Hélio Gracie (Portuguese: ; October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009) was a Brazilian martial artist who, together with his brother Carlos Gracie, founded the martial art of Gracie jiu-jitsu, also known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. According to Rorion Gracie, his father Hélio is one of the first sports heroes in Brazilian history; he was named Man of the Year in 1997 by the American martial arts publication Black Belt magazine. A patriarch of the Gracie family, he was the father of Rickson, Royler, Royce, Relson, and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder Rorion Gracie, among other sons and daughters.
Gracie was born on October 1, 1913, in Belém do Pará, Brazil. A very athletic boy, he trained in rowing and swimming from his childhood, and had his first contact in martial arts at 16, when he started training judo (at that time commonly referred to as "Kano Jiu-jitsu" or simply "Jiu-Jitsu"), with his brothers Carlos and George. He also learned catch wrestling under the renowned Orlando Americo "Dudú" da Silva, who also taught his brothers for a time.