Eddie Bravo-inspired contest giveaway courtesy of MMAmania.com and Roots of Fight!

Every so often someone is able to take a familiar idea and breathe new life into it to create something unique.

A decade ago, Eddie Bravo -- a relatively unknown Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast -- did exactly this when he began to experiment with his craft sans a gi in the late 1990s. By 2003, his tinkering led to innovation and to the prestigious Abu Dhabi tournament in Sao Paulo Brazil.

It was here that Bravo pulled off a shocking submission of the previously unbeaten Royler Gracie -- Son of Helio Gracie, the founder of modern-day jiu-jitsu. His forward-thinking derivative of jiu-jitsu was such a radical departure from the traditional art that it perplexed even the best-trained Gracie at the time.

In that same spirit, Roots of Fight today officially launched its "Bloodlines" line of apparel. This isn't your typical, Ed Hardy-wannabe mixed martial arts (MMA) retailer. On the contrary, Roots of Fight abandoned the predictable bedazzled gothic script, skulls and crossbones and focused its attention on the moments in combat sports that transcend the ordinary.

The "Bloodlines" collection provides a historical look back at combat sports. The company didn't just set out to to sell a whack of T-shirts, but rather build a brand with depth and complexity around visionaries such as Bravo, The Gracies, Bruce Lee and Muhammed Ali, among others.

It's a refreshing concept. And we're super excited to introduce you to the brand and also giveaway a few Bravo-inspired t-shirts to a few lucky Maniacs. Bravo-inspired t-shirts that are also autographed by none other than Mr. Bravo himself.

Check out complete Roots of Fight/MMAmania.com contest details in the extended entry, as well as watch a mini doc of Bravo v Gracie back in 2003 at the ADCC championships:

Why? Because we want you to focus on a company that has taken a traditional concept (MMA t-shirts) and taken it to an entirely new level, from the vision, to the subjects to the fabric quality, Roots of Fight is onto something special with its "Bloodlines" collection.

Anyway, all you need is a Twitter.com account to possibly win the Eddie Bravo-signed Roots of Fight t-shirt (see it here or below):

STEP ONE: Follow Roots of Fight on Twitter (@rootsoffight) if you don't already.

STEP TWO: Retweet its link to the Roots of Fight/MMAmania.com contest:

https://twitter.com/#!/rootsoffight/status/165132364274606080

That's it. One follow, one retweet, one chance to win a very cool signed Eddie Bravo t-shirt. Be sure to get your retweet out as soon as possible -- the contest ends at 3 p.m. ET on Sun., Feb. 5, 2012.

Bravo will actually be monitoring the retweets and will select the winners. How or who he'll choose, along with how many winners he selects, is unknown. Just like he was, relatively speaking, before that fateful afternoon in Sao Paulo.

To see what else Roots of Fight has in its impressive line-up click here. You will be blown away. As promised, the mini video doc of Bravo is below, as well as what you're playing for, his designer Roots of Fight t-shirt, which retails for just $35 (you can simply purchase it here right now if you don't want to participate in the contest).

"Eddie Bravo - No Gi Jiu-Jitsu revolutionary. In 2003, as a brown belt, he choked out legendary grappler Royler Gracie in the quarterfinals of the ADCC championships in San Paulo Brazil."