ARTICLE 1 - DOCUMENT TITLE:
Relson Gracie World Submission Championships & Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu National Championships Official Rules and Regulations

ARTICLE 2 - DOCUMENT PURPOSE:
The purpose of this document shall serve to outline and describe the official rules and regulations of the following grappling events.
I. Relson Gracie World Submission Championships
II. The Relson Gracie National Championships

ARTICLE 3 - TOURNAMENT MISSION & PHILOSOPHY:
I. To provide the highest level of amateur and professional submission grappling competition in the world.
II. To showcase Gracie Jiu-Jitsu as a highly competitive and exciting athletic sport.
III. To honor and recognize the current and past competitors, distinguished teachers, and supporters of the sport and event.
IV. To display courage, discipline, sportsmanship, and camaraderie through competition.

ARTICLE 4 - COMPETITION AREA:
I. The competition stage will be composed of 6 rings.
II. The rings shall be evenly divided into a BLUE area and a RED area
III. Each ring will be a minimum 12 m x 12 m and composed of tatame style grappling mats mounted on a resilient platform.
IV. The competition area shall be divided into two zones. The differentiation between these two zones will be used as an out of bounds/danger area and indicated with red tatames. This zone will 1 meter wide and form a squared ring. The area within the red mats will be called the contest area, which will be indicated by blue tatames. The area outside the colored area (red & blue) will be called the safety area and shall never be less than 2 meters wide. This safety area will be indicated will light green or tan tatames.
V. The competition/fighting area will be partitioned off to the spectators. Within the partition tournament directors, ring captains, supporting assistants, referees, time keepers, inspectors, and security personal can freely move about. Any spectators or competitor that are not actively called to the warm-up area or are currently competing cannot occupy the competitor area. Any unauthorized persons identified in the competition area will be asked to leave the area and if repeated is subjected to disciplinary action.
VI. Coaching area: two coaching areas shall be designated within the “safety area” on opposing sides of each ring and indicated by a white square. One coach of opposing teams can only occupy each coaching area at a time.
VII. Security personal will be actively observing the event. If summoned by the directors or ring captain they hold the power to punish any unethical conduct of coaches, teachers, referees, or other assistants that might interfere in the progress of the event.
VIII. A designated warm-up area shall serve as the competitor calling area. During the event the competitors must pay attention to their specific division to be called to the warm-up area. Once there a Competitor Caller will notify you when and where your match is.

ARTICLE 5 - SPECTATOR AREA:
I. A spectator area shall be placed outside the competition area and composed of rows of sturdy straight back chairs and or bleacher style seating.
II. The seating shall be placed in a way to maximized observing the event.
III. To prevent blocking others for viewing the matches, spectators must remain seated during the competition and be courteous when move throughout the spectator area.
IV. Standing at the partitions will be prohibited and strongly enforced.
V. All spectators are encouraged to cheer on their fighters and displaying a supporting competitive spirit.
VI. Taunting competitors, referees, and or all supporting staff, the use of foul or abusing language, or any inappropriate behavior that does not represent to spirit and ethos of the event is prohibited and subject to removal from the event.

ARTICLE 6 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF CHAIRMEN
I. The Tournament Chairmen will be seated at the main table that will sit parallel to competition area. He will also be moving throughout the competition venue and shall be identified with a Chairmen badge attached to a lariat.
II. The Tournament Chairmen shall be the final authority with regards to all rules and regulations of the tournament.

ARTICLE 7 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF DIRECTOR
I. The Tournament Director will be seated at the main table that will sit parallel to competition area and also be moving throughout the competition venue and shall be identified by a Directors badge attached to a lariat.
II. The Tournament Director shall oversee and direct the entire tournament including: registration, competition and vendor fee collection, website design and communication, sponsorship, advertisement, vendor organization, competition scheduling, and positioning of staff. If by chance the Tournament Chairmen cannot for any reason complete his duties the Tournament Director will act as Chairmen.

ARTICLE 8 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF THE RING CAPTAINS
I. The ring captains will be moving throughout the competition area and can be indicated by the RING CAPTAIN label on the back of their t-shirts.
II. Each ring captain will be in charge of one area (blue or red) which is composed of 3 rings
III. The ring captain shall be in charge of all the functions inside the competition area including: competition flow, referee positioning, calling of divisions to the warm-up area, calling of athletes to mats, rules discrepancies, emergency medical notification, supervision of referees, time keepers, and scorers. Information relay to the tournament Director and Chairmen.

