Book by mikele baugh

Raised on the Streets of Brazil

Mikele Baugh

Dedication To everyone who allowed me to take their picture....Sorry again about the flash.

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Table of Contents Preface...................................................................................7 Introduction..........................................................................9 Chapter 1...............................................................................11 Chapter 2...............................................................................15 Chapter 3...............................................................................19 Conclusion.............................................................................23 Work Cited.............................................................................25 Author Bio..............................................................................27 5

Preface A quick confession before we begin: I chose to research this topic not because it was one of my own passions, but because it was one of my father’s. I wanted to challenge myself and open my mind to new experiences I wouldn’t normally consider. Well, I can now tell you without a doubt that that is exactly what happened, though not necessarily in the ways that I had anticipated.

On top of my usual writer’s block and mild social anxiety, I found myself weighed down by my health. These culminated into a challenge I had to face on multiple fronts. But in the end, I feel I am all the better for it.

I now have a better understanding of one of my father’s favorite ways to exercise. I discovered aspects of it that are compelling and interesting to me. This was a good reminder to me that I should be open to learning new things about everyone’s interests because you never know what you might learn.

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ou face an opponent, renowned for their tact and skill. Each move they make is backed by the years of experience— they’ve spent learning and practicing the proper application for each of their moves. They are aggressive, every move is filled with confidence. You, on the other hand, your strengths lie with subtlety. You may give the appearance of defeat, when in reality you are exactly where you want to be.

This is how you find a way to victory from a position that, for most, would spell utter defeat.

In the end, you have whittled away your opponent’s options. You have left them with only checkmate.

The final blow is struck and your opponent admits defeat.

Though this series of events might sound like a conventional chess game, in truth it is a game of a different variety. This description is of a martial

Introduction art, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Given the choice between two opponents, the average person is most likely to expect that the larger, stronger competitor to win. They view the individual who would throw the strongest punches and land the hardest kicks as the automatic victor. But to be successful in any fight, you need more than just size and strength. Anyone can punch and kick, but what most people fail to realize are the limited scenarios in which those are effective, or even viable options. Fights we see in the mixed martial arts (MMA) or boxing matches exist in heavily regulated and controlled environments and between extremely specialized athletes.

In reality, most fights are far from those we are fed by popular media. They are not always an upright flourish of hits and kicks; in fact, “from a self-defense standpoint most fights will go to the ground” (Marques 5).

As a result of popular culture, the common perception of an undefeatable fighter is one that fights upright and offensively—landing blow after blow, but such is not always the case. In fact, the opposite might be much closer to the truth. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a self-defense style that employs few, if any, striking moves, has proven to be one of the most successful fighting forms. A BJJ practitioner knows that for his opponent “There are ... many ways to lose a fight” (Schorn 3).

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s unique combination of practicality, use of leverage, patience, chess-like strategy, defense, and offense were unlike anything most people had ever seen. People saw what they had not seen in other martial arts—decisive effectiveness.

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Chapter 1

hroughout time and across cultures, societies have developed various forms of martial arts. The Ancient Greeks practiced Pankration, a fighting form founded in wrestling and boxing techniques. Japan has Karate, which is a striking art, and Israel practices Krav Maga, a relatively new art form that borrows aspects from martial art forms from around the world. Each society, without fail, has come to include some form of hand-to-hand combat, and we are no exception.

Martial art forms and combative skills from the four corners of the earth are practiced across the world— no longer exclusive to their native region. Despite this diversity, some arts moved further into the mainstream of society than others.

Prior to MMA, boxing was the undisputed top combat sport in the United States and still remains one of the most popular. Around the 1960’s and 1970’s, martial arts, such as Karate and Kung Fu, became increasingly popularized through popular culture. This included movies, like Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon, TV, like Kung Fu, and comic books, such as Marvel’s Iron Fist.

With the favor that these sports and martial arts are shown, it comes as no surprise that those would be the martial arts dramatized in film and television. As a result of this media exposure, their popularity grew, creating a perpetual cycle that had a tendency to be exclusive.

