Mihaly Sztraka is credited as the founder of organized Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Hungary. After training in the United States with Chris Brennan around the year 2000 and establishing the first ground-fighting-based MMA team in Hungary, he was introduced through a student in London to Wilson 'Junior' Cretaro, the Carlson Gracie brown (later black) belt who founded Carlson Gracie London. From this connection Carlson Gracie Hungary was established in 2002. Sztraka was subsequently promoted to black belt by Wilson Junior in Budapest and holds a 1st-degree black belt in the Carlson Gracie lineage. Under his leadership Carlson Gracie Hungary grew to include multiple affiliate schools (Pecs, and others) and produced a stable of black belts and European-level competitors including Gabor Fodor and Ferenc Pajor.