Our Lineage: From Carlson Gracie to Baton Rouge
In Jiu Jitsu, your lineage is your family tree. Every black belt is tied to the coach who promoted them, and that coach is tied to the one before. At JM Modern Jiu Jitsu, our line goes straight back to one of the most important figures in martial arts history. Here are the men who carried it to us.
Carlson Gracie
1932 to 2006 | The Warrior of the Gracie Family
"If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions."
Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1932. He was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, the founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Carlson grew up on the mats, and he became the family's fighter.
His most famous fights came against Valdemar Santana. In 1955 Santana beat Carlson's uncle, Hélio Gracie, in a marathon match. Carlson answered by beating Santana and restoring the family's honor, and the two went on to meet four times. Across 18 vale tudo fights, Carlson lost only once.
Carlson changed how Jiu Jitsu was taught. He believed in hard conditioning, pressure, live training, and learning from wrestling and Judo. His academy in Copacabana was open to anyone willing to work, and it became the toughest room in Brazil. For decades the Carlson Gracie Team dominated competition. His students include Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Wallid Ismail, André Pederneiras, and Vitor Belfort. They went on to build some of the biggest names in MMA, including Brazilian Top Team, American Top Team, Nova União, and Black House.
Carlson later moved to Chicago, where he taught until he died in 2006. His philosophy fit in one line:
"Always enter like a kitten and leave like a lion. But never enter like a lion and leave like a kitten."
Carlson Gracie
Rodrigo Medeiros
Carlson's Champion, San Diego's Professor
"Mats are your classroom, so be a student forever."
Rodrigo Medeiros
Rodrigo Medeiros was born in Rio de Janeiro. He started Judo at age 5 and Jiu Jitsu at 12, training directly under Carlson Gracie. He came up in Carlson's elite competition team, the same room that was producing world champions and MMA pioneers. He earned his black belt from Carlson in 1996.
Rodrigo built a huge competition record. He won five straight Brazilian titles from 1991 to 1995, multiple Pan American championships, US Open and US National titles, and two World Masters championships. By his own count he has competed in more than 120 tournaments.
In 1996 Rodrigo brought Carlson's Jiu Jitsu to California. He settled in San Diego in 2000 and founded BJJ Revolution Team, which has grown into an international association with members across the United States, Brazil, and Europe. He now holds a 6th degree black belt and has spent more than three decades bringing Jiu Jitsu to thousands of students around the world. He sees Jiu Jitsu as more than a sport:
"BJJ is a lifestyle that makes our community a better place to live."
Rodrigo Medeiros
Tim Credeur
Louisiana's Fighter
"I'm gonna keep on doing it until the wheels fall off."
Tim Credeur
Tim "Crazy" Credeur is from Lafayette, Louisiana. He started martial arts as a teenager and earned his Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Medeiros. He also holds a black belt in Judo.
Tim made his name on the national stage on The Ultimate Fighter Season 7. He submitted his way to the semifinals and went on to fight in the UFC. His pro record was 12 wins and 4 losses, including a guillotine choke win over Nick Catone.
His biggest impact has been as a coach. Through Gladiators Academy, Tim built one of the best fight rooms in the South and was featured in the documentary Fightville. He coached UFC star Dustin Poirier, helping develop one of the most exciting fighters of his generation. Like Rodrigo, Tim has had an illustrious career and has brought Jiu Jitsu to thousands of people across the United States. He brought the Carlson Gracie line to Louisiana, with the same blue collar toughness and the belief that the mat builds better people.
"Always go forward. Always spring the trap. Everyone's tough in the first two minutes."
Josh Mancuso
Josh Mancuso started training in 2006, when he walked into the original Gladiators Academy in Baton Rouge and found Tim Credeur. Seven years later, in 2013, he earned his black belt from Tim Credeur and Rodrigo Medeiros together. They promoted him in Brazil at the famous Nova Geração Academy in Rio de Janeiro, the same city where Carlson Gracie built his legacy. Josh now holds three degrees on his black belt, with his fourth coming in 2027.
On the mats, Josh has piled up more accolades than we can list. The standouts are multiple IBJJF gold medals won on several continents around the world and here at home in the United States. He also competed in amateur MMA and finished with a perfect record.
Josh has trained alongside Dustin Poirier since Dustin was a white belt and has worked in his corner for UFC fights.
In 2016 Josh founded JM Modern Jiu Jitsu in Baton Rouge. He built it on the same things Carlson stood for: real techniques, live training, cross training in wrestling, Judo, and Sambo, and a room where anyone willing to work is welcome. He has promoted more than 40 black belts and expects to reach about 46 by the end of 2026. Today Josh teaches adults and kids from their very first class, carrying a lineage that runs from Copacabana to San Diego to Louisiana to Baton Rouge.
