Vale Tudo

In Portuguese it means "anything goes" and it pretty much does. Vale Tudo is a Hand-to-Hand, No Holds Barred, (well not many) sport that started in Brazil during the 1920s.

In Vale Tudo different styles of Martial Arts were pitted against each other to see which was the best in a real fight. Carlos and Helio used these matches to test and perfect Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

In Brazil In the 1920S CIRCUS SIDESHOWS THAT FEATURED NO HOLDS BARRED FIGHTS WERE CALLED VALE TUDO, WHICH IN PORTUGESE MEANT ANYTHING GOES.

THE TERM "VALE TUDO" DID NOT BECOME POPULAR UNTIL 1959-1960 WHEN THE TELEVISION SHOW CALLED HERI'OS DO RINGUE(RING HEROES) FEATURED FIGHTERS OF DIFFERENT STYLES OF MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER WITH RULES SIMULAR TO THE EARLY UFCS.

IN ONE FIGHT A MAN NAMED JOAO ALBERTO BARRETO CAUGHT HIS OPPONENT IN AN ARMBAR. HIS OPPONENT REFUSED TO TAP OUT AND HIS ARM WAS BROKEN. SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE SHOW WAS CANCELLED.

"VALE TUDO" THEN BECAME AN UNDERGROUND SUB-CULTURE, WHERE FIGHTERS FROM ONE STYLE OF MARTIAL ART WOULD FIGHT AGAINST SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER STYLE OF MARTIAL ART. MOST OF THE FIGHTS WERE HELD IN DOJOS OR GYMNASIUMS OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER.

RIO DE JANIERO WAS THE CENTER FOR THESE UNDERGROUND FIGHTS, BUT THEY WERE TAKING PLACE ALL OVER BRAZIL.

BRAZILIANS LOVE TO FIGHT. IN BRAZIL IF 2 GUYS START TO GET INTO A FIGHT IN A BAR, NO ONE GOES TO BREAK IT UP, BYSTANDERS JUST MOVE CHAIRS AND TABLES OUT OF THE WAY TO GIVE THEM SOME ROOM TO FIGHT. AND SO VALE TUDO, FOR THE BRAZILLIANS BECAME A PART OF THEIR CULTURE.

IN RIO THE VALE TUDO FIGHTS WERE LARGELY GRACIE JJ VS. LUTA LIVRE. THESE 2 STYLES HAD AN INTENSE RIVALRY.

IN OTHER AREAS OF BRAZIL THE FIGHTS CONSISTED OF MORE DIVERSE STYLES OF M-AS PITTED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

RORIAN GRACIE, HELIO'S OLDEST SON WOULD MIGRATE TO THE U.S AND INTRODUCED VALE TUDO TO AMERICA.

HE CALLED THIS THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND IT FEATURED A FIGHTER FROM ONE STYLE OF M-AS AGAINST A FIGHTER FROM ANOTHER STYLE.

THE ONLY RULES WERE NO BITING AND NO EYE GOUGING.

RORIAN'S YOUNGER BROTHER ROYCE WON UFC 1-2 AND 4 AND WENT UNDEFEATED IN HIS FIRST 11 UFC FIGHTS.

RORIAN SOLD THE UFC AND NOW THERE ARE MORE RULES TO PROTECT THE FIGHTERS , BUT VALE TUDO THE ORIGINAL VERSION IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL IN BRAZIL.