News

Odeen Domingo
The Arizona Republic

Royce Gracie, whose father and uncles founded Brazilian jujitsu, is known as "The Godfather of Mixed Martial Arts."

Gracie was handpicked by his brother, Rorion, to fight in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 because a then 26-year-old Gracie didn't look like much at a slight 175 pounds. Gracie would go on to defeat opponents outweighing him by at least 20 pounds to win three of the first four UFC titles.

Gracie, now 41, is still fighting, but he has also dedicated his life to teaching Gracie jujitsu. He has held fight seminars with the FBI, CIA, the Secret Service, the Army Rangers, the Navy Seals and several sheriff's and police departments.

Gracie has several affiliated academies teaching Gracie ju-jitsu around the country and the world. One such academy is The Lab, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in June, in Glendale.

The Arizona Legislature passed a bill in April allowing the state to host fighting events like UFC later this year.

In his first one-on-one interview in four years, Gracie sat with The Republic recently to talk about MMA, it's history and it's future.

Question: How do you think the sport has grown since the early 1990s?

Answer: "In the beginning . . . it was a style against a style. It was a boxer . . . against a taekwondo fighter. It was a wrestler . . . against a judo fighter. So we proved that my style, the Gracie jujitsu style, was the best style out there. It was an eye-opener. It was shocking for everybody.

"Today, everybody is cross-training. All the grapplers are learning how to stand up. Stand-up fighters are learning how to grapple. It became a mix. They started to complement each other. But everyone comes from a background. Some come from a taekwondo background, some from a jujitsu background, from a wrestling background, judo background. Whatever the background, they just got to learn the other style now to know what's coming (in a fight). What's happening. They might use it, they might not. But that's the main difference. It grew a lot. It grew a lot, man, since the first UFC. Once they got together with the boxing commission and Las Vegas - poosh! - it took off. Now it's all over the world."

Q: Is MMA today how you thought it was going to be when you first started?

A: "It's hard to predict the future. I cannot imagine something in the future. How it's going to be. It's hard to do that. But we knew it was going to be big. That's why my brother created the show (UFC). The curiosity of people - they want to find out who's the best fighter. People are curious - like in a hockey game. They go to a hockey game because they want to see a fight. If there's no fight, they would think the game was boring.

You go to a soccer game and a fight breaks out, all the attention is to the fight. Forget about the soccer game. If a fight breaks out, that's the highlight they're going to play in every newscast. People are curious to see a fight. It's only human nature."

Q: Has it gotten too businesslike? Has it gotten too much away from . . . ?

A: "It is a business. Like my cousin used to say, 'Hey. We used to fight for free in Brazil. And now, we're getting paid for it. This is awesome.' It is a business. There's nothing wrong with that. Make money with it."

Q: Talk about your academies. And how much they have grown and what you like about what you and your brothers built.

A: "It's not just about the growing numbers of academies. But the students, they see how good this stuff is. It's a self-defense art. It's not like . . . I'm the biggest guy in town picking guys up and throwing them on their heads.

"If I can do it. Anybody can do it. You just have to know what you're doing. Give hope. Give a chance to the little guys. What am I? 190 pounds, 180 pounds. Fighting guys 200 pounds, 300 pounds, 400 pounds. Whoa. But once I know what I'm doing, it's easy. It's like anything else. Once you know what you're doing. It's easy.

"Yes, the numbers grew a lot. But it's been like this back in Brazil. My father used to teach everybody. Former presidents, prime ministers. Everybody used to be a student of my father at one time."

Q: What is the best thing for you? Is it spreading the martial art or anything else?

A: "Giving confidence to the students. A piece of hope. 'Man, I can do this. It's so easy. How come I never though about it?'

"Giving hope. Of course, the rewards of traveling - I love traveling. For me, I don't mind it at all. That's a promise right there."

Q: Places you've been to teach or as an ambassador of Gracie jujitsu?

A: "Let's see. Among them are Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Demark, Sweden, Norway."

Q: Any experience through your travels that sticks in your mind?

A: "I prefer not to get into any of that. (Laughs.) Every place has their own special thing."

Q: Funniest thing that has happened in your travels?

A: "I don't think it's funny. But people were surprised - 'Oh my god, what are you doing in Kazakhstan? What are you doing here? At the end of the world?' "

Q: Talk about the benefits of having a facility here in Arizona and vice versa.

A: "It's not just any academy. That's the difference. Any other academy, it's eh, it's just a martial arts school. This one has one of my first, top black belts (jujitsu coach John Crouch). The guy knows how to teach. And the main thing is that it's just not a school. Yeah, a bunch of tough guys. Nah. It's one of my instructors. And I trust those guys. They know how to teach. They know how to coach. From fighters to someone who will never get in the ring, just someone who would do this to know the art. That's the important part."

Q: Thoughts on the bill passing?

A: "It's good, man. It's close to me. (He now lives in Torrance, Calif.) I like it. I don't mind."

Q: What is it about Gracie jujitsu that you want to instill in your students?

A: "I don't drink. I don't smoke. I follow a diet that is very healthy based on fruits. I don't eat junk food. I don't party like crazy and get drunk. That's the message."

Q: Can't interview a Brazilian without asking who his favorite soccer player is of all time?

A: "Ronaldinho. The guy plays with a smile, man."