RIO DE JANEIRO — Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie started a 100-year martial arts dynasty, and October 25th is a day to celebrate that story.
When Rorion Gracie’s eldest son, Ryron, heard his cousin say he hadn’t seen many of his relatives, he knew he had to do something. 2025 is a symbolic year for the family, and the perfect timing to make history as it marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Gracie Academy, located on Avenida Marqués de Abrantes in Copacabana.
“I called several Gracie families, many of whom I had never even spoken to, and they were all on board with the idea from the beginning,” Rylon said. “But I didn’t call anyone over 55. I started with the younger generation, around my age. When I got to 10 or 15, I already knew something like this was going to happen someday.”
Nearly 1,000 jiu-jitsu practitioners packed into the convention center across from Barra da Tijuca Beach on a sunny Sunday morning. Among them was a sea of white coats and colored belts, from fresh whites to seasoned red belt legends, all eager to learn from icons from two different generations of their families.
Lois, Renzo, Ralph and Daniel shared the mat with Roger, Kyla and the young Gracies and coached nearly 700 grappling enthusiasts.
“I’m impressed with what’s being built around Jiu-Jitsu,” Renzo said. “I remember training with 10 of us at Rawls Academy, and then at Gracie Barra we were practicing with eight, sometimes seven, on the mat. And looking at where we are today, this is getting to where my dream has always been.”
Roger, one of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu athletes of all time and a former ONE Championship titleholder, was emotional as he witnessed history being made at a “turning point” in his family’s history.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve never seen so many of our families together,” Roger said. “Back in the day, in the first and second generations, this family was close-knit in Rio. From my generation onwards, we’re all scattered all over the world. To see everyone reunite like this, families have problems and people fight, so it’s beautiful to see everyone put that aside and celebrate the 100th anniversary together.”
“I think this will be a turning point,” he continued. “This is proof that the third generation is overcoming the problems of the second generation. We were able to bring everyone together, and that’s special. Family is family.”
Rivals past and present put aside their differences, even if just for one day, to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
“The coolest thing is there’s no rivalry today,” Robson Jr. said. “People from rival teams are sitting here together. That’s what’s most important to me, the Jiu-Jitsu community. Wherever you go and say you practice Jiu-Jitsu, the community accepts you. It’s because of the lessons from Carlos, Helio, Carlson and the generation that built this strong foundation.”
A lot has changed in a full century of martial arts. When young Carlos and Elio were teaching at Copacabana, women were not allowed on the mats. It took decades for names like Kaila to fight their way through the battle and open the door for the next generation.
“As the first female black belt in my family, I believe I have brought a small branch to this great tree of Jiu-Jitsu that will encourage more women,” Kyla said. “There are people doing a great job of teaching today. My goal is to help more women use Jiu-Jitsu as a tool for change. This is so important for women.”
“A hundred years ago, they already believed that jiu-jitsu would conquer the world. And back then, people called jiu-jitsu crazy,” she added. “Today, thanks to their resilience, we are on the path they envisioned. That is a deep inspiration to me. I feel a great honor, gratitude, and responsibility to carry it forward.”
Her legacy continues with other women in her family, like Cesarina, who leads a project with an “unnegotiable mission” to empower thousands of girls through martial arts. Inspired by Kaila, she has learned from birth that “Biu-Jitsu teaches us that we have infinite possibilities and the power to choose our own path,” and embraces the challenge of continuing to grow that tradition.
“This reminds us that we represent something greater than the individual,” said Cesarina, who received her black belt during the seminar. “At the same time, it’s an honor to know that the tools that changed our lives are impacting so many others. This is above all a moment of celebration and a recommitment to continue into the next 100 years. It’s worth pausing, reflecting on everything we’ve built so far, and thinking about how we can further extend that positive impact.”
UFC, Jiu-Jitsu, and the White House
Rorion immigrated to the United States with the goal of introducing his family’s martial arts program to a wider audience, which ultimately led to the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where his older brother Royce demonstrated the superiority of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu over representatives of other martial arts.
More than 30 years later, the UFC is once again embracing grappling through UFC BJJ.
And while the Gracies praise grapplers having a new platform to compete and make a living, they don’t believe it’s as important to the growth of jiu-jitsu as the original UFC event in 1993.
“UFC introduced Jiu-Jitsu to the world in 1993,” Renner said. “UFC BJJ is just a business move to capitalize on the success of Jiu-Jitsu a little more.”
“What used to be karate and taekwondo is now jiu-jitsu,” he continued. “It’s everywhere in the world now. Children start at age 3 and men and women continue to train into their 80s and 90s. It’s something anyone can do and it’s life-changing.”
