Master Paquetá at one of the countless Jiu-Jitsu champions he witnessed up close / Photo by Junior Samurai
The Jiu-Jitsu world today mourns a great loss. Osvaldo Paquetá has passed away. The black belt, who succumbed to a heart attack, leaves this life as one of the most charismatic personalities the gentle-art world has ever known.
A close friend of the late Carlson Gracie, Paquetá always made a point of not just witnessing major events in Brazil and around the world, but recording them on video and photo. With his camera always in hand, he watched nearly all the greatest aces arise on the mats and make history in competition Jiu-Jitsu.
Paquetá had been having serious health problems since last year, when he was taken to the emergency room and underwent catheterization. And not even under such duress did Jiu-Jitsu leave his side. “A lot of the doctors here know me from Jiu-Jitsu. It’s impressive how many Jiu-Jitsu people there are everywhere,” said Paquetá at the time.
To remember some of Paquetá’s moments here on GRACIEMAG.com, click here, here and here.
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