The Best of New Times

Read it in acrobat format

Many Jiu-Jitsu School claim some connection to the Gracie family, a legendary clan of Brazilians fighters whose unique martial art style continues to reign supreme in famous no-holds-barred confrontations, such as the Ultimate fighting Championship (UFC).  But south Florida has only one school with official accreditation from Helio Gracie himself, founder of the sport and father of the entire family of world-class fighters.  Brazilian jiu-jitsu mix of judo with simple and effective ground grappling proves incredibly effective against large opponents.  Small, soft-spoken instructor Pedro Valente, who was a student of Helio Gracie, makes his point painfully clear.  At first glance he is unlikely to inspire fear in an opponent, yet his submission holds can bring down any once-aggressive rival. Valente's method of strategic conquest, while certainly not easy, is a lot less strenuous than, say, pumping iron.   And for what?  Beefcake, beware:  think twice before picking on some little guy. He just might have been trained in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Ouch!