Copyright MMA Fighting
RIO DE JANEIRO — Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie started a martial arts dynasty that lasted 100 years and Oct. 25 marked the day to celebrate that story. When Rorion Gracie’s first-born Ryron heard a cousin say she had never met a good number of relatives, he realized something had to be done. The year 2025 was symbolic for the clan as it marked the 100th anniversary of the first Gracie academy, located at Marques de Abrantes street in Copacabana, and the timing was perfect for a historic event. “I called some Gracies — many I had never even spoken to — and they all embraced the idea from the start,” Ryron said. “But I didn’t call anyone over 55. I started with the younger generation, around my age. When I had 10 or 15 in, I already knew this would happen someday.” Nearly 1,000 jiu-jitsu practitioners packed a convention center across from sunny Barra da Tijuca beach on Sunday morning, a sea of white gis and colored belts — from fresh whites to seasoned red-belt legends — eager to learn from icons of two different generations the family. Royce, Renzo, Ralph and Daniel shared the mats with Roger, Kyra and younger Gracies to teach nearly 700 grappling aficionados. “I’m impressed with what’s being built around jiu-jitsu,” Renzo said. “I remember training with 10 people at Rolles’s academy. Then at Gracie Barra, with sometimes eight, sometimes seven on the mats. And seeing what it’s become today, this is reaching where my dream always was.” Roger, one of the all-time greatest jiu-jitsu players and a former ONE Championship titleholder, became emotional witnessing history being made at a “turning point” of the history of the family. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve never seen our family gathered in such numbers,” Roger said. “The family used to be close-knit in Rio in the past, the first and second generations. Everyone’s spread out around the world since my generation. To reunite everyone like this — families have problems, people fight, so it’s beautiful to see everyone putting that aside to celebrate 100 years together.” “I think this marks a turning point,” he continued. “It’s proof that the third generation is overcoming the issues of the second. We’ve managed to bring everyone together. That’s special. Family is family.” Rivals from past and present put their differences aside — even if only for a day — to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime encounter. “The coolest thing is that there’s no rivalry today,” Robson Jr. said. “People from rival teams are all sitting together here. That’s what matters most to me, the jiu-jitsu community. Anywhere you go and say you train jiu-jitsu, and the community embraces you. That’s thanks to the lessons from Carlos, Helio, Carlson and the generation who built this strong foundation.” A lot has changed over a full century of martial arts. Back when young Carlos and Helio taught in Copacabana, women were not allowed on the mat. It took decades until names like Kyra could battle through and open doors for a generation to come. “I think I brought a small branch to encourage more women, in this great jiu-jitsu tree, as the first female black belt in the family,” Kyra said. “There are others doing beautiful work today, teaching. My goal is that more and more women can use jiu-jitsu as a transformative tool, which is so important for women.” “A hundred years ago, they already believed jiu-jitsu would conquer the world — and people called them crazy back then,” she added. “Today, we walk the path they envisioned thanks to their resilience. It inspires me deeply. I feel so much honor, gratitude, and responsibility to carry it forward.” Her legacy continues with other women in the family like Cesalina, who leads a project with the “non-negotiable mission“ to help empower thousands of young girls through martial arts. Inspired by Kyra and learning from birth that “jiu-jitsu teaches us that there are infinite possibilities, that we have the power to choose our path,” she embraces the challenge to keep that legacy growing. “It’s a reminder that we represent something greater than the individual,” said Cesalina, who received a black belt during the seminar. “At the same time, it’s an honor to know that the tools that transformed our lives have impacted so many others. It’s a moment of celebration more than anything, and a recommitment to carry on for the next 100 years. It’s worth pausing to reflect on everything that’s been built and how we can expand that positive impact even more.” UFC, jiu-jitsu and the White House Rorion moved to the United States with the goal to introduce his family’s martial arts program to a broader audience, and it eventually led to the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where his brother Royce displayed Gracie jiu-jitsu’s dominance against representatives from other combat sports. More than three decades later, they see the UFC once again embrace grappling through UFC BJJ. And even though the Gracies celebrate grapplers having a new platform with which to compete and earn a living, they don’t see it as being as important for the growth of jiu-jitsu as the original UFC event in 1993. “The UFC introduced jiu-jitsu to the world in 1993,” Rener said. “UFC BJJ is just a business move to capitalize a bit more on jiu-jitsu’s