Ryron agreed, adding that the UFC knows that “the world is training Jiu-Jitsu and using that to make the UFC stronger.”
For Igor, the future of the art is even brighter, and the UFC’s involvement will only “give more exposure to Jiu-Jitsu, shine a light on Jiu-Jitsu, and bring it into people’s homes.”
“I think less than 1 percent of the world’s population practices Jiu-Jitsu, so there’s still a lot of room for growth,” Igor said. “Not everyone wants to practice mixed martial arts or get punched in the face. …Realistically speaking, Jiu-Jitsu is by far the best martial art. There is no physical activity that offers so many benefits to children and adults alike. It transcends age and barriers. You train for mental and physical health. It’s amazing to see Jiu-Jitsu spreading around the world.”
Igor’s younger brother Rawls is one of many fighters to have competed in MMA, competing once in the UFC Octagon and competing for the KSW heavyweight title during an 8-4 pro career. He thinks it’s “great that top athletes don’t have to transition to mixed martial arts anymore.” Because “they can already make a living doing jiu-jitsu.”
ValliTudo events such as UFC and PRIDE were important tools used by the Gracies to demonstrate how versatile Jiu-Jitsu is for boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers, and basically any athlete. Although the sport of jiu-jitsu has developed into a more professional system in recent years, with actual prize money awarded to winners and champions, they no longer see pugilism as a necessary path, although Royce still calls jiu-jitsu the “backbone of mixed martial arts.”
“Back in the day, you didn’t have a lot of options,” said Gregor, one of the few Gracies to compete in Bellator. “Jiu-jitsu wasn’t that popular. Once someone got a black belt, they had to move on to Vallitudo. But that’s no longer the case. Today, so many jiu-jitsu athletes teach seminars and get sponsorships. I’m really happy about that because I’m able to earn a living and do well-paid tournaments and events. Anyone who makes the transition does it out of pure desire, not out of obligation or necessity.”
Robson Jr. also fights in Bellator and, at age 36, still has the door open for more fights, praising Jiu-Jitsu for being a professional sport today.
“It’s amazing how you can be a full-time athlete without having to switch to MMA,” Robson Jr. said. “Jiu-Jitsu athletes are finally getting the recognition they deserve, not just as fighters, but as life-changing athletes. This professionalization is just the tip of the iceberg. They deserve so much more because they have changed their lives through Jiu-Jitsu.”
Raylon, the son of the late PRIDE veteran Ryan, is considered one of the most promising talents of his generation. The almost 24-year-old has a completely different perspective on Jiu-Jitsu.
“Victory used to mean proving that Jiu-Jitsu is the most efficient martial art, and that has already been proven many times,” Raylon said. “Now we know we don’t need to prove it anymore. It’s written in history. Our sense of winning has evolved. It’s no longer about winning tournaments or proving superiority, it’s about personal growth.”
Raylon, a multiple IBJJF champion with a colored belt and a bronze medal at the 2024 IBJJF Europeans as a black belt, floated the idea of jumping into MMA, but ultimately decided not to participate in MMA.
“I thought about (it) a lot,” Raylon said. “But once I understood that change of purpose, that I no longer needed to defend Jiu-Jitsu in mixed martial arts, I decided to dedicate myself to this new perspective. I will continue to fight, but in a different way and through a different path. Great for my family. I’m lucky to have so many people who have achieved such great things. I got to see the end result of a life of dedication and struggle. That contact with families from all walks of life gave me this new sense of victory. ”
With thousands of Gracie schools around the world, the future of Jiu-Jitsu looks promising. Its importance to mixed martial arts will likely never end, as fighters without ground skills are limited in the weapons they can use inside the Octagon.
Now a global phenomenon under coach Dana White, Gracie’s invention is poised to make history once again by landing the Octagon on the White House lawn at a UFC event tentatively scheduled for June 2026.
“I would love to be a part of it,” said Royce, a UFC pioneer. One of the players to watch today is Brazil’s record-breaker Charles Oliveira.
“He’s on fire. This kid is fine,” he said.
“All of this is a product of jiu-jitsu,” Renzo said of the UFC’s current success. “We in the Gracie family don’t own Jiu-Jitsu. We are the guardians of the shield. Our job is to protect it and pass it on. I want future generations to remember us.”
It’s been a century since the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu tradition was born, but to some it certainly feels like even longer.
“It’s unbelievable,” Renzo said. “People measure time with clocks, but I don’t. I live 100 years, so in a year I’ll be celebrating another 100 years (laughs). That’s the difference. This is just the beginning, the first 100 years. Jiu-jitsu is here to stay. This is the beginning of forever.”
