RIO DE JANEIRO — Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie began a martial arts dynasty that lasted 100 years and Oct. 25 marked the day to have a good time that story.
When Rorion Gracie’s first-born Ryron heard a cousin say she had by no means met a very good variety of family members, he realized one thing needed to be completed. The 12 months 2025 was symbolic for the clan because it marked the a hundredth anniversary of the primary Gracie academy, situated at Marques de Abrantes road in Copacabana, and the timing was excellent for a historic occasion.
“I referred to as some Gracies — many I had by no means even spoken to — and so they all embraced the concept from the beginning,” Ryron mentioned. “However I didn’t name anybody over 55. I began with the youthful era, round my age. Once I had 10 or 15 in, I already knew this could occur sometime.”
Practically 1,000 jiu-jitsu practitioners packed a conference middle throughout from sunny Barra da Tijuca seashore on Sunday morning, a sea of white gis and coloured belts — from contemporary whites to seasoned red-belt legends — desirous to study from icons of two totally different generations the household.
Royce, Renzo, Ralph and Daniel shared the mats with Roger, Kyra and youthful Gracies to show practically 700 grappling aficionados.
“I’m impressed with what’s being constructed round jiu-jitsu,” Renzo mentioned. “I keep in mind coaching with 10 individuals at Rolles’s academy. Then at Gracie Barra, with typically eight, typically seven on the mats. And seeing what it’s change into as we speak, that is reaching the place my dream all the time was.”
Roger, one of many all-time biggest jiu-jitsu gamers and a former ONE Championship titleholder, turned emotional witnessing historical past being made at a “turning level” of the historical past of the household.
“Way back to I can keep in mind, I’ve by no means seen our household gathered in such numbers,” Roger mentioned. “The household was close-knit in Rio up to now, the primary and second generations. Everybody’s unfold out all over the world since my era. To reunite everybody like this — households have issues, individuals combat, so it’s lovely to see everybody placing that apart to have a good time 100 years collectively.”
“I feel this marks a turning level,” he continued. “It’s proof that the third era is overcoming the problems of the second. We’ve managed to convey everybody collectively. That’s particular. Household is household.”
Rivals from previous and current put their variations apart — even when just for a day — to be a part of the once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
“The good factor is that there’s no rivalry as we speak,” Robson Jr. mentioned. “Individuals from rival groups are all sitting collectively right here. That’s what issues most to me, the jiu-jitsu group. Wherever you go and say you practice jiu-jitsu, and the group embraces you. That’s because of the teachings from Carlos, Helio, Carlson and the era who constructed this sturdy basis.”
So much has modified over a full century of martial arts. Again when younger Carlos and Helio taught in Copacabana, ladies weren’t allowed on the mat. It took many years till names like Kyra might battle by and open doorways for a era to come back.
“I feel I introduced a small department to encourage extra ladies, on this nice jiu-jitsu tree, as the primary feminine black belt within the household,” Kyra mentioned. “There are others doing lovely work as we speak, instructing. My purpose is that increasingly more ladies can use jiu-jitsu as a transformative device, which is so vital for ladies.”
“100 years in the past, they already believed jiu-jitsu would conquer the world — and other people referred to as them loopy again then,” she added. “At present, we stroll the trail they envisioned because of their resilience. It conjures up me deeply. I really feel a lot honor, gratitude, and duty to hold it ahead.”
Her legacy continues with different ladies within the household like Cesalina, who leads a venture with the “non-negotiable mission“ to assist empower 1000’s of younger ladies by martial arts. Impressed by Kyra and studying from start that “jiu-jitsu teaches us that there are infinite prospects, that we’ve the facility to decide on our path,” she embraces the problem to maintain that legacy rising.
“It’s a reminder that we characterize one thing larger than the person,” mentioned Cesalina, who obtained a black belt in the course of the seminar. “On the similar time, it’s an honor to know that the instruments that remodeled our lives have impacted so many others. It’s a second of celebration greater than something, and a recommitment to hold on for the following 100 years. It’s price pausing to replicate on every thing that’s been constructed and the way we are able to increase that optimistic affect much more.”
UFC, jiu-jitsu and the White Home
Rorion moved to america with the purpose to introduce his household’s martial arts program to a broader viewers, and it will definitely led to the creation of the Final Combating Championship, the place his brother Royce displayed Gracie jiu-jitsu’s dominance towards representatives from different fight sports activities.
Greater than three many years later, they see the UFC as soon as once more embrace grappling by UFC BJJ.
And although the Gracies have a good time grapplers having a brand new platform with which to compete and earn a residing, they don’t see it as being as vital for the expansion of jiu-jitsu as the unique UFC occasion in 1993.
“The UFC launched jiu-jitsu to the world in 1993,” Rener mentioned. “UFC BJJ is only a enterprise transfer to capitalize a bit extra on jiu-jitsu’s success.”
“What karate and taekwondo as soon as had been, jiu-jitsu has change into,” he continued. “It’s in every single place on the earth now. Children begin at three, and women and men practice into their 80s and 90s. It’s one thing anybody can do, and it adjustments lives.”