ARTICLE 9 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF THE SCORERS & TIMEKEEPERS (officials) TABLE
I. The Scorers and Time Keepers will be positioned at tables center between each ring and can be identified by the OFFICIALS label on the back of the their t-shirts.
II. The scorer and timekeeper shall be familiar with the responsibilities of each other’s position so that position rotation can be conducted with out delay or technical error.
III. The scorer and timekeeper shall be knowledgeable of all general and referee match results, referee signals, illegal techniques, basic bracketing techniques, competitor divisions and their durations.
IV. The scorer and timekeeper shall be responsible for calling via a hand radio individual competitors to their perspective rings from the warm-up area.
V. The scorer and timekeeper shall have a basic understanding of the competition flow of the tournament.

ARTICLE 10 - SCORERS & TIMEKEEPERS SIGNALS
I. Time Keeper will verbally indicate to the referee by saying “READY” when he/she is ready to begin the match duration on the stopwatch.
II. The Time Keeper shall be responsible for verbally calling out “2-minutes” and “1-minute” when there is 2 minutes and 1 minute left in the match duration.
III. The timekeeper shall toss a soft ball or object typically colored white, close to the referee’s feet and verbally call “STOP” when the match duration has expired.

ARTICLE 11 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF THE REFEREE
I. The referee will be in the center position at each ring and or at the official’s table. The referee can be identified by the REFEREE label on the back of the their t-shirts.
II. All referees will be neutral and impartial in their decision-making; a referee may not officiate one of their own students/teammates without notification to the opposing athlete and/or coach.
a. The opposing coach/athlete may request a referee replacement if this occurs.
III. The referee shall be responsible for: starting and stopping all matches, awarding or deducting points, warning competitors for rule infractions, disqualification of competitors, consulting with the ring captains, communicating to the officials and signaling the match winner.
IV. The referee shall have general knowledgeable of all the rules and regulation and be especially knowledgeable on articles 13 through 20 and 22.
V. If for any and every situation that cannot be determined by this rules manual the referees will discuss the specific situation with the ring captain and/or chairmen to determine the fair and proper action.

ARTICLE 12 - POSITION & FUNCTION OF THE MEDICAL STAFF
I. A medical staff will be appointed to the tournament by the Organization and will be located adjacent to the main Chairmen and Directors table.
II. This staff shall be trained in emergency medical protocols and first aid and will be responsible for treating any injured or sick competitor, staff, and or spectator needing urgent care.
III. The medical staff will serve as the final authority of whether a competitor can compete safely.

ARTICLE 13 - UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT
A. GI COMPETITION:
I. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Judo style gi must be worn during competition.
II. The gi must be constructed of cotton or similar material and free of holes or tears.
III. The material may not be excessively thick or hard so that in may obstruct the opponent or give an unfair advantage to its wearer.
IV. The jacket must be long enough to cover the hips, crossed over with the left lower lapel over the right and tied at the waist by a belt.
V. The belt shall be tied with a square knot tight enough to prevent the jacket from being too loose and shall be long enough to go twice around the waist to leave15-25 cm protruding evenly on each side of the knot when tied. The belt must have a width of 4-6 cm.
VI. The trousers/pants need to long enough to cover the mid point between lower calf and the heel not to exceed the length of the ankle.
VII. All sleeves shall have enough play to have four fingers (approximately 3 inches or 7.5 cm) inserted through out the length of the sleeves.
VIII. Gi Colors may be white (bleached or unbleached) or blue, no combined colors.
IX. Men are not allowed to wear t-shirts of any kind under the gi.
X. Women are required to wear a t-shirt under their gi and encouraged to wear breast protectors and/or an athletic brazier.
XI. If the competitor is not in accordance with the article the referee will order the contestant to change in the shortest time possible into a gi that will comply with this article.
XII. Mouthpieces and groin protectors (cups) are recommended but not required.
XIII. Gi patches are allowed but must not contain profanity and lewdness, or be used as a platform for slander or personal attack.
XIV. All footwear including wrestling shoes is not allowed.
XV. Soft braces and or pads for the elbows, knees, and ankles are permitted but must not overly restrict range of motion or in anyway give an unfair advantage to the competitor wearing them.
XVI. Hard braces that restrict range of motion for specific medical purposes (ie ACL stability) must be evaluated by the referee and/or ring captain in order to be allowed.
XVII. Tight fitting undergarments or shorts shall be worn under the uniform to prevent any accidental display of nudity.
XVIII. Protective headgear shall be permitted. The ear cover should be as soft as possible. With harder headgear, competitors are expressly forbidden to use the hard surface against their opponent.
B. NO-GI COMPETITION:
I. Competitors can choose to wear the characteristic clothing from any recognized grappling discipline, including, but not limited to a:
a. Freestyle-wrestling singlet
b. Judo gi, either top or bottom or both
c. Jiu-Jitsu gi.
d. Sambo Kurtka
e. Full-length tights
f. Bike/board shorts
g. Speedos
II. Competitors wearing shorts need to wear an undergarment beneath their shorts. In addition, trunks should be form fitted around the waistline to prevent them from accidentally being removed.
III. The uniform cannot have zippers, straps, buckles, metal, or any material that may cause injury.
IV. The uniform must not contain profanity and/or lewdness, or be used as a platform for slander or personal attack.
V. Women are required to wear a t-shirt and athletic (sports) brazier.
VI. Grappling style footwear is not permissible.
VII. See articles 3 A: X, XI, XIV, XV, XVI though XVIII

