Pictured: Attendees of Royler Gracie’s Fife, WA seminar last Saturday

There have been many legendary champions in the world of jiu-jitsu, but it may be difficult to find anyone who can match the achievements of Royler Gracie.

He’s well known as a veteran of Mixed Martial Arts competition, where he & his brothers Royce & Rickson helped make the Gracie name known worldwide; the sport where Royler’s father Helio helped establish his family’s dominance a generation ago. But it’s in pure grappling competition where Royler has really shined: a four time world champion at black belt in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships, and a three time winner of the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships. Last Saturday, the legend enjoyed a huge turnout at a BJJ seminar in Fife, Washington; where he was hosted by Carlson Gracie black belt Marcelo Alonso.

It was a rare treat for all involved, perhaps including the legend himself; as in his thick Brazilian accent, Royler encourages the seminar’s attendees to ask questions near the seminar’s conclusion: “Guys, I learn a lot from my brothers and I learn a lot from my father. But I learn most from my students. When they ask me something, I have to know. If they ask and I don’t know, I know I have to learn. And I learn new jiu-jitsu every day!”

Pictured: Royler Gracie (left) and Marcelo Alonso

After the seminar, the youthful 43-year-old remains energetic. “This is my first time here,” he mentions. “Hopefully not my last! It’s great to see jiu-jitsu grow. Marcelo is doing a great job here.”

Royler would know, as he’s seen it all in the jiu-jitsu world. This 2009 coast-to-coast seminar tour has taken him from his new home in California to schools all over the US and Canada in recent months. He brings not only his own experiences, but also those of his family which has been so integral to the development of grappling in martial arts. But unsurprisingly, it’s when he’s describing his grappling competition past that he gets most excited. When the BJJ World Championships were first established in 1996, Royler Gracie became perhaps its brightest star.

“I learned how to compete then,” he recalls. “I fight hard and made the crowd be on my side. I made the referee be on my side! That’s how you learn. You can bring this to your life. I see this every day, (jiu-jitsu) gives everyone lots of confidence.”

This benefit of jiu-jitsu training is well known, but the example which Royler uses to illustrate the point comes as a surprise.

“Maybe the confidence to say I’m sorry,” he says. “If you aren’t able to say ‘I’m sorry,’ you aren’t going to make it in the world.”

Royler describes his favorite achievement as his fourth win in the World Championships in 1999. “I got sick a few days before. I didn’t let anyone know. I play!” He remembers with a laugh.

He sees a huge potential in the future of his beloved jiu-jitsu competition, along with some huge sources of frustration.

“Jiu-jitsu still has a lot of evolution to go. America has had a lot of contribution to that. I think jiu-jitsu will grow more than MMA in the next few years. More popular.”

According to Royler, the ability to participate in the sport is key to this. “In jiu-jitsu you can train from from age seven to seventy, no problem. MMA, what? Seventeen, to forty?” he grins widely.

But asked about this month’s BJJ worlds in California, where he now resides, his demeanor changes, and he simply says, “I don’t enjoy.”

“Too tight,” he describes the action. “Good guys just clinch and hold each other. Too much stalling; the referees are confused. It’s time to change rules.”

His team, Gracie Humaita, won the women’s division for the third year in a row at the 2009 Worlds, but they weren’t as successful in men’s division this time. Royler describes 2009 as a year to rebuild. “We got some guys coming up. It takes time. We used to control the game. But it’s a new time.”

In an interview for Fightworks Podcast last year, Gracie considered returning to competition at this year’s Abu Dhabi Championships, and possibly even scheduling another MMA bout. But now when asked about his future, Royler confesses, “I think my time for competition has passed, man.”

“I made a good contribution,” he explains. “But I don’t have a sponsor now, and you need to spend a month, month and a half training. And if you don’t win, it’s no money. I (also) wanted another NHB fight, but with the economy now, they don’t pay like they used to. I don’t just want to be on TV, I want to make some good money. I guarantee you every time you saw me fight, I got paid. So I’m not retired yet, but I’m close.”

Asked about Diego Sanchez’ recent success in the UFC after beginning training under Royler Gracie disciple Saulo Ribeiro, Royler says, “Yeah, he’s with us now. Tough kid, trains hard. You’ve got to train hard!”

Sanchez is donning a jiu-jitsu gi in his training for the first time, and is seeing improvements in his groundwork.

“Yeah, you have to learn the gi,” Royler explains. “I always prefer the gi. It’s in the details. More slow, technical game. Then they take the gi off and it’s like they’re taking flight! I hope he gets a title shot soon.”

But however the cards fall, Royler Gracie seems undeterred in his love for the art. “You got to have fun, man. You got to live the life!”

There’s a new seminar a few days away; bringing more chances for the legend to learn, and to learn from the legend.

Pictured: Tommy Hackett (left) & Royler Gracie

Total-MMA would like to say thanks to Marcelo Alonso for making this interview possible. Please visit MABJJ.com for more information about his academies in the Seattle area. Also, thanks to Brett Atchley for helping with that last photograph!