Ryron echoes that, including that the UFC is aware of “the world is coaching jiu-jitsu, and so they’re utilizing that to make the UFC stronger.”
For Igor, the long run is even brighter for the artwork — and UFC’s involvement “will solely convey extra publicity and shine a lightweight on jiu-jitsu and convey it into individuals’s houses.”
“I imagine lower than one p.c of the world’s inhabitants trains jiu-jitsu so there’s nonetheless a lot room to develop,” Igor mentioned. “Not everybody desires to coach MMA or get punched within the face. … Realistically talking, jiu-jitsu is by far the very best martial artwork. No bodily exercise brings as many advantages to youngsters and adults alike. It transcends age and boundaries. You practice on your psychological and bodily well being. It’s wonderful to see the magnitude jiu-jitsu is reaching worldwide.”
Igor’s brother Rolles was one of many many who competed in MMA, getting into the UFC octagon as soon as and competing for the KSW heavyweight title throughout his 8-4 professional profession. He thinks “it’s nice to see that the highest athletes don’t must transition to MMA anymore,” as a result of “they will already make a residing from jiu-jitsu.”
Vale Tudo occasions, comparable to UFC and PRIDE, had been vital instruments utilized by the Gracies to indicate how versatile jiu-jitsu was towards boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers, and mainly each different athlete. As the game of jiu-jitsu developed right into a extra skilled system over the previous few years, with precise money prize for winners and champions, they now not see fist-fighting as a wanted path — although Royce nonetheless calls jiu-jitsu “the backbone of MMA.”
“You didn’t have many choices again within the day,” mentioned Gregor, one of many few Gracies to compete in Bellator. “Jiu-jitsu wasn’t as in style, and as soon as somebody obtained their black belt, they needed to transfer to Vale Tudo. However that’s now not the case. So many jiu-jitsu athletes can dwell solely off jiu-jitsu as we speak by instructing seminars, getting sponsorships, with tournaments and occasions that pay effectively. I’m actually blissful about that. Whoever does the transition does it out of real need, not out of obligation or necessity.”
Robson Jr. additionally fought in Bellator — and nonetheless leaves the door open for extra fights at age 36 — and celebrates that jiu-jitsu may be referred to as a professional sport as we speak.
“It’s wonderful that now somebody is usually a full-time athlete and never have to modify to MMA,” Robson Jr. mentioned. “Jiu-jitsu athletes are lastly getting the popularity they deserve not simply as fighters, however as athletes who rework lives. This professionalization is simply the tip of the iceberg. They deserve way more for the lives modified by jiu-jitsu.”
Rayron, son of late PRIDE veteran Ryan, is seen as probably the most promising abilities of his era. Quickly to show 24, he has an entire totally different perspective with regards to jiu-jitsu.
“Previously, victory meant proving jiu-jitsu was essentially the most environment friendly martial artwork, and that’s already been confirmed many instances,” Rayron mentioned. “Now we see there’s now not a must show it, it’s written in historical past. Our sense of victory is evolving. It’s now not about successful a match or proving superiority, however about private improvement.”
A multiple-time IBJJF champion in coloured belts and a bronze medal winner on the 2024 IBJJF European as a black belt, Rayron flirted with the concept of diving into MMA earlier than in the end deciding towards it.
“I did [think about it]. So much,” Rayron mentioned. “However as soon as I understood that shift in objective, that there was now not a must defend jiu-jitsu in MMA, I made a decision to dedicate myself to this new perspective. I’ll hold preventing however in different methods, by different paths. I’m fortunate to have so many individuals in my household who’ve achieved nice issues. I might see the ultimate results of a lifetime of dedication and battle. I actually noticed their footsteps. That contact with relations from all walks of life gave me this new sense of victory.”
With 1000’s of Gracie faculties unfold everywhere in the world, the long run appears promising for the way forward for jiu-jitsu. Its significance in combined martial arts will doubtless by no means finish as fighters with no floor talent have a restricted arsenal contained in the octagon.
A world phenomenon now beneath Dana White, Gracie’s invention is about to make historical past yet one more time by touchdown the octagon on the White Home garden for a UFC occasion tentatively scheduled for June 2026.
“I hope to be there,” mentioned UFC pioneer Royce, who mentions Brazilian record-breaker Charles Oliveira as one in every of his favourite to look at as we speak.
“He’s on hearth. The child’s good,” he mentioned.
“All of that is the fruit of jiu-jitsu,” Renzo mentioned of UFC’s present success. “We, the Gracies, we don’t personal jiu-jitsu — we’re the guardians of the protect. Our job is to guard and move it on. I would like future generations to recollect us.”
It’s been a century into the legacy of Gracie jiu-jitsu, but it surely actually feels even longer for some.
“It’s unimaginable,” Renzo mentioned. “Individuals measure time by the clock, however I don’t. I dwell 100 years in a single, so a 12 months from now I’ll be celebrating 100 years once more [laughs]. That’s the distinction. That is only the start, the primary 100 years. Jiu-jitsu got here to remain. That is the beginning of eternity.”