ARTICLE 14 - PERSONAL REQUIREMENNTS
I. Hygiene: Attention to personal hygiene is a must. Competitors should be clean and free of foul orders. In order for the referee to maintain the highest standards of hygiene for both competitors the follow rule must me followed:
a. Finger and toenails must be trimmed short.
b. Hair if long must be pulled back and secured.
c. Colored hair spray is not allowed.
d. No lubricants, analgesic cream, and or skin creams may be worn that may place an inconvenience to the opponent or allow an unfair advantage to the wearer of such products.
II. Jewelry to include necklaces, watches, earrings and all others body piercing, wrist and ankle bracelets and rings with exceptions to wedding bands is prohibited. Wedding bands can be worn as long as they are covered with athletic tape
A. In order to be legal, corrective ear wear must be made for specifically for sports competition.
III. Personal Health and Disease Risk:
A. It is recommended that all competitors and staff undergo an annual physical by a qualified Medical Doctor MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy.
B. Competitors diagnosed with following conditions shall be prohibited from competition.
1. Chronic Infectious Disease including:
a. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (AIDS)
i. All athletes are encouraged to receive an annual HIV test.
b. Hepatitis B and /or C Virus
c. Mononucleosis
d. Active Herpes
2. Open Cuts and abrasions.
a. All wounds including cuts, abrasions, lacerations and burns must be covered with Colodion and an appropriate dressing as approved by our emergency medical staff.
3. Heart diseases and/or risk factors of heart disease to include: arrhythmias, heart block, valvular disease, peripheral vascular disease, aortic stenosis, uncontrolled angina, congestive heart failure, fixed rate pacemaker, resting blood pressure > 185/100, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, and electrolyte abnormalities.
4. Additional contraindications to competition shall include vertigo, chronic obstructive lung disease, significant emotional distress (psychosis), and advanced musculoskeletal disorders.
C. Competitors requiring corrective eyewear shall wear soft contact lenses. Glasses of any type will not be permitted during competition.
D. Deaf and/or mute grapplers shall make their condition known to the referee prior to each match. The referee shall then modify his conduct to make his commands and other duties clear to the deaf and/or mute player.
E. Female grapplers in addition to the above statutes are restricted from competing if they suffer from any of the following cases:
1. Confirmed or suspected pregnancy
2. Pelvic inflammatory disease
3. Symptomatic endometriosis;
4. Abnormal vaginal bleeding
5. Recent secondary amenorrhea of undetermined cause
6. Recent breast bleeding;
7. Recently discovered breast masses
8. Recent breast dysfunctions previously not present.
F. Banned substances. The Chairmen and Director of the tournament shall possess the right to test any and all competitors for the use of banned substances as described by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC).
1. Pre and Post testing can be done at the Directors expense up to and not exceeding 60 days prior to and after the day of competition.
2. The tournament director holds explicit rights to strip a competitor or their prize money and or award(s) if the competitor tests positive to any and all banned substances as described by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

