The Mitsuyo Maeda lineage

The line

Mitsuyo Maeda, the judoka who brought his art to Brazil in 1914, sits at the root of most recorded Brazilian jiu-jitsu lineages. His students in Belém included Carlos Gracie, and nearly every chain on this site eventually traces back through him.

Lineage follows black-belt promotions: links are checked against public sources where possible and shown as best-effort estimates everywhere else. Athletes train under many coaches — treat this as a map for exploring, not a certificate.