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News and Exclusive Interviews with MMAyou Interviews Rorion Gracie Discusses the Gracie Past, Hughes vs Royce, and More
News and Exclusive Interviews with MMAyou Interviews Rorion Gracie Discusses the Gracie Past, Hughes vs Royce, and More
| Rorion Gracie Discusses the Gracie Past, Hughes vs Royce, and More |
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MMAyou.com: First, how are you doing? Gracie: He was it! There is a lot to learn from him MMAyou.com: What are some of your fondest memories of growing up in Brazil? Gracie: Growing up in Brazil was fun. Being part of the Gracie was family was a blessing, not only for the jiu-jitsu we learned but also for the opportunity to learn about the Gracie Diet, which I consider as important as, if not more important than jiu-jitsu itself. MMAyou.com: Nice, it sounds great. In regards to yours and Rickson's notion that a successful mma fighter only needs to be proficient at Gracie Jiu Jitsu: Why do you think Royce trained stand up at Fairtex for his fight against Matt Hughes? Gracie: I don't know, ask him. MMAyou.com: Good answer (both laugh). MMAyou.com: Speaking of Hughes vs Royce, what do you think went wrong with that fight? What do you think Royce should have done differently? Gracie: I did not see the fight. What Royce could have done differently I don't know, but what I know is Matt Hughes did everything right. If you look at the Gracie Jiu Jitsu In Action DVDs, Matt Hughes' performance is textbook by Gracie Jiu Jitsu standards. MMAyou.com: Do you ever consider starting a new no holds barred promotion with rules that you like now? Gracie: Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind but it takes more then just me thinking about it. There are other factors that have to play a part in it and the time has not come yet. MMAyou.com: Will your two oldest sons compete in mixed martial arts? Gracie: Yes, I think they will eventually if the circumstances are right. MMAyou.com: In a recent interview with MMAyou.com, Cesar Gracie said the following when asked who was the creator of Gracie Jiu Jitsu: "Carlos was the founder of Gracie Jiu-jitsu. He was Helio's teacher and mentor. In Brazil this is common knowledge. When Helio's son Rorion came to America he tried to re-invent history for his own agenda. What Gracie Jiu-jitsu is today is a result of many Gracies such as Rolls, Rickson, Renzo, myself, etc.. Carlos was always refining the techniques so we have followed in his footsteps. " What do you have to say about that? Gracie: The Gracie family is a very large family. Everybody is part of Gracie Jiu Jitsu's expansion, although some have had a more successful career than others. My uncle Carlos whom I loved and respected was the spiritual leader of the family and the manager of his brothers. He was also the first Gracie to learn the Japanese version of jiu-jitsu. He had a few professional fights but according to the thousands of newspaper clippings that we have here at the Gracie Museum, the last one of Uncle Carlos' matches happened when he was in his late twenties. What places us in the early 1930's when all the news papers would start writing about seventeen year old Helio Gracie, who's fighting career lasted for twenty-five years! Furthermore, it is a known fact, at least by those in the family who learned about the Gracie Diet and who have the wisdom to follow it, that uncle Carlos was a self taught nutritionist who spent sixty-five years of his life dedicated to the intricacies of food combining. Anyone with a little bit of common sense will realize that - one does not wake up one morning, create a style of martial art, do it for a couple of years and then retire to go spend sixty-five years doing something else! Uncle Carlos' unique contribution to mankind was the Gracie Diet, which was his passion and how he will be remembered, period! My father, on the other hand, at ninety-four years old, would not miss the opportunity to step on the mat to help an individual that may be doing a technique incorrectly. That is all he thinks about! He is the embodiment of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. MMAyou.com: Do you think Rigan Machado is one of the all time great Jiu Jitsu competitors? Gracie: Yes, Rigan Machado was a great competitor in Jiu Jitsu in his days. MMAyou.com: What is your opinion of BJ Penn and what do you think makes him so good? Mixed martial arts have changed a lot since I created the UFC in 1993. I do not like the current rules so I don't watch the events. I really couldn't tell you who is good or who is better. It is no longer a comparison of styles but instead a comparison of athletes. The guy who wins today, can lose tomorrow, it depends on who is stronger in better shape, faster, more explosive, etc. Time limit is a drag - it diminishes the importance of good technique. MMAyou.com: You're probably going to tell me to go ask him but do you think Rickson will compete in MMA again? Gracie: You have to ask him. (both laughing). To get a virtual tour of the new Gracie Academy visit: www.GracieAcademy.com
For a complete list of our past interviews please visit: http://mmayou.com/index.php?view=category&id=37%3Afighters&option=com_content&Itemid=88
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Hits: 4982 Comments (5)
  written by Eddie, April 30, 2008
what a shitty interview.....learnt nothing new....just bullshit beating around the bush.......
written by kyu, April 30, 2008
ditto that, nothing new, why bother to interview gracies, when they're are beat, it was because someone was using their style, whatever, hughes demolished royce with farm boy jitsu.
written by RNCommando, April 30, 2008
Agreed crap interview says he didnt see the fight how the fuck does he know Hughes used gracie jitsu ha ha bullshit. MMA has long surpassed just needing Gracie ju jitsu.
written by Ray, April 30, 2008
I have lots of respect for the Gracie family. Unfortunately some of its members always invent silly excuses when they lose. They are the greatest family in MMA but they haven't developed as fast as MMA because of their pride and narrow mentality of some of its members.
written by Zeke123, May 02, 2008
Rorion and the Gracie's are great a self promotion but I dont
mind it, probably because they have done so much for martial arts. But I know enough of judo/jiu-jitsu and having lived in Japan for a few years that I always smile when the family says that 'Gracie learned the Japanese version of jiu-jitsu. I've studied both for years and know enough of the history that I know who Mitsuyo Maeda (Gracie's teacher) was and in Japan, my sensei (who takes great pride being born Aomori Prefecture like Maeda) and he gave me an explanation that others seemed to go for. We all know that Maeda was one of Jigoro Kano's finest student and a judo ambassador for the Kodokan. He basically took judo techniques and pared them down to a simpler, more effective methods which were meant to exploitg what he observed were the weaknesses of wrestling and boxing (he fought over 2000 fights aroudn the world). Maeda is quoted as saying in his own autobiography that he took elements from taryu shiai judo (a formalized ritual between schools) and trimed it down to the most effective for the kind of no rules combat he was doing. Dont forget pre-WWII Judo had body locks and leg locks, weird choking techniques that were shelved because they werent legal for judo contests judo, which also evolved slowly over the years. That's why people believe that because they know present day judo and figure it was the same 100 years ago. Even the great Kimura who fought Helio Gracie said that the brazilian reminded him of earlier judo methods that were used before. Its ok, I dont mind them re-inventing their own myth, that how history is (Joe Weider, the bodybuilding and fitness czar makes it seem like he invented everything in weigh training). The winner gets to decide how history will be written. The Gracie's are a great family dedicated to martial arts, let them. Write comment
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