ARTICLE 15 - COMPETITOR CLASSIFICATION
A. GI COMPETITION:
I. Competitors will be classified by age, weight, sex, and belt rank.
II. Age will be determined by your chorological age on the day of the official weigh-in and registration.
III. Competitors will be classified by the following age divisions:
a. Juvenile
i. 9 and under
ii. 10-11, 12-13
b. Junior
i. 14-15
ii. 16-17
c. Adult 18-29
d. Master 30-39
e. Senior 40+
IV. Weight will be determined by your body weight in pounds without your gi. Calibrated spring scales will used to measure body weight. To ensure fairness, all divisions will be weighed on the same scale (i.e. all white belts on scale 1, blue belts on scale 2 etc.)
V. Competitors will be classified by the following weight divisions:
a. Juvenile and Junior competitors will be matched as close in weight as possible to form viable brackets.
b. See table below for the Men and Women (Adult, Master, Senior) weight classes

c. Open Division: this division shall allow competitors of similar sex, age, and rank categories to compete regardless of body weight.
i. Open division shall be divided by sex, age and rank and include all weight class competing together.
ii. Juvenile and Junior divisions shall not have an open division.
VI. Competitors in the Juvenile I & II and Junior classes shall not be matched with a competitor who’s difference in ages is greater than 1 year of age, i.e., 8 to 9, 10 to 11 etc. unless given the right to do so by his or her coach.
VII. If an athlete is over his intended weight class they will have until the end of the registration period to make weight. We do not support the use of crash weight loss practices prior to competing.
VIII. Male and Female competitors 18 years or older will compete in separate divisions.
IX. In Juvenile and Kids divisions, boys may be paired with girls if there are insufficient entrants to justify a separate division.
X. Rank shall be indicated by colored belts and will be used to separate competitors into skill level divisions. The following belt ranks will be acknowledged:
a. Juvenile
i. White
ii. Yellow
iii. Orange
b. Junior
i. White
ii. Yellow
iii. Orange
iv. Green
c. Adult, Master, and Senior
i. White
ii. Blue
iii. Purple
iv. Brown
v. Black
XI. Belt ranks other than the list above will not be allowed in competition.
XII. Adult, Master and Senior competitors are prohibited from competing above and/or below their given rank.
XIII. In Juvenile and Junior divisions, different ranks may be paired if there are insufficient entrants to justify a separate division.
B. No-Gi Competition
I. Competitors will be classified by age, weight, sex, and skill level.
II. See Article 15 A II through IV, VI-IX
III. Weight classification shall be indicated by the following tables:

IV. Skill levels will be separated into two categories: Amateur and Professional
V. The amateur division will be composed of intermediate and advanced level grapplers separated both age, sex and weight. Beginner grapplers must use caution when entering the amateur no-gi division. It is not uncommon for competitors in this division to have 5 or more years of experience.
VI. The professional division will be composed of highly advanced level grapplers. Competitors are to be 18 years or older and must qualify for the pro division through meeting the one of following criteria:
a. Have in the past won the adult amateur division in one of the following tournaments
i. Relson Gracie World Submission Championships
ii. Relson Gracie Nationals
b. Hold an official black belt under the Confederation of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
c. Pre-approval by the Tournament Chairman and/or Director=
d. An official Bio can be developed and emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it prior to the pre-registration deadline.

ARTICLE 16 - MATCH DURATION
I. Each division will have a specific time limit as indicated on the table below:

III. Overtime: There will be NO overtime, if a match ends at a point in which both competitors are equal with regards to points and advantages, thr competitor who demonstrated more aggressiveness and or technical play will be deemed the winner.

ARTICLE 17 - MATCH RESULTS
I. Submission: the match will immediately end when one contestant by means of legal strangulation, smother, joint lock, intense bodily pressure and/or extreme attrition makes the opponent submit. The competitors shall acknowledge any and all of the following indicators of submission:
a. Tapping a minimum of two times in a continuous and noticeable fashion with the hands, feet, or elbows.
b. Any loud noise indicating pain or verbal submission using the word STOP! in a loud and clear manner so it can be audible to the referee and the opponent.
II. Second Party:
a. a coach or fellow athlete who is responsible for the well being of the competitor can “throw in the towel” via verbal submission or the tossing of a white piece of cloth at the referees feet to indicate submission of their competitor for reasons of personal safety, attrition, and/or technical dominance. The second party must be within the designated coaching area to be acknowledged.
b. The referee can stop a match at anytime and award a winner do to concerns of potential injury, attrition, and/or technical dominance.
c. The referee shall stop a match involving Juvenile competitors any time one of the competitors has performed a legal submission hold that would in the opinion of the referee, submit the opposing competitor.
III. Score: The score of a match is made up of points and advantages. Points and advantages are earned through the display of technical dominance over your opponent. If no submission takes place during the match, the competitor with the most points and advantages wins.
a. Advantages are used in case the match ends with opponents having equal amounts of points. In the event the match ends in a tie of points the competitor with the greatest number of advantages wins. Multiple advantages shall never equal 1 point.
b. Points: the flowing table will serve to explain the specifics of points scoring:

