On Monday, August 12th, a statue was unveiled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil of grandmaster Carlson Gracie. The statue is an homage to his contributions to the community in the Copacabana neighborhood where Carlson’s legendary academy was located.

Carlson Gracie Jr with his mother, Carlson's wife Marly 

Carlson Gracie was one of the pioneers of jiu-jitsu as both a fighter and a coach. He held the rank of ninth degree red belt at the time of his passing. As a coach he produced many of the best athletes in the 90’s and early 2000’s including Vitor Belfort, Mario Sperry, Ricardo Liborio, Murilo Bustmante, Amaury Bitetti and Wallid Ismail.

Ricardo de la Riva, Rodrigo Totti and Carlson Gracie Jr

The statue is located on Figueiredo Magalhaes in Copacabana, directly in front of the Siqueira Campos subway station and a short distance from his original academy. The fingers on the statue are spread apart so the "secret" Carlson Gracie team handshake can be performed with the statue. 

Carlson’s wife Marly and son Carlson Jr were present at the unveiling, along with his younger brothers Robson and Reyson Gracie along with many of his former students. The statue was created by Edgar Duvivier.

“The statue is proof that the Carlson Gracie legacy will last forever,” said Carlson Gracie Jr. “It was a very emotional moment for me, I’m very happy for this dream to finally come true,” said Marly Gracie. 

In attendance were jiu-jitsu luminaries such as Ricardo Arona, Ricardo de la Riva, Fernando Pinduka, Sergio Mallandro and more. 

Photos courtesy of Ilan Pellenberg Instagram: @ilanpellenberg