Posted by Tommy Hackett on 13th May 2010
Pictured: Renzo Gracie demonstrates how to begin a guard pass at his seminar in Fife, WA last Saturday.
There are a few figures in the MMA world which require no introduction. Fewer still are all but universally admired.
He’s quick to deflect any such praise, instead casting favor to his family and their art which has changed the martial arts world — but Renzo Gracie, who enjoyed his first visit to the Seattle area last Saturday to conduct a jiu-jitsu seminar, may just stand alone to many of us.
After the seminar, the legend smiles his way through requests from area fans — everything from autographs, to questions about technique, to a request for a chokeout. In a brief Total-MMA interview, Renzo laughs as he’s reminded of some of his vintage MMA battles — including a win over the man who helped put the Seattle area on the MMA map, Maurice Smith. In the 1990’s, Bellevue’s Smith had won titles in UFC and Battlecade, and actually released instructional videos marketed as the solution to the Gracie family’s dominance. They eventually met in 1999 in Japan’s RINGS organization.
“He made those videos, ‘How to Beat Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,’ to tell everybody how it’s done!” Renzo laughs. “And, I armlocked him! (laughs) But I love the guy. He’s a great competitor and we were very fortunate to have him in the game.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Interviews, Renzo Gracie, Tommy Hackett, jiu-jitsu | No Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 8th December 2009
I think it’s safe to say the last part of this year has been a weak one for MMA’s big-name shows. So lately, I’ve turned most of my attention (and writing) to boxing and jiu-jitsu. Watching recent shows, it just kind of feels like we’re in a bit of a rut. Everyone’s going through the motions, but we’re missing a little passion.
I watched the Renzo Gracie: Legacy DVD again recently, looking for inspiration. (I gave it kind of an uncharitable review here. It’s actually better than I gave it credit for, but that’s for another time.) Maybe Dana White was watching too, because it looks like Renzo will be making his UFC debut in 2010.
Gracie’s return to the limelight kicked off with a spirited interview at FightWorks Podcast last Sunday, where he goes into some detail about his return to MMA, but mostly, and more interestingly, uses his time to respond to an earlier interview from FWP with his uncle Relson.
You have to hear this.
Total-MMA readers will remember Saulo Ribeiro in the second of our two part interview last month, describing how so many different voices are trying to control jiu-jitsu, all to no avail. Ribeiro even recalled Hélio Gracie himself saying, “Son, no one control this s–t!” Here Renzo proves it’s just as true now as when Helio was fighting in the 1950’s; as he offers to pay his uncle Rorian’s Gracie Academy in Torrence an old fashioned “dojo storm” to prove the merits of his own instruction.
But there’s no point in trying to summarize — this speaks for itself. Renzo’s is easily the best (audio) interview I’ve heard in 2009… and it was worth the wait. I expect Renzo to bring the same passion to his UFC appearances. Maybe not a contender at his advanced age but with his spark back, I think it’ll be a ton of fun.
Posted in Renzo Gracie, Tommy Hackett, jiu-jitsu | 10 Comments »