IV. Aggressiveness/Technical Prowess: in the event the match end with equal points and advantages for both competitors it will be up to the subjective decision of the referee to determine who was more aggressive and/or showed a higher level of technical prowess or expertise. The referee are encouraged to consult with the officials for their opinions if there is question as to who the winner was. The following are some of the factors in a match that may influence this result:
a. Attempted take downs, moving forward, continuous movement
b. Partial positions: knee on belly, mount less then 3 seconds, partial guard pass or sweep.
c. Combination attacks, unforced transitions in position
d. Attempted technical submissions, sweeps, escapes, and hold techniques
V. Unconsciousness: The match will immediately end if one contestant by means of legal strangulation, smother, intense contact with the floor or opponent, extreme attrition, and/or accident loses consciousness: The conscious opponent shall be the winner. In the case of both parties loosing consciousness through legal means both competitors shall be revived and evaluated, if deemed to be healthy to fight the match will resume where it had left off. If one of the competitors cannot continue for any reason the other shall be the winner.
Responsibility of the referee:
a. Unconsciousness due to choke/strangulation: Stop the match immediately, separate opponents, turn the athlete face up in the supine position, loosen the gi around the collar, and elevate the legs above the heart. If the athlete does not regain consciousness within 10-15 seconds call for medical attention.
b. Unconsciousness due to a violent fall, throw, or cervical injury: Stop the match immediately, carefully separate athletes, call for medical attention, and do not move the injured athlete if cervical injury is suspected.
VI. Injury: should a competitor become injured, sick, or incapacitated during a match by means of legal techniques or natural occurrences and cannot continue the match the opponent shall be deemed the winner.
a. Should a competitor be injured as a result of an illegal technique and cannot continue the match he/she will be deemed the winner.
VII. No contest: in the event one of the competitors is not present for their match they will be called over the intercom 3 times and given no more than 5 minutes to arrive for their match before the match is deferred to their opponent. Competitors who do not show up for the semi-final and final matches shall not receive medal(s) unless serious injury has occurred.
VIII. Disqualification: the following fouls will be considered enough to warrant immediate disqualification from the tournament.
a. The use of abusive and/or foul language, cursing, or other lewd act of blatant disrespect directed towards any of the tournament personnel, competitors, and or spectators.
b. Biting, hair pulling, attacking the eyes, nose or mouth of one’s opponent, intentionally seeking to injure genitalia or the use of fists, feet, knees, elbows, or heads with the intention to hurt or gain unfair advantage.
c. The blatant use of intentional avoidance (running or pulling themselves into the safety and or danger area) while caught in a submission attempt by their opponent.
d. Fighting and/or engaging in illegal conduct within tournament venue.
e. Intentional non-compliance with Articles 13,14, and 15
f. The use of prohibited techniques.

ARTICLE 18 - REFEREE SIGNALS & DUTIES
I. The referee will be responsible for making all of the technical calls during a match including: awarding points, advantages, warnings, penalties, and if necessary disqualification of a competitor.
II. If the contestant(s) move into the danger zone while on their feet, the referee shall stop the contest for a brief moment to move them back into the center of the contest area. Match interruption shall not be signaled to the officials if the pause in the match is brief.
III. If the contestant(s) move into the danger zone while on the ground, the referee shall stop the contest, tell the competitors to hold their position and signal to the officials to stop the clock using the signal for match interruption. The contestants shall then be moved back into the center of the contest area to resume competing in the same position.
IV. The referee shall give one warning to all techniques incurring a penalty. It will be up to the referee discretion whether to immediately disqualify or give warning to an illegal and or dangerous technique.
V. The referee shall not award points or submissions for techniques performed outside the contest area. Points and or submissions will be legally earned only if the technique is started before reaching the danger area.
VI. For all signals made indicting scoring, the referee will raise his hand indicating the athlete receiving the points with his armband in accordance with the color of the athlete’s colored gi or indicating belt.
VII. The following tables shall specify competitor actions, points, and the official referee signals for each.

