Royce Gracie, the legendary UFC champion, recently shared insights on national representation in combat sports during an appearance on Jake Shields’ podcast. He highlighted a trend of Brazilian stars training primarily in the United States while still representing Brazil.
“A lot of the Brazilians now they come training America,” Gracie said speaking on Jake Shields’ podcast. “They’re from Brazil but they grew up in America training in America.”
Gracie’s perspective extends beyond just national pride. His father’s wisdom resonates deeply: “My father used to say you represent the world son, you don’t represent one country, you represent the entire world.”
During the same podcast, Gracie discussed his training experience with modern grappling champion Gordon Ryan, offering a candid and humble assessment of the sport’s evolution.
“The guy’s awesome,” Gracie said about Ryan. “He would have smashed me with one hand behind his back and guess what – he’s rolling and giving to me like ‘go ahead catch me.’ He understands the respect hierarchy of jiu-jitsu.”
The Evolution of Martial Arts Techniques
Gracie emphasized that while fundamental techniques remain consistent, modern athletes benefit significantly from advanced training methods.
“The choke is a choke, an armbar is an armbar,” Gracie explained. “But it’s the training camp, how can you cut weight, what food to eat for recovery – the ice baths and everything got better. The training camp got better.”
Addressing historical perceptions of his family’s approach, Gracie clarified that the Gracies were not arrogant, but driven by a genuine quest to understand martial arts effectiveness.
“A lot of people told my family ‘Oh the Gracies are arrogant, they’re challenging other styles, they’re trying to put down other styles’ – no, we’re just trying to find out if our stuff works,” he said.
Gracie offered nuanced views on various martial arts, noting that no single style is complete. “Boxing is not worthless – it’s incomplete,” he explained. He believes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu serves as the “spine” connecting different martial arts disciplines.
Acknowledging Modern Talent
Perhaps most notably, Gracie’s comments about Gordon Ryan reflect a profound respect for the new generation. “I don’t care what people talk about Gordon Ryan, man the guy’s awesome,” he said. “He’s one of my good friends.”
When discussing today’s athletes, Gracie noted that modern practitioners benefit from full-time training opportunities unavailable in his era. “The guys train today… they are better athletes today because it’s not the choke that got better but it’s how to cut weight and how to exercise and the food – everything got better today.”
His candid admission that Ryan would “smash me with one hand tied behind his back” demonstrates not just humility, but an appreciation for the sport’s continuous evolution.
This is also especially interesting in light of how much controversy Keenan Cornelius’ comments about how Rickson Gracie would do in modern day BJJ caused.
BJJ black belt Keenan Cornelius sparked controversy by suggesting that the legendary skills of Helio and Rickson Gracie might not measure up to modern jiu-jitsu standards, equating their abilities to a “tough purple belt level” today. While acknowledging their pioneering contributions, Cornelius critiqued the traditionalism within BJJ, rooted in its deep ties to the Gracie family, which often shields them from scrutiny. He highlighted the rapid evolution of techniques in the sport, arguing that advancements have created a skill gap between its founders and current competitors
