Gracie Visits, Trains in Council
Council was visited by a Master on Tuesday, April 28. Master Carlson Gracie Jr, that is, who is known in the world of martial arts as the Prince of Jiu-Jitsu. Master Gracie was visiting the Council Jiu-Jitsu Academy, which is affiliated with the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Team. On Tuesday night, Master Carlson Gracie Jr. gave a seminar to the students in Council, and also awarded belt and stripe promotion within the local academy.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carlson Gracie Jr. Is the only son of BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) Grandmaster Carlson Gracie Sr., and the grandson of the legendary Carlos Gracie, who was one of the primary founders of the sport. With this strong family legacy, Carlson Gracie Jr. began learning jiu-jitsu when he was only 2 1/2 years old, and never stopped. By the time he was 12 he was an “assistant, assistant, assistant” teacher, and was a teacher in his own right at the age of 17.
Today, Gracie lives in Chicago, and is the head of the Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Team, an international organization with hundreds of affiliated schools. The Council Jiu-jitsu Academy, however, is the first, and only, affiliate school in Idaho, and the only reason Master Gracie has ever been to Idaho. “It’s so quiet here, it’s nice,” he said about Idaho. This was his second visit to the Council Jiu-Jitsu Academy, the first time he had ever been to the state was during his visit to Council in November of 2024. It was an honor, especially considering that Master Gracie does not visit every school affiliated with Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, in fact, when asked, he said he probably only gets out to perhaps 30-40% of his schools.
At the time of his visit to Council, Master Carlson Gracie Jr. had recently returned from visiting a school in Tahiti. “They do a beautiful work there, because the majority of the teachers, they don’t get paid for that,” he said, “they’re just looking out for keeping the kids out of drugs and, you know, keeping the kids strong for the future, and I love that.” Sometimes Gracie gets paid for his travels, but often he does not. “But it’s a good thing, you know, I’m giving back what the world gave to me. Giving back to the society.” When Council resident Anna Cook started the Council Jiu-Jitsu Academy, for example, he did not charge any of the standard affiliate fees. “I think what she’s doing out here is great for the society and great for the city,” said Master Gracie, “I just make enough to have an honest life, and I believe many people out there they want to help the society, and I’m there for them.”
This philosophy was one of many things Gracie learned from his father. “Thanks to him we are here now, because he opened his doors for the people [who} are not capable to pay, and he just received them with open arms,” said Gracie, “Jiu-jitsu it is what it is because of him.” Master Gracie said the Carlson Gracie Association tries to honor and continue the teachings and legacy of his father.
Master Carlson Gracie Jr. said one rule that was demanded by his father as a child was “don’t use what you do outside the mats.” Just because he didn’t fight, though, didn’t mean he couldn’t, and simply the knowledge that he had the skills built his confidence. “‘Cause you know you’re capable to protect yourself,” said Gracie, “Having that kind of tool, hiding on you… builds the confidence in you.”
There were times, however, he had to use the skills he had learned. Gracie shared a story from his childhood of a time he disobeyed his father, where another kid at school had been picking on him all year, so on the last day of the year he said “look, today we get square. And he said ‘okay we’re gonna fight!” So he come up to me, and I, in one move, I throw him to the ground.” Master Gracie said he told the boy all year he couldn’t fight because that’s what his father told him, but he never said he didn’t have the skills. “And he, this guy became a friend.” They were friends for years. “In that point… I got to understand why my daddy said that.”
“When you have this thing, this kind of tool on you… that builds confidence.” Master Gracie said the confidence he gained from jiu-jitsu took him to many different places in life, not just in martial arts, but it did help him understand why so many people want their children to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts in general. “I have this.. feeling like I’m somebody, you know? I’m strong, you know? And this has been with me my whole life.” Master Gracie thinks having an internal narrative that no one can push you around can translate to other aspects of life, and is especially helpful with finding jobs. “It’s like a wolf. They smell when you’re weak. You know? They can see, and they don’t want people like that. They want strong people,” said Master Gracie. “So I think the key of this success, is to become self-confident.”
Gracie said all martial arts help to build self-confidence, but jiu-jitsu is one of the best because you have to give 100% in a fight to dominate. “I recommend judo and jiu-jitsu because it’s… We’re not hurting people, you know? We are showing you we are better.” Losing can be just as valuable as winning, but for different reasons. “My dad used to say the best lessons you get is when you lose. Because you see your weakness and you try to… cover the weakness, and that’s pretty much people, you know? So when… you don’t achieve your goals…you go back and research things better for you‘re development. In martial arts it is the same way.”
Carlson Gracie thinks that challenging children through martial arts makes them stronger, and it is important not to be too protective. “Because you go out there and you fight for yourself. I cannot make you fight! You’re gonna fight for yourself. So very protective is not the best thing, you know?” This is not just his teaching philosophy, but also his parenting philosophy. “We raise kids for the world. Yeah, that’s what I tell my wife. My wife is super protective, and I say, let him get it wrong, let him do wrong, he’s gonna go back and..see for himself…If you’re not exposing your kids to things, you’re not gonna learn.”
Over the weekend, a dozen students from Council decided to challenge themselves, and participated in a United Grappling BJJ tournament in Meridian on May 2. They performed well at the competition, and the team brought home two silver and three bronze metals. Having Master Carson Gracie Jr. visit their academy the week before the tournament was an inspiration, and he spoke to them about the importance of winning, and losing, well. This proved to be valuable advice!
To honor the Carlson Gracie legacy, Master Carlson Gracie Jr says he expects his students to be good people. “Just remember in the future, if you have to do something for somebody else… pay it forward, just giving back to the society.” It was a wonderful experience for the children of Council to have him visit and share his vast experience, knowledge, and inspiration with them. “I am a citizen of the world,” said Master Carlson Gracie Jr. “beside that I am a civil diplomat, humanitarian and I … teach any people need… always up to support the kids… ‘cause I think the kids is the future of the world.”
