10 Facts About Oswaldo Fadda

Oswaldo Baptista Fadda was a practitioner and developer of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, reaching the rank of "nono grau", a 9th degree red belt.

Oswaldo Fadda is known for being one of the highest ranked non-Gracie black belts and for teaching students from the poorer areas of Rio de Janeiro, where Brazilian jiu-jitsu was regarded as an upper-class sport.

Oswaldo Fadda was born in Bento Ribeiro, a suburb in the north of Rio de Janeiro to a family of immigrants from Ardauli, Sardinia.

Oswaldo Fadda had received his own black belt from Franca and soon started teaching jiu jitsu free of charge in unorthodox locations such as public parks and beaches, often without the aid of crash mats, aiming to spread the art of jiu-jitsu to the poorer folk.

Oswaldo Fadda saw jiu-jitsu as a way to help people with physical or mental disabilities, especially the city's numerous polio victims.

Also, Jose Guimaraes, one of Oswaldo Fadda's pupils, choked Gracie's "Leonidas" unconscious.

Oswaldo Fadda attained the rank of 9th degree red belt.

Oswaldo Fadda died of complications brought on by pneumonia on April 1,2005, at the age of 84.

Oswaldo Fadda's brother, Humberto Baptista Fadda, was a jiu-jitsu instructor and ran the Cascadura branch of the Academia Fadda.

The Oswaldo Fadda family is represented in today's jiu-jitsu by Master Helio Oswaldo Fadda.