The world of BJJ was awakened rudely on February 1 with the news that Carlson Gracie Sr. had died. Complications from kidney stones and a urinary infection claimed his life at 70. The initial reports out of Chicago created disbelief. In all likelihood, for most, it was more of a case of simply refusing to believe. Sadness and tears followed, and they lingered for days and weeks.
For the past several years, Gracie, the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, had been operating a school in Chicago. He had started his teaching career at his uncle Helio's school, but then he opened his own academy and had ultimately taught for more than 30 years. Some of the biggest names in BJJ and MMA were his students (see sidebar). Many years before, he had reigned as a Vale Tudo world champion. He had 19 professional fights and 19 victories.
But his impact went beyond the mat and beyond the ring. Gracie was a man who exhibited leadership qualities, he was a man who treated everyone equally and he was a man who always seemed to have a smile on his face. Carlson, along with student Rey Diogo, came into our office in August and talked to us for close to an hour. Following is that interview with a man many will never forget. -Editor
Q: How many years have you been training?
A: I started when I was 2. It was natural for our family to train in jiu-jitsu so we could eventually teach and fight. It is in our blood. We were a progressive family. Interestingly, the academy used to be in my father's house.
Q: You have been involved in the arts for many years. How has the world of jiu-jitsu changed since you began?
A: There have been some big developments, especially in conditioning. Today there are many more supplements that enable practitioners to get in shape. Steroids, of course, are not good, but there are also personal trainers who help fighters prepare for special fights and MMA. There are many more tools today.
Q: Is the art itself different?
A: The submissions are the same, but the way in which you set up the submissions has changed. That is all due to the new generation. You can see the development in reverse sweeps, and the way you set up sweeps has changed a lot from the early days. The conditioning is different today, too.
Q: Will those changes continue?
A: I am still learning something new every day. When we watch people train, we always try to figure out something new and/or how to improve. In 10 years, people will still want to create new things.
Q: Your fighting career was most impressive. Tell us about your fight with Ivan Gomes.
A: He weighed 220 pounds, and he was very strong. I had never fought a man so strong. We went at it for 30 minutes, and it ended up as a draw. There were no points awarded, only submissions. If they had counted points, I would have won. After the fight, the guy was impressed with me because I did not weigh nearly as much as he did. He told me he thought it would be an easy fight for him because I was so skinny. After the fight, we became friends, and we taught each other some moves.
LARGER THAN LIFE - The death of Carlson Gracie (standing, third from left) shattered the BJJ world. Here he poses with, left to right, Carlao Barreto, Vitor Belfort and Wallid Ismail. Kneeling, left to right, Rodrigo Medeiros and Ricardo Liborio.
Q: What kind of training did you do?
A: I did everything. Boxing, kicking, ground skills. I used to jump rope and run on the soft sand at the beach. My dad was hard on us about training.
Q: Did you employ the same strategy or change it based on the opponent?
A: My strategy was always to grab the guy and put him down so I could work my skills on the ground. In one of my fights, I went two hours and 30 minutes. They finally stopped the fight because my opponent's face was deformed from the beating. My opponent ended up in the hospital, and I showed up to show my support.
Q: What is your greatest memory of your fighting days?
A: I would have to say when I beat Santana because he had beaten Helio. At that time, no one else from the family was ready to fight that guy. Robson Gracie was ready, but he was light and the family did not put pressure on Robson to take that fight. I was bigger and heavier than Robson.
Q: Today, what fighters impress you most?
A: There are a lot of good fighters, and I cannot say that this one or that one is the best. They are all very competitive. Some I would like to mention are Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Ninja Rua, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, Renzo Gracie, Royce Gracie and Rickson Gracie. I am not giving you these names in any particular order. Miguel Torres, one of my students, is another one. In his weight, I do not see anyone in the world who can beat him.
Q: How do these guys compare with the fighters you tangled with?
A: People have asked me if I, when I was younger, could have beaten some of the top fighters from today. Guys, for example, like Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic. These guys are great fighters and tough fighters. If I fought them at their weight, I would not have a chance, although I could have given them a hard time. They would not be able to beat me easily. If you put the same guys in my weight division, like 170 to 180, I could beat them pretty easily.
Q: Your teaching career has spanned many decades. What are the keys to successful teaching?
A: First, a good instructor has to know how to pass instruction along to his students. There are a lot of good fighters who become instructors, but they do not know how to pass information to their students. And vice versa. A great instructor may not necessarily be a great fighter. Before you work with somebody, you have to know about his skills and his background. Of course, a student has to train consistently if he wants to do well.
Q: As an instructor, what is the greatest satisfaction you have?
A: Treating everyone the same. I want to give the same attention to everyone. Kids, women. It's all the same. There are no exceptions. If a student wants to be a fighter, I will help him, but I will not put pressure on him to fight.
Q: One of your students is Stephan Bonnar, who is now fighting in the UFC. How long has he trained with you?
A: Two years. He used to train with Carlson Gracie Jr. before I moved to Chicago. He's really good, and he is getting better. He can be much better than he already is, too. He has shown great quality and a lot of heart. He can also develop his game much more. In the future, he is going to be one of the top fighters in the world.
Q: When you work with a guy like Bonnar, what kind of preparation do you do before a fight?
A: Before he or any other fighter steps in the ring, we look at tapes of the opponents and then talk about strategy. This is not just with Bonnar. I do it with all my students. Among other things, we talk about what type of game the guy has. What his strengths and weaknesses are.
