It's hard to believe that the great Jaime Bravo grew up very poor, in Mexico City, initially making his living performing as a circus aerialist (a "trapezista").

A very late start in the art of toreo, it wasn't until Jaime was in his early twenties that he took his first step towards his future as a matador.

Determined, but with no money to his name, Jaime stowed away on a cargo ship, headed towards Spain... to the sacred cradle of bullfighting.

Truly a self-made man, and unlike the other great matadors, Jaime did not learn the art of toreo from a mentor (an established matador)... nor did he learn from a bullfighting school... Amazingly and incredibly enough, Jaime taught himself.

It wasn't until Jaime was already an accomplished matador, and finally back in Mexico, that Mexico's greatest matador and rejoneador, Carlos ""El Ciclón" Arruza, bonded with Jaime and provided some guidance.

Ironically enough, however, both Carlos Arruza's and Jaime Bravo's lives were tragically cut short in automobile accidents. Arruza died on May 20, 1966, and Bravo died on February 2, 1970.