Have you noticed that almost all Jiu Jitsu academies use the triangle as a logo?

For those who do not know the story behind it, here is a brief explanation and the origin of this symbol of Jiu-Jitsu! The Gracie Triangle is the most recognized symbol of the ancient Gracie Academy, where the brothers Carlos and Helio taught Jiu Jitsu. The triangle represents a firm and stable base that a practitioner of Jiu Jitsu should have, and their three sides represent the mind, body and spirit, the three components of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

According to Rickson Gracie, the triangle goes beyond the above symbolism:

“If you imagine a perfect triangle in three dimensions – in pyramid form – you can see how you can push it to either side, and it will always be stable. It regains its solid position every time. The application of this concept works that way. When you are mounted on your opponent and have three points of contact, he can move you around and you will easily find your third point again. No matter how or where he moves you, you will be able to find his third point of support “

The use of the triangle began thanks to this picture of Grand Master Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie in a demonstration of Jiu Jitsu, which was used on the cover of the first instructional Jiu Jitsu book, written by Carlos and published in 1948 by Pongetti. Notice how the body positioning of the two form a perfect triangle.

Written by Bruno Fugazza (Translated from Portuguese from the excellent Brazilian website BJJforum.com.br .

Read the original article in Portuguese