Q: What is the key to a grappler beating a stand-up fighter in MMA?
A: You have to train everything a lot. You have to be on the same level as the striker and take advantage of your ground skills. But, of course, you can't forget your kickboxing and everything else. You have to be a complete fighter. With my MMA fighters, we might focus on jiu-jitsu, but we train in everything.
Q: How important is the mind in competition?
A: You have to be calm, and you have to maintain good control so you have confidence for the fight. It's important to be calm because you have to wait for the best time to attack the opponent. You can't take risks in dangerous situations.
Q: Does the Gracie name create pressure for you?
A: I do not feel any pressure. That is my name, and that is that. I am also proud to have the name. I'm a normal person, my last name is Gracie and it has not changed my life at all.
UNFULFILLED DREAMS - Carlson Gracie?s dream of opening a West Coast?based academy for fighters was never realized.
Q: What is the key to beating a Gracie?
A: First, let me say that I will never prepare one of my students to fight someone in my family for an MMA match. Never in my life, not even for $5 million, will I prepare a student to fight a Gracie in MMA. In sport jiu-jitsu, however, I will. I will not set up such a fight, but if it calls for it. Now, there are no secrets. It's just normal training. There is nothing specific.
Q: Here's a little change of pace. What do you do when you are away from the school and BJJ?
A: I love music. All kinds of music. I have a large collection of CDs and tapes, and I have quite an ear for music.
Q: If you had one dream, what would it be?
A: I want to open a big academy just to prepare professional fighters, and this dream will happen not too long in the future. I am going to have some sponsors and make this happen. My dream is to have this in Los Angeles because I have a daughter here, but we will see. These guys will then fight all over the world.
Editor's Note-Carlson: The world of BJJ will never forget you, and practitioners all over the world thank you for your expertise, wisdom and kindness. Special thanks to Rey Diogo for translating.
"An Icon Similar to Pele"
Oswaldo "Paqueta" da Rosa, a jiu-jitsu master, recalls Carlson Gracie, his best friend for 46 years.
"Carlson Gracie's death had a tremendous repercussion in Brazil. The media announced it extensively. Carlson is larger than life over here [Brazil]. He is an icon similar to Pele.
"Carlson was the best jiu-jitsu and Vale Tudo fighter who ever lived. He was the one who modernized the sport and brought it to a new level. He was also a great researcher of fighting. He was always learning and formulating new techniques and strategies. He also knew all the main fighters and researched them meticulously. I compile fights from the top events worldwide, so Carlson was constantly asking for videos of the top contenders so he could do his research. The majority of fighters coming out of Brazil today are a product of either Carlson or Carlson's students."-Interview by Franco De Camargo.
A Student Remembers
Franco De Camargo earned his black belt from Carlson Gracie. Following are some of De Camargo's thoughts.
- Carlson Gracie will always be remembered as someone who demonstrated genuine interest in humanity.
- He had a great sense of humor, was passionate with people close to him and insisted on being on a first-name basis with everyone he met.
- Before demonstrating his infinite knowledge as a coach, he would show you how much he cared about you as an individual and this made the learning experience unique.
- Carlson was always studying the combative arts. He was an innovator who created many of the moves we are doing today, and he always brought a breeze of fresh air to the sport. His enthusiasm at the tournaments, joking around, yelling and coaching will echo through history.
- For the students, we have lost a father figure, someone who will remain irreplaceable both as a coach and as a role model. For the world, the loss has been significant as well, for Carlson was a gentle and kind man and an ambassador of peace. He will be greatly missed.
The Final Days
By Joe Pawlus
Martial artists and fans around the globe mourn the loss of the legendary MMA pioneer Carlson Gracie. Gracie was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago on January 23 and treated for lower back pain. He was prescribed pain medication and sent home the same day.
"He seemed fine the next day," said close friend and student Paul Corzo. "Being the old-school, stubborn guy that he is, he told the Sinai doctors he would consult his personal physician, but he never did. Carlson didn't like visiting the doctor."
On January 26, Gracie attended his class, but he did not feel well, which prompted Corzo and another student to take him to the emergency room at Lincoln Park Hospital. Mauricio Consultor, M.D., was the attending physician who received the call. Consultor, a fellow martial artist and native Brazilian, was surprised to find out who his patient was.
"I couldn't believe that this was Carlson Gracie," said Consultor. "I have known of Carlson Gracie since I was 5 years old. He came into the emergency room with a urinary infection and kidney stones, which had already become Sepsis (a severe illness caused by a bacterial infection of the bloodstream). We were able to control the infection with antibiotics, but we could not control the spread of bacteria, which had spread to Carlson's heart. His vital organs were overwhelmed."
Gracie's blood pressure never returned to a safe level in which doctors could operate. He passed away at Lincoln Park Hospital in Chicago approximately 4 a.m. on February 1. Gracie was buried in Brazil the following week. Wake services were held in the United States for students, extended family and friends.
To read one of his last interviews, go to www.wjobcalpress.com and click on the Sports link.
Some of His Students
Following is a partial list of Carlson Gracie's black belts. - Franco De Camargo
- Vitor Belfort
- Murilo Bustamante
- Rey Diogo
- Allan Goes
- Wallid Ismail
- Rodrigo Medeiros
-Courtesy of Franco De CamargoShow comments (0) - Add comments to this article: |
