Oswaldo Fadda (15th of
January 1921 until 1st of April 2005) was one of the greatest figures in Jiu
Jitsu History. Not comming from a Gracie lineage, Fadda reached the “nono grau”
(9th Dan) – Red Belt in BJJ, the greatest honour a non Gracie can ever achieve,
he was also the first instructor to take Jiu Jitsu to the poor(er) comunities
living in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro were only the rich practiced the
sport.
Oswaldo Fadda Details
Full Name: Oswaldo Baptista Fadda
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Luis França > Oswaldo
Fadda
Favourite Technique: His
school was famous for using footlocks
Association/Team: Academia
FADDA
Oswaldo Fadda Biography
Oswaldo Fadda was born in
Bento Ribeiro a City in the State of Rio de Janeiro on the 15th of January
1921. Fadda started training in 1937 after he joined the Brazilian Marines. His
training began with Luis França one of Mitsuyo Maeda’s students that earned his
belt at the same time Carlos Gracie was taught Jiu Jitsu. Oswaldo Fadda
received his Black Belt from the hands of his instructor (França) in 1942 and
soon started giving Jiu Jitsu classes in his home town on the outskirts of Rio
de Janeiro. Always trying to promote the BJJ way of life through discipline and
honour, he would often do demonstrations in public squares, beaches, favelas
(slums), ouside churches and even circuses and church patios.
On the 27th of January 1950
Oswaldo was abble to finally open his very own academy fully dedicated to Jiu
Jitsu, but he was always seen as an outcast by the Gracie’s who failed to see
the potential of a BJJ team in the suburbs. In 1951 Fadda issued a challenge to
the Gracie Academy. He issued the contest through the Media stating in the
Globo journal: “We wish to challenge the Gracies, we respect them like the
formidable adversaries they are but we do not fear them. We have 20 pupils
ready for the dispute.” Helio gracie accepted to have his students face
Fadda’s. The event took place in the Gracie Academy and Fadda’s team won,
making better use of their footlock knowledge, something the Gracie’s lacked
and frowned uppon ever since, calling it “suburban technique” (Tecnica de
Suburbano). The highlight of the competition was when Fadda’s pupil “José
Guimarães” choked Gracie’s “Leonidas” to sleep.
The event had good media
coverage, which had a double effect. While the victories gave Oswaldo’s team
notoriety (and more students) it also brought the interest of all the hardman
of the nearby cities who would often come over to the academy to issue
challenges to Fadda and his students. The occurence gained such proportions
that Fadda decided to make a weekly event in which all challengers could
compete against his students in a closed door environment. For many years,
these fights took place and it is said that never did Jiu Jitsu lose a fight.
Oswaldo Fadda spent the rest
of his days in his hometown of Bento Ribeiro, like the humble man he was, with
his students and his family. With age he started suffering from Alzheimer’s
desease struggling with the illness for years. He finally succumbed to
bacterial pneumonia in 1st April 2005, he was 84 years old.