Take a look at the list. One doesn’t have to examine it too closely to see similarities between the different fighting forms. They are all striking arts.

A striking art, or a “hard” art, is a simple classification; it describes martial art forms that use strikes, such as punches, kicks, and etc., as its primary techniques. This is opposed to a grappling art, also known as a “gentle or soft” art, which employs other techniques including ground fighting and submission holds.

As audiences following martial arts and combative sports continued to grow, people began to wonder, which is the best?

In the early 1990s, and immigrant from Brazil would help stage a contest that would help answer that question. While the contest itself was shocking and brutal, the answer of which martial art was the best was 11

even more astounding. Author Bryan Hogeveen recounts the events: Nourished on a steady diet of boxing and Bruce Lee films, North American fighting audiences were convinced that effective fighting technique involved flashy strikes delivered from a standing position. On 12 November 1993 the Gracie family effectively turned traditional self-defense and fighting wisdom on its head when Royce took his opponents, most much larger than himself, down to the mats and forced them to submit using a combination of chokeholds and joint locks (Hogeveen 82).

All conventional knowledge of martial arts was forever changed. No longer were striking arts king; they had been overthrown by the underdog. Grappling arts now are free to share the full capacity of their technique and philosophies.

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t is early in the 1920s, and Japanese diplomat Mitsuyo Maeda is working to promote Japanese colonization in the country of Brazil. His search for connections in the country would lead him to one man: Gastao Gracie. It is because of this man that Maeda’s ultimate legacy would not be one of Japanese imperialism, but of the creation of a new martial art.

Before we can fully understand the full impact of Maeda’s career, one much understand his origin. Maeda trained under a man by the name of Jigoro Kano.

Kano studied classical JiuJitsu at a time when it was losing practitioners.

He eventually developed a style of training that would exercise not only a student’s

Chapter 2 physical agility, but mental agility as well. Randori, or “live sparring,” requires participants to apply a technique on an opponent who is simultaneously resisting at full strength and attempting to enact his own technique. To maintain a level of “safety,” techniques were narrowed down to a limited selection of joint locks. Consequently, pupils became increasingly adept at performing technique at full force in a multitude of real combat scenarios.

To differentiate his new method from classical Jiu-Jitsu, Kano dubbed his martial art Judo.

It was in this very art that Maeda became a top student.

Maeda was a major proponent of Judo, especially as an Olympic Sport. He spent many years

traveling across North, Central, and South America and spent time in England and Spain. All the while, he participated in professional fights and instructed individuals in the ways of his martial art, which he returned to calling Jiu-Jitsu.

It was on a return trip to Brazil where Maeda became involved in the Japanese colonization effort.

During his time there, he worked to gain political connections through the help of a local man: Gastao Gracie.

Gastao Gracie’s eldest son, Carlos, became one of Maeda’s students. Though he would only study with Maeda for a short time, that period would incite the creation of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – better known today as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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Carlos went on to share what he learned with his three brothers. It was his youngest brother, Helio, who refined the technique into what it is today.

From a young age, Helio struggled with consistently poor health. That, combined with his slight build, made practicing the art incredibly difficult. So Helio did the most sensible thing he could with his situation: he abandoned traditional Jiu-Jitsu and altered the technique. Instead of being dependent on strength 16

and speed, its technique relies on principles of leverage and timing.

The result of these changes was a martial art that could be practiced by anyone, regardless of physical size or strength.

Helio’s physical necessity began this process of figuring out what works and throwing out what doesn’t, but the Gracie family never settled for “good enough.”

The brothers went on to have large families, with many of their children taking on learning the art that their fathers created.

“they would go out and find the toughest guys they could, and practice their techniques to make sure that they would work with real people” -Bradley Baugh

They took the art to streets of Brazil, into real world scenarios. In real fights, with real people, they found out what worked, what needed to be changed, and what lacked value in a serious encounter. The experience of countless years, multiple generations, and a strong foundation all culminated into the modern martial art form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Practitioner Bradley Baugh recalls the stories that his first teacher, Pedro Sauer (an eighth degree coral belt), would tell;

want to see if I can get out of it.’

