Gracie teaching a lesson in courage and willpower. Susumu Nagao.
In another philosophy lesson forged out of the purest BJJ, Graciemag revisited a fighter of many quotes. His name is Renzo Gracie.
Owner of an enviable warrior’s essence, he has spoken thoroughly about BJJ and fighting over the years, and always with a sense of humor. His vision is simple, yet unthinkable right up until he reveals it.
It wasn’t easy to select only a few of these, but we have picked our favorite quotes so that you can drink from this fountain of knowledge and remember Renzo Gracie’s teachings next time you’re training, competing or just out and about.
Embrace your inner lunatic
“We choke people out, and we do it for a living. That is what we are. All we must do is embrace our inner lunatic. Then you have guaranteed fun for the rest of this sweet life.”
Gracie family legacy
“I believe, every time a Gracie fails, another must come along and adjust the situation. When I fought Shungo Oyama I think I was robbed. He was a loudmouth who ran from the fight. I lost, but then Ryan came and finished him, broke his arm. That is our story. It’s what happened to Uncle Helio in the case of Valdemar Santana. Carlson then went and kicked his ass. The moment one of us gets set back a little, another one pushes and gets us going forward.”
Never back down
“The fighter needs to have blood in his eye. Every now and then things get rough in the ring, and that is when you truly reveal your courage. Even exhausted, you must keep attacking. The name of this is willpower, and it’s something you either have or you don’t. The human being can act this away before a challenge. Tired, extremely, but always moving forward. This is a fantastic precept for a fighter — they just have to want it.”
Value the evolution of BJJ
“I love this fighting and self-defense system, and I sincerely don’t care where BJJ evolves, where it gets the attention we believe it deserves.”
Make BJJ your focus
“Every BJJ fighter who becomes a reference in the sport can become a champion at whatever they want. There is nothing more challenging than our sport. If you put your mind and heart in the right direction, you will have all the weapons needed to succeed.”
