"The Count"

Last Tuesday we honored the death of the founder of JJ and the man responsible for teaching what later evolved into Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Mitsuyo Maeda also known has Count Koma was born on the 18^th of November 1878, in the city of Hirosaki, Japan. Maeda who got his nickname "Count Koma" in the period when he lived in Spain, started teaching Carlos Gracie, son of Gastão Gracie, in the first decade of the turn of the century, who then later taught his brothers. Helio Gracie, arguably one of the biggest names in the Jiu-jitsu world, only learned the “Gentle Art” years later, as he was considered too young and fragile to learn Jiu-jitsu.

Checkout this great video, a homage to Count Koma, who is considered by many to be the father of our great sport.