success.” “What karate and taekwondo once were, jiu-jitsu has become,” he continued. “It’s everywhere in the world now. Kids start at three, and men and women train into their 80s and 90s. It’s something anyone can do, and it changes lives.” Ryron echoes that, adding that the UFC knows “the world is training jiu-jitsu, and they’re using that to make the UFC stronger.” For Igor, the future is even brighter for the art — and UFC’s involvement “will only bring more exposure and shine a light on jiu-jitsu and bring it into people’s homes.” “I believe less than one percent of the world’s population trains jiu-jitsu so there’s still so much room to grow,” Igor said. “Not everyone wants to train MMA or get punched in the face. … Realistically speaking, jiu-jitsu is by far the best martial art. No physical activity brings as many benefits to kids and adults alike. It transcends age and barriers. You train for your mental and physical health. It’s amazing to see the magnitude jiu-jitsu is reaching worldwide.” Igor’s brother Rolles was one of the many that competed in MMA, entering the UFC octagon once and competing for the KSW heavyweight title during his 8-4 pro career. He thinks “it’s great to see that the top athletes don’t need to transition to MMA anymore,” because “they can already make a living from jiu-jitsu.” Vale Tudo events, such as UFC and PRIDE, were important tools used by the Gracies to show how versatile jiu-jitsu was against boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers, and basically every other athlete. As the sport of jiu-jitsu developed into a more professional system over the past few years, with actual cash prize for winners and champions, they no longer see fist-fighting as a needed path — even though Royce still calls jiu-jitsu “the spine of MMA.” “You didn’t have many options back in the day,” said Gregor, one of the few Gracies to compete in Bellator. “Jiu-jitsu wasn’t as popular, and once someone got their black belt, they had to move to Vale Tudo. But that’s no longer the case. So many jiu-jitsu athletes can live solely off jiu-jitsu today by teaching seminars, getting sponsorships, with tournaments and events that pay well. I’m really happy about that. Whoever does the transition does it out of genuine desire, not out of obligation or necessity.” Robson Jr. also fought in Bellator — and still leaves the door open for more fights at age 36 — and celebrates that jiu-jitsu can be called a pro sport today. “It’s amazing that now someone can be a full-time athlete and not have to switch to MMA,” Robson Jr. said. “Jiu-jitsu athletes are finally getting the recognition they deserve not just as fighters, but as athletes who transform lives. This professionalization is just the tip of the iceberg. They deserve much more for the lives changed through jiu-jitsu.” Rayron, son of late PRIDE veteran Ryan, is seen as one of the most promising talents of his generation. Soon to turn 24, he has a whole different perspective when it comes to jiu-jitsu. “In the past, victory meant proving jiu-jitsu was the most efficient martial art, and that’s already been proven many times,” Rayron said. “Now we see there’s no longer a need to prove it, it’s written in history. Our sense of victory is evolving. It’s no longer about winning a tournament or proving superiority, but about personal development.” A multiple-time IBJJF champion in colored belts and a bronze medal winner at the 2024 IBJJF European as a black belt, Rayron flirted with the idea of diving into MMA before ultimately deciding against it. “I did [think about it]. A lot,” Rayron said. “But once I understood that shift in purpose, that there was no longer a need to defend jiu-jitsu in MMA, I decided to dedicate myself to this new perspective. I’ll keep fighting but in other ways, through other paths. I’m lucky to have so many people in my family who’ve achieved great things. I could see the final result of a life of dedication and struggle. I literally saw their footsteps. That contact with family members from all walks of life gave me this new sense of victory.” With thousands of Gracie schools spread all over the world, the future seems promising for the future of jiu-jitsu. Its importance in mixed martial arts will likely never end as fighters with no ground skill have a limited arsenal inside the octagon. A global phenomenon now under Dana White, Gracie’s invention is about to make history one more time by landing the octagon at the White House lawn for a UFC event tentatively scheduled for June 2026. “I hope to be there,” said UFC pioneer Royce, who mentions Brazilian record-breaker Charles Oliveira as one of his favorite to watch today. “He’s on fire. The kid’s good,” he said. “All of this is the fruit of jiu-jitsu,” Renzo said of UFC’s current success. “We, the Gracies, we don’t own jiu-jitsu — we’re the guardians of the shield. Our job is to protect and pass it on. I want future generations to remember us.” It’s been a century into the legacy of Gracie jiu-jitsu, but it certainly feels even longer for some. “It’s incredible,” Renzo said. “People measure time by the clock, but I don’t. I live a hundred years in one, so a year from now I’ll be celebrating 100 years again [laughs]. That’s the difference. This is just the beginning, the first 100 years. Jiu-jitsu came to stay. This is the start of eternity.”