VIII. The following table shall indicate signals of communication not related to point scoring.

ARTICLE 19 - PROHIBITED TECHNIQUES
I. The following table shall indicate the techniques and the specific age divisions in which the technique will be deemed illegal. Use of illegal techniques will warrant immediate disqualification upon there use in competition.

ARTICLE 20 - EVENT PROTEST
I. A coach/instructor and or competitor shall have the right to contest lodge a complaint. The procedure to lodge such a complaint is as follows:
a. Notify the head ring captain who will discuss the issue with the Chairmen and Director. The Chairman will then make the final decision on the outcome of the complaint/protest.
b. This article is to prevent argument in the ring, any such arguments will warrant immediate disqualification and or removal from the event.

ARTICLE 21 - EVENT INTRODUCTION
I. The tournament will begin at 7:30 am with a brief review of the Tournament Rules and Regulations. It is highly recommended that competitors read the rules and regulations within this document carefully and identify questions they may have for the Tournament Chairmen and Ring Captains.
II. Competitors and spectators will be welcomed and the following people shall be acknowledged and introduced: the Chairmen, Director, Ring Captains, Referees, Score and Time Keepers, and distinguished guests.
III. The National Anthem will be played honoring the United State of America just prior to the commencement of the first Match.

ARTICLE 22 - START AND END OF CONTEST
I. Prior to the match each competitor must turn his official competition registration card to the scorers table.
II. Start: The match will begin with both competitors facing the scoring table; once the referee has differentiated the contestants to the scorer the referee will bring the competitors together so that they may shake hands. The competitors will then be separated and the referee with his arms completely extended and palms facing the competitors, will then bring both of his palms together, move backwards out of the way and verbally call “BEGIN”. The competitors shall only then start the contest.
III. End: The referee will separate the competitors and face them towards the scoring table, the arms of both the competitor will be held at the wrists, the arm of the competitor who has won the match will be raised, the competitors will then be led by the wrist the one another so that they may shake hands.
IV. Upon leaving the mat the winner must take back his official competition registration card so that in may be submitted back to the scorers table for the their next match or to the awards area if 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place is achieved.

ARTICLE 23 - TOURNAMENT BACKGROUND:
Jiu-jitsu by definition means the “gentle art”. Its practice can be traced back 2000 years and so is consider to be the most ancient of the martial arts. Its origin is first attributed to India, then China, then settled for many centuries in Japan were it was refined as a highly effective fighting system for the warrior class or Samurai. Like the advance military technology of today, jiu-jitsu was sworn to secrecy to protect national security. In the early days techniques must have been quite archaic but during a 300 year (16th to 17th Century) period, skilled Masters emerged. By the end of Feudal Japan Jiu-Jitsu had transformed from primarily a skill taught for warfare to a competitive sport and philosophy on how to live one’s life. This transformation was initiated by Jigoro Kana in the late 1800’s and the new art he had created was called Judo. Mitsuyo Maeda “Count Koma”, a judo world champion and one of the great Judo/Jiu-Jitsu practitioners of the time felt restricted by the rules and regulations set forth by the Kodokan (Judo’s Main Dojo) so he went on his own teaching and competing in a variety of competitive settings. Koma encouraged challenge matches with other martial arts and fighting styles including taking on wrestlers, boxers, judo, and karate fighters. Many of his matches were similar to the No Holds Barred fight we see today. After leaving Japan and traveling to Europe and many regions of South America, Koma settled in Manaus, Brazil were he taught Carlos Gracie the son of Gastao Gracie the art of Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Carlos then taught and trained with his brothers, the most notable being The Gracie brothers modified techniques taught to them by “Count Koma” to use more leverage and momentum and less strength and power. Through true combat situations including many challenge matches, ineffective techniques were removed and traditional techniques modified to develop what is now know as Gracie or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos and Helio Gracie have passed their knowledge to there many children, family members and close friends where the techniques of jiu-jitsu have continued to be improved and refined. One of the pioneers in the spread of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the United Stated is Master Relson Gracie. Relson Gracie is the second oldest son of Helio Gracie and a 9th Degree Red-Back Belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.