Rorion Gracie

Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian born Gracie Jiu-jitsu Grand Master; the oldest son of Helio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Rorion is also a writer, publisher, producer, lecturer, and widely credited with creating the new combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), when he introduced the world to the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu through the production of the very first, Ultimate Fighting Championship, in 1993; an event that sought to find the best martial artists from every fighting style around the world and pit them all against Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Rorion started Jiu-jitsu literally before he could walk.  He spent his youth learning how to teach under the tutelage of his father, Grand Master Helio Gracie.

In December 1969, a 17-year-old Rorion travelled to the United States for a one-month vacation, when hand of fate spun the wheel of his life in a new direction.

When his money and return ticket were stolen within a couple of weeks of his arrival in California, he found himself struggling through some tough times, panhandling and sleeping in the streets.  He ended up flipping hamburgers, doing odd jobs, making new friends until he went back to Brazil by the end of 1970. 

Back home, he attended the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, graduating with a degree in Law.

In 1978, Rorion decided to return to America, this time with the objective of sharing his family's martial art with the world.

Upon returning to Southern California, he did some house cleaning before he got a break in Hollywood working as an extra in movies and television shows like "Hart to Hart," "Three's Company," and "Fantasy Island," among others.

Never losing sight of his goal of spreading the jiu-jitsu gospel, he laid some mats in his garage in Hermosa Beach and invited everyone he met to a free intro class, trusting they would fall in love with the program, and they did!

"Bring a friend and I'll give you another free class, ten friends, ten free classes!" was the brilliant marketing strategy that got the word out and positive responses.

It didn't take long before martial artists from a variety of other styles got the wind of it, and many decided to challenge the growing popularity of the relentless Brazilian, by showing up at the garage to challenge him.  With an ever-growing crowd of students wanting to watch those no-holds-barred matches, and the Brazilian's easy dominance over his opponents, jiu-jitsu's popularity would not stop growing.

In 1987 he was the technical advisor for the blockbuster Lethal Weapon, where he trained and choreographed the fight scenes for Mel Gibson and Gary Busey.

In 1988, Rorion produced the first of two documentaries Gracie Jiu-Jitsu In Action. In 1989, renowned sports writer Pat Jordan wrote an article titled BAD for Playboy Magazine, pushing the awareness of the Brazilian style to a much broader audience and popularizing the infamous, Gracie Challenge, which would later grow into the UFC.

Later that year, with brothers Royce, Rickson and Royler, he opened the first American Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance California.

In 1991, he produced  Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Basics, a five-volume training video series together with a special bonus volume.  That was followed by GJJ Intermediate, GJJ Advanced, and Street Self Defense series.

Rorion was also brought in as the technical advisor for Lethal Weapon 3 in 1992, providing training to Rene Russo, who insisted he to step into the action as a stuntman for a fight scene.

In 1993, after countless matches he had in his garage, and later at his academy in Torrance, CA, Rorion teamed with his student Art Davie, and created the "Ultimate Fighting Championship," a no-holds-barred, bare knuckle, no time limit, no weight class, pay-per-view extravaganza.  For this single elimination tournament, between eight different styles of martial arts, Rorion enlisted his brother Royce to represent the family style.  He would be the smallest competitor, making an excellent example of the powers of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  Royce's victory established Gracie Jiu-jitsu's undeniable superiority among all other styles, changing forever the world of martial arts.

Immediately after the UFC, a small group of high-ranking military personnel, from the most elite unit in the US Army contacted Rorion and asked him to develop an objective hand-to-hand combat course based on the most effective techniques of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The result was "Gracie Resisting Attack Procedures for Law Enforcement"(GRAPLE now GST), which has since then been officially adopted by all branches of the armed forces as well as every major law enforcement agency on the US.

In 1995, Rorion to a leap into the digital era by releasing the first ever CD-ROM "Gracie Total Defense."  

By the late 90's he found a way to bring together families to have "Jiu-jitsu, Fun and Sun, at the Gracie Cruises," while crossing the high seas.

In 2002 Rorion inaugurated the "Gracie Museum," the world's largest collection of Gracie memorabilia, photos, newspaper clippings, videos, etc., now online at www.graciemuseum.com 

Next, in 2005, was the launching of "Gracie Publications," to release the classic instructional book, "Gracie Jiu-jitsu, The Master Text," a compilation of more than one thousand incredible photographs of the original self-defense program created by Grand Master Helio Gracie. 

That was followed by the opening of the "Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy," also in Torrance, CA. Under the auspices of the Academy, the programs "Women Empowered®" and "Gracie Bullyproof®" were created and released with major success.

The Gracie Diet book, released in 2010, was written by Rorion to promote the life changing benefits of the food combination program developed by his late uncle Carlos Gracie. The revised edition was released in 2017 with additional recipes, a new chapter about detox, and much more. Then in 2020 the Revised Edition of Gracie Jiu-jitsu, the Master Text was released. It includes a new chapter with the Grand Master’s philosophy. Learn more below.

A portion of your store purchases will be invested in projects that bring jiu-jitsu to those who need it most.

The Gracie Diet

The Gracie Diet is a method of eating developed during 65 years of research and first-hand use by Grand Master Carlos Gracie. Based on common sense and the proper combining of foods, it's the secret of success for the largest family of athletes in the world.

Fully updated with lots of new information including:

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Gracie Jiu-Jitsu: The Master Text

Revised Edition

GRACIE JIU-JITSU - THE MASTER TEXT: The definitive text on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu by GRAND MASTER HELIO GRACIE. The classic 8.5 x 11 inch now with 306-pages, hardbound, full color, is packed with over 1,100 photos, an introduction to the Gracie Diet, plus an additional chapter where you'll find some of the unique philosophy of the Grand Master. This collector quality REVISED EDITION will be one of the most sought-after books in the martial arts world for years to come. In a clear and easy-to-follow format, the father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu addresses different aspects of the self-defense method that bears his name. From the first to the last page of this masterpiece, you'll get a simple breakdown of how to systematically progress, and technically improve your self defense skills regardless of your background. Grand Master Helio Gracie passed away in 2009, after developing the most simple and effective method of self-defense the world has ever seen. For the benefit of future generations his enduring legacy can be found in the pages of GRACIE JIU-JITSU - THE MASTER TEXT. Order now your copy of the REVISED EDITION and own a piece of history!

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Rorion still travels the world to lecture on health and wellness, and to teach jiu-jitsu seminars.

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