Article by: Marcelo Alonso (in collaboration with Guilherme Cruz, Eduardo Ferreira, and Erik Englehart)    Photos by: Marcelo Alonso & The Gracie Family

After over 80 years devoted to Jiu-Jitsu, the man who revolutionized the Martial Arts concept around the world has passed away.

On October 1st, 2008, family and friends gathered to celebrate the birthday of Hélio Gracie. Though he was turning 95 years old, Hélio took center stage and delivered a heartfelt speech to those in attendance detailing his storied life, and thanking them for taking the time to celebrate with him. Following the party the general consensus among guests was that Hélio had never looked better, and not only would they be returning the following year to help celebrate his 96th birthday, they would also return years from now to mark his 100th birthday.