Jiu-jitsu as most of us know it today began with the Gracie family in Brazil. In the 1990′s Rorion Gracie and his business partners created the UFC, which introduced the world outside Brazil to the Gracie style of jiu-jitsu. Since then, the large Gracie family has continued to actively spread jiu-jitsu across the globe.
Our very own Cohost Dan was wondering about the reach of the Gracie family directly within the jiu-jitsu community today. While jiu-jitsu has never been as popular as it is now, ours is still a very small community and the opportunity for jiu-jitsu practitioners to interact with popular and influential community members is available for many.
So how about you? Have you ever trained with any member of the Gracie family? If so, was it because a member of the Gracie family was or is your instructor or did you get the chance to learn jiu-jitsu from them in a seminar?
Let us know by voting in the poll and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this poll on our site!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I started at the main Roger Gracie Academy in London, although having said that, over the course of slightly over two years, I only got taught by Roger himself around 30 times.
I’ve also been taught by his dad, who I guess would count as part of the Gracie family by marriage. Then there was Carlson Jr at a seminar, but that was just the once.
The Gracie family is so enormous I would expect it is relatively common to have trained with a Gracie at least once. So, I’ll be interested to see if that is borne out by the poll results.
I’ve trained with Clark Gracie in seminar but that is it.
I trained with Kron for 4 1/2 years . I am still very impressed by the fact that the Gracies had nurtured and developed their style of jiujitsu over decades , and seeing today the young Generation being so knowledgeable . Respect
I have trained with them, through Gracie University LOL
I was lucky enough to train with Rolker at the academy in Rio
I voted “No” and then remembered that I went to a seminar with Carly (sp?) Gracie about 15 years ago.
@Jon: Cool – IIRC, Carley’s visit would have been one of the very first (if not the first) times BJJ was taught here in the UK?
I listened once to a Gracie Fields album ;o)
I currently train with Kron Gracie. Before that I trained a few different places. It’s like drinking spring water from the source as apposed to buying the bottled stuff at the market. It seemed the all the other places I trained before were just teaching me a bunch of moves that I tried to remember, but Kron teaches connection and leverage and all the fundamentals and principles that go into BJJ. Also, I’ve taken a few classes with Rickson and they teach the same except I think they both took it a little further then their father before them just because it’s an ever evolving sport.
I’ve done a seminar with the late GM Carlson…very technical and nice, and rolled with Robin in spain…. kicked my butt….. those experiences are gems of memories for life
Yes, fortunate enough to have trained on three separate occasions with Helio Gracie. I am a current student of Royler (and have been since beginning in 1996) and have also trained with, of course, Rolker (the true “man behind the scenes and successes” at Humaita) and Royce. To date, however, the best teaching I’ve ever seen or been privy too has come from David Adiv and Saulo Ribeiro.