Kastriot "Georges" Mehdi (1934 – November 6, 2018) was a French-born Brazilian judoka, considered one of the most prominent practitioners of judo in Brazil. Biography Early career Born in Cannes, France, George originally came to Brazil on a vacation in 1949 and did not return. A trained judoka, he went to the jiu-jitsu school of Carlos Gracie, but left it after some time due to differences with the Gracie family. According to him, they taught very little throwing claiming that it was less useful than groundfighting, while Mehdi believed that they did so because they did not know how to throw. He also was uncomfortable with which he perceived as lack of honesty by the family, as they had been publicizing him as a French judo champion despite he was just a beginner. He then traveled to Japan to train in the Kodokan school in 1952. According to fellow Gracie student Armando Wriedt, Mehdi was fired for being "lazy and undisciplined". In one instance, he would have almost thrown a student off a staircase during a challenge. In another point of friction, Carlson Gracie injured him while training. Additionally, Mehdi would have moved to Japan, by suggestion of Mestre Sinhozinho's former student Rudolf Hermanny, in order to escape the death threat of several policemen he had a brawl with. Learning under all Japan champion and Kyuzo Mifune trainee Yasuichi Matsumoto, Mehdi trained for five years at the Tenri University in Nara, meeting names like world middleweight champion Isao Okano and the great Masahiko Kimura. He actually had already met Matsumoto in Brazil, where Yasuichi had seen him do judo while on a tour of the world. He provided Mehdi with tuition room and board and spending money for 5 years. Additionally Mehdi trained at the Kodokan and Chuo University. The training in Japan only lasted 6 months as George went to attend his sick mother. Georges spent a total of 10 years in Japan and taught Judo in a high school in Japan, probably the first non Japanese to do so. When he died Mehdi was a 9th dan in Judo. Competition Mehdi was referred to as the best judoka in Brazil, whom the Gracie family refused to face in judo competition. This was in 1942 after the loss of George Gracie to Euclydes Hatem, fearing that it might have a bad effect on their growing reputation. In 1951, Mehdi