Carlson Gracie Senior was born August 13th in the 1930s and was the first born son of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie and his first wife, Carmen. Carlson was immersed and excelled at the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu from his infancy. Learning from his father and his uncle Helio, Carlson participated in his first Martial Arts competition at the age of five!

Carlson became an avid competitor as he grew older. He won the first official Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Rio de Janeiro: The Campeonato Carioca de Jiu-Jitsu.

Carlson honed his fighting skills against people who challenged the Gracie Academy. He also tested his skills in other ways. When he wanted to refine a move, he’d go down to a beach in Rio. The first true test of his fighting prowess on a large stage came in 1955. Carlson catapulted to fame at the age of 23 when he avenged the defeat of his uncle Helio Gracie.

After teaching at his uncle's academy for several years, he opened his own, where over the past thirty years many of the greatest names in Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Artists have trained as members of the famed Carlson Gracie Arrebentacao Team.

Carlson's influence on no-holds-barred fighting is extensive as well, for the style of Jiu-Jitsu he taught at his academy. Carlson favored a much more active, 'warrior style' of Jiu-Jitsu that encouraged physical prowess and barraging your opponent with a series of attacks.

At the time of his death in 2006 he was a ninth degree red belt and was referred to as Grandmaster.