracie family and a BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter in Bellator.

He has fought four times, with two wins and two losses.

Khonry’s siblings are Kharianna Gracie, Khor Gracie, and Kheydon Gracie.

He has almost 30k followers on his Instagram profile.

Machado Family – Cousins of the Gracie Family

In the Machado family, there are five brothers:

1. Carlos Machado
2. Roger Machado
3. Rigan Machado
4. Jean Jacques Machado
5. John Machado.

They are not directly connected to the Gracie family but are cousins of the Gracie family. They are highly respected and professional practitioners, all holding BJJ black and red coral belts, and have played an important role in popularizing BJJ. For more information, read on Wikipedia and Ancestry.

Short Overview of the article:

In the beginning of the article, we discussed how jiu-jitsu came to Brazil. Kano’s student, Mitsuyo Maeda, came to Brazil in 1914 and met the first member of the Gracie family, Gastão Gracie. Then we explained

The 1st generation of the Gracie family. Gastão Gracie had five sons: Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., George, and Helio Gracie. Gastão Gracie also had three daughters, but they were not involved in BJJ, so we will not discuss them in the article.

The oldest member of Gracie family Carlos learned jiu-jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda and then taught it to his four brothers. All five brothers practiced jiu-jitsu, learned it thoroughly, improved it, and tested the techniques in the fighting ring. Techniques that worked were improved, and those that didn’t were removed. 

In the 2nd generation, Carlos had 21 children’s his second brother Osvaldo Gracie, did not have children. His third brother, Gastão Gracie Jr., had two children: Gastão Gracie III and Helio Fusco Gracie. His fourth brother had one child, Leana Delacasa, and the youngest brother, Helio Gracie, had nine children. Additionally, his sister Ilka Gracie had one child, Ricardo. In total, there are 34 members, but not all of them are involved in BJJ, and information on a few members is not available online. Therefore, we discussed the 16 members from the 2nd generation of the Gracie family in the article.

In the 3rd generation, there are many members, but we did not discuss them all because some are not involved in BJJ and some are not public. Therefore, we focused on the 18 members in the article who learned and practiced BJJ.

In the 4th generation, we discussed four members: Kyra, Deborah, Neiman, and Khonry Gracie (two female and two male). There are many other members, but not all are public. Over time, if new members become public, we will update the article to include them.

Additionally, we discussed the Machado family, cousins of the Gracie family, which includes five members: Carlos, Roger, Rigan, Jean Jacques, and John Machado.

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Article Source: Gracie, Wikipedia, lowkickmma Source of “Lineage“: bjjheroes and additional research from many other places like Google, Bing, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.