Martial Arts, Brazilian-Style

If you thought "Spaghetti Western" seemed like an odd pairing, consider this: "Brazilian jiujitsu." The rich and varied culture of Brazil has met the venerable fighting style of Japan--and the result is a burgeoning martial-arts craze in the U.S. Academies that teach Brazilian jiujitsu, rare a few years ago, now number more than 250 nationwide. Renzo and Royler Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory and Technique is Amazon's No. 1 martial-arts book. And as with any true trend, celebrities are getting in on the act: Nicolas Cage and Ed O'Neill (Married ... With Children's Al Bundy) are among its newest converts.

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