And so they would go out and find the toughest guys they could, and practice their techniques to make sure that they would work with real people” (Baugh).

And they did work with real people. They worked so well that they brought continued successes to the Gracie family. But once again, they didn’t settle for good enough. They wanted to spread the skills they had developed. In the end, the Gracie family brought their craft to the United States, to the front and center of the fighting scene.

They would literally go around at lunch time to the big construction workers who were at lunch and pay them twenty bucks and say ‘put me in a headlock as hard as you can, and I just 17

D

Chapter 3 UFC

been proven to be an excellent means

competition, Brazilian Jiu-

of exercise, good-old recreational fun,

practitioner doesn’t need to worry about

Jitsu was thrust into the

and of course self-defense, but when

being struck by his opponent, he may

mainstream, quickly becoming one of the

participants learn with the sole intent to

attempt a move to gain points that would

fastest growing martial arts. Even now it

engage in the sport for tournaments, that

leave him vulnerable to attack in a self-

only continues to grow in its popularity

opens up a new issue.

defense situation. Not only does focusing

throughout the world.

One of the main issues with sport

only on sport Jiu-Jitsu techniques, rather

To many this means that there

Jiu-Jitsu is that it focuses on techniques

than self-defense, create potentially bad

will be no end to it anytime soon, but for

for use in a very constrained environment

habits, it also may fail to teach some of the

others it means a change that leaves the

that is unlike the uncertain situations that

important mental aspects of Jiu-Jitsu.

martial art half as effective as it could be.

you might find in a real world fight. Sport

With its growing popularity has

Jiu-Jitsu has weight class, time limits,

in the original self-defense version of

come not only a larger number of active

skill rankings, and most importantly, set

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was the ability to learn

practitioners, but also a growth in the

rules that limit what competitors can do.

to be calm in uncomfortable situations so

factions of the sport. From where there

These set rules include such things as no

that you could ultimately prevail. Rickson

had only been those training to learn its

striking and no use of specific moves that

Gracie, well known as one of the best

self defense benefits now come those who

could induce serious injury (e.g. spine

Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the world and son

learn it for an altogether different reason:

locks). While important for protecting

of Helio Gracie, has been advocating

sport.

the safety of the competitors, they divorce

the importance of keeping the core self-

sport Jiu-Jitsu from real world self-

defense principles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,

defense situations.

whether sport practitioner or not.

ue

to

that

fateful

There is no reason that anyone

shouldn’t practice it for sport. It has

Because

a

sport

Jiu-Jitsu

One of the key lessons that existed

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I feel like there is a need to regain the idea of how important … it is to apply the whole spectrum of the art. If you are not comfortable dealing with someone who is 50 pounds heavier than you, then something is wrong. If you are not comfortable fighting longer [than just a few minutes], then something is wrong. So [a person] should develop the natural ability to be resilient, to be invincible. That is my theory behind [Jiu-Jitsu].

[It is not about just focusing on preparing to fight a specific opponent]. It is about never allowing yourself to lose a fight. So, if you change that perspective, you change the whole approach.

You fight so you don’t get tired. You fight so you don’t waste energy. You fight so you don’t make mistakes. And, you fight to take advantage of opportunities. So, you fight differently— and become much more prepared for life. … So my idea is to prepare everyone to feel comfortable, without limitations.

Keeping yourself open to accept life as it is and adapt. If you have to stay [in a bad position] and feel comfortable and resist and survive for an hour and then in 10 seconds you turn things over and win—that’s the rule—let’s [teach] that. [This] is more like living the way life gives you. In that sense, you are learning techniques to apply in life. Otherwise, you don’t have the same elements to feed your soul and become a better, bigger person (Gracie).

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When Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu first debuted in the United States, it was renowned for its practicality in different situations against different attackers. As it morphed for entertainment purposes, such as recreation and MMA, it began to lose not only aspects that made it so effective, but pieces of its very soul. While mainstream adoption in the form of sport Jiu-Jitsu and MMA has helped to contribute to its growth both in popularity and in techniques, it is critical that Jiu-Jitsu does not lose its soul.

