Luta Livre
Brazilian wrestling without a kimono by Euclydes Hatem, finished by a lock or a choke. It is contested in three forms: esportiva, combate and vale tudo.
Quick Facts
BrazilCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Comparisons
Catalogs & Databases for Luta Livre
About Luta Livre
Luta livre is a Brazilian grappling art without the kimono, in which the opponent is overcome only by holds and the bout ends with a joint lock on the arm or leg, a choke, or is decided on points for throws and dominant position. The founder is considered to be Euclydes Hatem, known as Tatu (1914–1984), originally a catch wrestler, who created the style in Rio de Janeiro from a mixture of catch wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling and judo groundwork. Catch-as-catch-can arrived in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century as luta livre americana, “free” wrestling without prohibited holds.
Read more
The sources describe Hatem’s beginnings differently: according to one version he began at the age of fourteen at the Associação Cristã de Moços in Rio with Orlando Americo da Silva, known as Dudú, who also taught George and Hélio Gracie, according to the other in 1930 with Manoel Rufino dos Santos. We have not found the year the art arose in the sources. In 1942 (the sources also give 1940) Hatem defeated George Gracie in Porto Alegre, according to some sources by a choke from behind in the second round, according to others by an americana lock. The bout with Hélio Gracie did not take place, because Gracie insisted on the kimono and Hatem refused. Luta livre has three competitive forms: esportiva with holds only and without strikes, combate with open-hand strikes and kicks on the ground and vale tudo with strikes both standing and on the ground. The theory of grappling was formulated in the seventies by the university professor Roberto Leitão (1937–2020), a holder of the 10th degree, and alongside his branch stands the branch of the Brunocilla brothers, Hatem’s students. Esportiva is governed by the Confederação Brasileira de Luta Livre Esportiva, founded in 2017. In Manaus tournaments were held under the name Campeonato Mundial de Luta Livre, for example in 2017 and 2025, but we have not found official rules of esportiva. The rivalry with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu went through a series of challenges and in 1991 jiu-jitsu won all three bouts that took place at the Desafio tournament, which was broadcast by Rede Globo. Luta livre survives mainly in Rio de Janeiro and in Manaus, in Europe it is known above all in Germany. A luta livre black belt is held, among others, by Renato Sobral, Pedro Rizzo and José Aldo.
History
Luta livre grew in Rio de Janeiro out of catch-as-catch-can, which arrived in Brazil in the early 20th century as luta livre americana, wrestling without forbidden holds. Its founder is Euclydes Hatem, known as Tatu (1914–1984), originally a catch wrestling competitor, who added Greco-Roman wrestling and judo groundwork to it. We have not found the year the art was founded. Sources describe Hatem’s beginnings differently. According to one version he began at 14 in the Associação Cristã de Moços under Orlando Americo da Silva, called Dudú, who also taught George and Hélio Gracie, according to another in 1930 under Manoel Rufino dos Santos. In 1931 the latter wrestled Carlos Gracie and most newspapers judged him the winner. In 1942, according to other sources 1940, Hatem defeated George Gracie in Porto Alegre. Sources give the finish differently, a choke from behind in the 2nd round, or an americana armlock.
Technique
Luta livre has three forms. In esportiva the opponent is overcome with grips only, punches and kicks are forbidden, and victory comes by finishing with an arm or leg lock, a choke, or on points for throws and dominant position. Combate allows open-hand strikes and kicks on the ground, vale tudo allows punches both standing and on the ground. According to accounts of the style’s history, luta livre worked with leg locks, which Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu largely ignored at the time, and the no-gi form of BJJ was strongly influenced by its techniques and strategies. We have not found whether the competition rules of esportiva permit all leg locks. At UFC 7 (1995) Marco Ruas defeated Larry Cureton with a heel hook. Ruas trained luta livre under Roberto Leitão, but at the tournament he was billed as a representative of his own style, Ruas Vale Tudo.
Ranks and progression
According to the Rio de Janeiro state federation (Federação de Luta Livre Submission do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), luta livre has seven belt colors. Beginners wear white, yellow and orange, the intermediate level blue, advanced practitioners purple, brown and black. The documented peak is the 10th degree black belt, held by Roberto Leitão (1937–2020). We have not found minimum times between belts, children’s grades, or who awards belts at the CBLLE level.
Competition
Esportiva is governed by the Confederação Brasileira de Luta Livre Esportiva (CBLLE), founded in 2017. We have not been able to document official rules with point values, the length of a bout and a list of prohibited techniques.
Read more
Tournaments are held mainly in Rio de Janeiro and in Manaus. In 1996 Totonho Aleixo from Amazonas won the Brasileiro de Luta Livre in Rio, and we have not found the organiser of the tournament. In Manaus a tournament under the name Campeonato Mundial de Luta Livre took place on 23 August 2017, organised by the Federação Amazonense de Submission (Fasub), with categories from juvenil to máster, and another on 13 July 2025, where children also competed in the category Infantil A. The competitive history of luta livre also consists of challenges against jiu-jitsu. In 1968 Euclides Pereira defeated Carlson Gracie on points. In 1988 Rickson Gracie defeated Hugo Duarte on the beach Praia do Pepê and again in a rematch in the car park of the Gracie Humaitá academy. The challenge from 1991, organised by Robson Gracie and broadcast by Rede Globo, was first announced under grappling rules and then changed to vale tudo. Of five planned bouts three took place and jiu-jitsu won all of them, among others Wallid Ismail over Eugênio Tadeu. The bout of Renzo Gracie with Tadeu at the tournament Pentagon Combat in 1997 ended in a riot of spectators and a result of No Contest, after which vale tudo was banned in Rio de Janeiro.
Gear
Both esportiva and combate are practiced without a kimono, but practitioners may wear a belt. We have not found information on shorts, rash guards and protective gear. The absence of the kimono has accompanied luta livre from the beginning. The style was seen as wrestling of poor boys without money for a kimono, popular in the favelas, and the rivalry with jiu-jitsu was often framed as a class difference. When Hélio Gracie insisted on a match with Hatem in a kimono, Hatem refused and the match did not take place. For the rematch with Takeo Yano in 1937 the rules prescribed a judogi for Hatem.
Philosophy
Sources connect the intellectual foundation of luta livre with Roberto Leitão (1937–2020), a university professor and holder of the 10th degree black belt. In the seventies he formulated the “Theory of Grappling” and is the author of the article “The 10 Principles of Grappling”. We have not been able to document the content of either text. Besides Leitão, the style was strongly influenced in the seventies by Hatem’s students Fausto and Carlos Brunocilla. Following the two lineages, luta livre is still divided into the Leitão (Budokan) branch and the Brunocilla branch.
Today
Luta livre survives mainly in Rio de Janeiro and in Manaus, which is partly attributed to the lack of central leadership. Esportiva was spread in Manaus by Hatem’s students, the brothers Fausto and Carlos Brunocilla, and the first Manaus academy was led by Carlos Brunocilla. In Europe luta livre is known above all in Germany, thanks to Daniel D’Dane, president of the Federação de Luta Livre Submission in Rio de Janeiro. A luta livre black belt from Marco Ruas is held by Renato Sobral, Pedro Rizzo (4th dan) and José Aldo, who is at the same time a holder of a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.