Bad Boy (brand)
Bad Boy is an American alternative sport and lifestyle brand. They are notable for their presence in both fashion and performance equipment.
About
Bad Boy provides action sport and combat sport athletes with performance products and apparel. They first began producing T-shirts and shorts for local surfers, skaters and motocross riders in San Diego, CA in the early eighties. In the nineties Bad Boy launched a combat sports line, starting with their sponsorship of Rickson Gracie, son of the legendary founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Helio Gracie, for a seminar that he was giving in Rio de Janeiro. The seminar made the cover story in a national magazine and the cover photo featured Rickson wearing a Bad Boy gi. As Jiu Jitsu continued to grow in Brazil, Bad Boy continued to sponsor both the Gracies and Jiu Jitsu tournaments.
Other martial art academies in Brazil, most notably Luta Livre, took notice of the success and popularity of Jiu Jitsu and a war of words began, wherein Jiu Jitsu was denounced as a fad and not as effective as was publicized. In order to settle the debate, the first Mixed Martial Arts tournaments, then called Vale Tudo, sprung up throughout Brazil and Bad Boy was first in line to support the sport.
