By Aaron Cordy
GRACIE Jiu-Jitsu Shepparton began as a backyard setup run by Scott and Elizabeth Butler, opening in Kialla in 2015, before relocating to Knight Street, Shepparton in 2018. But the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which Scott shares a small part in, runs much deeper.
Jiu-Jitsu was introduced to the Gracie family in Brazil by judoka prize fighter Mitsuyo Maeda in 1915. In 1925, Hélio Gracie opened the first Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro. The centenary celebration will be held on Saturday, October 25, in Rio de Janeiro.
the centenary celebration this Saturday, October 25, in Rio de Janeiro. Scott has been instilling confidence, self-defence and discipline to children and adults in town for 10 years. Pictured is Scott after flipping a student Liam Groves. Photo: Aaron Cordy
Hélio’s eldest son, Rorion Gracie, introduced the discipline to the world when he moved to California in 1978, where he worked as an extra in movies and television. In 1993, he teamed with promoter and business executive Art Davie in the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Scott was and still trains in Karate. Sparring with a jiu-jitsu fighter in 2008, he was quickly pinned and knew he needed to learn more about jiu-jitsu.
“I came up against a jiu-jitsu guy, and he said, ‘You’re pretty good standing, but how are you on the ground?’ I said, ‘I’m good on the ground. I can fight.’ I was a third dan black belt at that stage,” said Scott.
“He pinned me down on the ground. I couldn’t move. I needed to learn something to get out of the fight, because if I got stuck in the bottom of the fight, someone’s going to ground and pound me. I need to be able to know what to do. So I started taking jiu-jitsu lessons.”
Scott soon began training with Gracie University in Melbourne and working through a series of Gracie instructional videos, which led him to travel to California and begin training at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
Ryron and Rener Gracie are Scott’s trainers in California, where he has travelled many times. Through them, he is invited to the 100-year celebration in Rio de Janeiro, where 20 Gracie Black belts will share the matter.
Locally, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu offers Something for everyone, with classes for children as young as five-year-olds, women-only self-defence, adult beginners and masters.
“I’ve had the pleasure of training with a lot of established guys in jiu-jitsu and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. My coaches have opened a lot of doors with famous USC fighters, Hollywood stars, things like that. It’s quite a niche, tight little world, but it’s a big world when you get in it,” said Scott
