Vale tudo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vale-tudo (Portuguese for anything goes) describes competitions in unarmed combat having minimal rules,[1] especially mixed martial arts competitions. It is sometimes considered a combat sport[2] and style of fighting[3] in itself.
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[edit] History
In Brazil, the term vale tudo was first associated with booth fighting done in Brazilian circuses during the 1920s. Examples of such bouts were described in the Japanese-American Courier on October 4, 1928:[4]
One report from São Paulo declares that Jiu Jitsu is truly an art and that in an interesting exhibition in the side tent to the big circus a Bahian negro of monstrous dimensions met his waterloo at the hands of a diminutive Japanese wrestler. The negro was an expert at Capoeira, an old South American style of fighting, but after putting the Japanese on his back and trying to kick his head... the little oriental by the use of a Jiu Jitsu hold threw the Bahian and after a short struggle he was found sitting on the silent frame of the massive opponent.
However, this circus term did not enter popular use until 1959-1960, when it was used to describe the style-versus-style bouts featured in a Rio television show called Heróis do Ringue (Ring-Heroes). The matchmakers and hosts of the show included members of the Gracie family, and the participants were all legitimate practitioners of their styles. One night, João Alberto Barreto (later a referee for UFC 1) was competing against a man trained in Luta Livre. Barreto caught his opponent in an armbar. The wrestler refused to tap out. Barreto applied more pressure, and the opponent's arm broke, audibly, leaving an exposed fracture. Television audiences were shocked. Consequently, this show was soon replaced by another show, Telecatch, that featured more theatrical contests. Heroes of Telecatch included the Argentinan Ted Boy Marino. [5]
[edit] In popular culture
- Vale Tudo is the name of a 2006 feature movie by director Alexander Pickl. Produced by Oliver Jahr and Gabor Harrach, it tells the stories of underground fighters in Miami.
- Craig Marduk, a character playable in video games Tekken 4 and Tekken 5, is a practitioner of Vale Tudo. Vanessa Lewis, a character playable in Virtua Fighter 4 and Virtua Fighter 5, is another practicioner.
- Nightwolf, a character playable in Mortal Kombat video games, is a practitioner of Vale Tudo (though it appears spelt as "Val Tudo" in Armageddon).
[edit] References
- ^ European Vale Tudo. About European Vale Tudo. www.europeanvaletudo.com. URL last accessed on April 28, 2006.
- ^ Walter, Donald F. Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal?. grapplearts.com. URL last accessed on April 28, 2006.
- ^ Wrobel, Pedro. Renato "Babalu" Sobral Interview. www.sherdog.com. URL last accessed on April 28, 2006.
- ^ The original reference was probably "Jiu Jitsu," Time, September 24, 1928.[1]
- ^ Kakuto Striking Spirit. http://www.judoinfo.com/helio.htm Helio Gracie reveals the true story behind his epic battle with Masahiko Kimura. www.judoinfo.com. URL last accessed on April 28, 2006.
