Rickson Gracie Speaks
With his seminars in Brazil, Rickson Gracie looks to reinvent the sport of jujitsu. He talks about improving his style with his experience. Since living in the United States, he has learned more techniques and is adapting them to his teachings in Brazil. His goal is to help maintain Brazilian dominance within the sport of jujitsu, thus he continually looks to develop his style. A key point that is passed on to his students is to understand that jujitsu is a tool that can be improved; consequently it requires continual learning. (Watch out for the next generation of Gracie’s as Kron Gracie begins to make his own impact on the sport).
Gracie believes the art of jujitsu is so multi-faceted that it can be manipulated to fit the necessities of each student. In seminars, he assesses each student individually and teaches them jujitsu accordingly. That is to say that it is not solely about punching or flipping your opponent, rather it is about strengthening yourself to be a complete individual. For instance, if one is very shy and timid, Gracie would select particular technical exercises to help motivate that individual. On the other hand if a student seems to possess an ‘uncontrolled’ personality, there are aspects of jujitsu that can help focus that student. It is because of these factors that Gracie suggests that the idea of dualism is apparent in his method of jujitsu.
There seems to be an emphasis on the phrase “ser um guerreiro da paz” meaning to be a warrior of peace. According to Gracie, a warrior of peace means to use jujitsu to prevent conflict. This ideology is one that he believes is as important as a warm up drill. There is a misconception that is attached to the sport of jujitsu and MMA. Unfortunately many believe that the sport only attracts brutes; this could not be further from the truth. Gracie is a great advocate of removing the negative connotations that the sport carries, whether it be jujitsu or MMA. He believes jujitsu should not be used as a tool of intimidation, but instead to help calm the soul and avoid confrontation; this is something he constantly reinforces in his seminars (o guerreiro da paz).
With the dawning of the UFC, audiences witnessed a tournament that pitted discipline versus discipline. This challenge was nothing new for the Gracie family as they had been defending their name and style for years (In Brazil) prior to the emergence of the UFC. It was after Royce Gracie’s dominance in the early days of the promotion, that people from other martial arts disciplines began to take jujitsu seriously. Rickson Gracie states that jujitsu has always been seen as something spectacular by martial artists all over the world. He goes on to say that the so called ‘enemies’ of jujitsu, (i.e boxers, sambo fights, judo practitioners etc) began to learn and incorporate its elements for their own benefit. Essentially everyone wanted to learn the craft regardless of their martial arts background.
Gracie makes an interesting point as he says that in MMA, the purest form of jujitsu no longer exists. Similar to the early days of the UFC, jujitsu practitioners are now borrowing aspects from other disciplines to strengthen their arsenal. Although Gracie doesn’t entirely disagree with this method; he is still of the opinion that it is not necessary, as he states that jujitsu is strongest in its pure form.
Current UFC interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira is referenced in Gracie’s critique of contemporary jujitsu in the UFC. Gracie considers Nogueira one of the best in the sport, with much attribution to his ground game. He also states that a fighter as skilled and talented as Nogueira, should not endure so many strikes in the standup game. Gracie joking says that if he were to take some of the vicious strikes Nogueira has endured, he would be out like a light. Gracie references Nogueira’s battle with Tim Sylvia (UFC 81), as he says that Nogueira took too many shots to the head before taking Sylvia out of his element (to the ground). The suggested idea is that Nogueira should stick closer to the original principles of jujitsu and finish the fight without injuring himself. It is in this aspect, that Gracie believes the holes lie, in the Champion’s game. Although he puts Nogueira over, the main question he poses is why take unnecessary punishment when you know you have the skills to finish the fight on the ground. This is an instruction he continually presents to all his students, but especially to his son Kron. Gracie reveals that he would prefer to see his son remain in jujitsu competitions and exit them in good health, rather than engage in the stand up boxing game and exiting on a stretcher. This is yet another testament to the safety of jujitsu over boxing (one can also make the argument for MMA versus boxing).
Apart from fighting, Rickson Gracie is content with his life in Brazil, as he teaches seminars and finds time to enjoy his life. Post fighting career, Gracie now indulges in surfing and jokes about the surfing challenge, as he ranks himself a purple belt due to his refusal to perform, “those fancy tricks on the waves, I prefer to just ride them out.” He remains very appreciative of all the opportunities given to him while living in the United States. He says that without those opportunities, he would not enjoy the quality of life he has today.
Recently Gracie made another appearance on the silver screen in the film, The Hulk. He tells us that he took on the project to educate and inform the masses about the art of jujitsu. We see his signature breathing techniques in this film; and as important as they are to the narrative, Gracie states that this is something people can apply in their own lives (taken from reel life to real life). This project has allowed him to promote some of his philosophies to the general public. It is through these types of projects, Gracie wishes to spread his preferred form of martial arts, now that he feels his professional fighting career is dwindling.
On a final thought, Gracie talks about the possibility of one last fight. He sustains his belief in the active spirit, as he does not view age as a limit, but rather an experience. To this day he maintains the same mind set in regards to a fight, that being, respect and some nervousness, but always prepared to either win or lose. Gracie feels that he has nothing left to prove and would only fight to secure a comfortable lifestyle for his family. Considering his record and the contributions he has made to jujitsu and combat sports, one must agree that this is a fair assessment. That being said, he claims that if he were to accept one last fight, he would have to be offered the absolute highest payoff. He upholds the fact that he will always be a fighter, and finishes the discussion by stating, “I’d fight again, but only if some crazy promoter wants to pay me what I’m looking for.”
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