First BJJ Academies in Brazil

The earliest BJJ academies were established by the Gracie family in the 1920s and 30s. Carlos and Hélio Gracie began teaching students in Rio de Janeiro, first in modest locations and later in more formal training spaces. These early schools emphasized private lessons and small group instruction, with the Gracies carefully curating the image of their art through both training and public challenge matches.

As interest grew, other academies began to appear, founded by both Gracies and non-Gracie practitioners. These schools became hubs of technical development and friendly (and sometimes fierce) rivalry. The establishment of academies created a structure for passing down knowledge, formalizing belts and rankings, and eventually developing the competitive circuits that would define BJJ in later decades.