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B

Conclusion

orn in Japan, but raised in the rough streets of Brazil, Jiu-Jitsu was altered by the Gracie family into something distinctive: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Taking a very analytic approach to conflict, they developed skill sets that were very technical, strategic, versatile, and effective. So disruptive was their innovative approach, it had a significant impact in the world of combat sports that is still felt today. While its effect to the world of combat sports is notable, its influence on a student who internalizes its philosophy yields a much more significant result. As Renzo Gracie noted, “‘People would see a lot of times fighting as a ugly thing, as a thing that denigrates the human being. In reality, you see fighting on everything...Everything’s fighting. Doesn’t matter what it is. You wake up in the morning, to get outta bed is a fight, believe it...So, fighting is actually the best thing a man can have in his soul’ ” (Schorn 3).

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Works Cited

Baugh, Mikele, and Alan “Gumby” Marques. “Follow-Up Personal Interview.” 1 Apr. 2017.

Baugh, Mikele, and Alan “Gumby” Marques. “Personal Interview.” 22 Feb. 2017.

Baugh, Mikele, and Bradley Baugh. “Personal Interview.” 11 Apr. 2017.

Baugh, Mikele, and William Dias. “Personal Interview.” 21 Mar. 2017.

Golin, Larry. Choke. Manga Entertainment, 1999, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjvzJO-6ESc. Accessed 22 Apr. 2017.

“Gracie One of the Greats with Ali Bradman Maradona Et Al.” The Telegraph Online, 2009. Student Resources in Context, link.galegroup.

com/apps/doc/A311643093/SUIC?u=los42754&xid=2f5ee7a6. Accessed 2017.

Gracie, Renzo, et al. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique. Montpelier, VT, Invisible Cities, 2001.

Gracie, Rickson, and Hywel Teague. “How Rickson Gracie Feels about Modern BJJ, and Why We Should Learn ‘Invisible’ BJJ.” YouTube, BJJ

Hacks TV, 18 July 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=e81X9R5yw_Y.

“Guide to the UFC; The Ultimate Fighting Championships’ First Fight Night Took Place 19 Years Ago in Denver, US, a One-off Event

Pitching Different Martial Artists against Each Other. Could a Karate Expert Defeat a Wrestler or a Judo Fighter? Would the Skills of

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Overcome a Wrestling Specialist or a Boxer? The One-off Event Was a Hit, and Spawned New Contests, Develo

ping into the Sport of Mixed Martial Arts - Known as MMA.” The Telegraph Online, 2012. Student Resources in Context, link.gale

group.com/apps/doc/A292396464/SUIC?u=los42754&xid=fc00f2ed. Accessed 2017.

Hogeveen, Bryan. “It Is About Your Body Recognizing the Move and Automatically Doing It: Merleau-Ponty, Habit and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

Fighting Scholars: Habitus and Ethnographies of Martial Arts and Combat Sports, Anthem Press, London, 2014, pp. 79–93.

Lee, Matthew. “Martial Arts in Media.” Jiayoo Wushu, Jiayoo Wushu, 3 July 2014, jiayoowushu.com/martial-arts-media/. Accessed 1 May

2017.

Miller, Matthew. “Ultimate Cash Machine.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 Apr. 2008, www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0505/080.html. Ac

cessed 22 Apr. 2017.

Ron Horton. “UFC/Mixed Martial Arts.” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Gale, Detroit, 2013. Student Resources in Context,link.

galegroup.com/apps/doc/MHSJIV248558783/SUIC?u=los42754&xid=b2c1c66f. Accessed 2017.

Schorn, Daniel. “Mixed Martial Arts: A New Kind Of Fight.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 29 July 2007, www.cbsnews.com/news/mixed-

martial-arts-a-new-kind-of-fight/3/. Accessed 2 May 2017.

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Author Bio

Mikele Baugh is a Junior at Freestyle Academy. She studies Digital Media. She enjoys reading books. Now she can say she has created one.

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