Anibal Lobo & Relson Gracie 1 (4936501126)

Relson "Campeão" Gracie is a professional

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

practitioner and

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...

personality. He is a member of the

Gracie family The Gracie Family () are a prominent martial arts family originally from Belém, state of Pará, Brazil whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for creating the self-defense martial arts system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also kno ...

. Relson currently lives alternatively in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

where he teaches Brazlilian Jiu-Jitsu at his academy in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...

and

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. Relson is the second oldest son of

Helio Gracie Helio may refer to: * Helio AU-24 Stallion * Helio (wireless carrier), a defunct American wireless communications provider (2005–2010); originally a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink, purchased by Virgin Mobile USA in 2008 * He ...

, who along with Carlos Gracie, is credited with creating Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Relson began learning the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of two, began competing at the age of ten, and earned his black belt when he was 23. He went 22 years undefeated as the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Champion. On April 6, 2013, Relson was promoted to rank of grandmaster (red belt) the highest possible belt awarded to living individuals in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Relson has also taught self-defense to the U.S. Military, Secret Service, D.E.A., F.B.I., and local law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Biography

Beginnings

Relson was born in 1953, a year after the Gracies opened Academia Gracie in

, Brazil. In 1962, Helio Gracie held the first Brazliain Jiu-Jitsu tournament in

, where Relson competed at the age of 10. Relson was Brazilian National Champion in both his own weight class and the open division for an unprecedented 22 years. His record and success in Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu earned him the name "Campeão," Portuguese for Champion. In 1975, at the age of 22, Relson was approached by Rio's Secretary of Sport Jose Morais and

Manaus Manaus () is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. It is the seventh-largest city in Brazil, with an estimated 2020 population of 2,219,580 distributed over a land area of about . Located at the east center of the s ...

Senator Artur Virgilio, a

Reyson Gracie The Gracie Family () are a prominent martial arts family originally from Belém, state of Pará, Brazil whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for creating the self-defense martial arts system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also kn ...

trained black belt, who proposed Relson open his own academy. Because of this encouragement, Relson opened his first Jiu Jitsu academy, Ilha Clube Jardim Guanabara (ICJG). During this time Relson taught at both ICJG and Academia

Gracie Humaita Gracie may refer to: Names * Gracie (name), a given name and a family name (includes a list of people with that name) * Gracie family, a Brazilian family known for their practice and development of martial arts * Hurricane Gracie, a 1959 Atlanti ...

Growth Of Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu

In the middle to late 1970s Brazlian Jiu-Jitsu continued to grow in popularity, and in 1978, Academia Gracie relocated to Flamengo, an area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1982 Relson and his younger brother Rickson began competing and winning black belt divisions of Jiu Jitsu tournaments in their weight classes (83 kg and 77 kg, respectively) and openweight divisions as well, often sharing 1st and 2nd place. The Gracie family also experienced success in

Vale Tudo Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would even ...

fights and competitions. On April 25, 1980, Rickson Gracie defeated Casemiro "Rei Zulu" Nascimento Martins by rear naked choke. Rei Zulu suffered a similar fate at the hands of Rickson again in January 1984 during their second encounter. Relson trained Rickson for both events in anticipation of fighting Zulu himself.

Move to the United States

In 1985, Relson moved from Rio de Janeiro to

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

at the request of Carlos Sauer. In Monterey, Relson taught at the Eseline Therapy Institute for a year and a half. In June 1988 he moved to Honolulu and continued to teach. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was relatively unknown outside of Brazil at the time. Relson taught out of his garage in the evenings after a hard day's work in the construction industry. However, the popularity of Jiu-Jitsu soon spread throughout the island of Oahu, and in the same year he expanded his classes to athletic facilities at the

University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

because of growing demand until 1996, while continuing to teach out of his garage. Relson organized the first tournament outside of Brazil in Honolulu in 1992.

Involvement with MMA

In 1993,

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

held its first event, UFC 1, which would launch the career of

Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer, and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the Gracie family, he is considered to be one of the most influential figures ...

. Relson helped Royce train for the event. Royce won three of the first four UFC events.

Tournament competition in the 1990s and beyond

In 1997 Relson Gracie brought a team from Hawaii to the second World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships and became the first team outside of Brazil to win a division. Two of Relson's students, Kendall Goo and Kelly Matsukawa, took first and second place in the Adult Blue Belt Pessidissimo division. In 2000 the Relson Gracie Team joined forces with Gracie Humaita and placed in every division at the Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Florida: 1st in the Female and Master/Seniors divisions, 2nd in the Juvenile, and 3rd in the Adult. Relson is also affiliated with some tournaments: the Relson Gracie National Jiu-Jitsu Tournament has been held annually in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

since 1997. Due to the success of his inaugural National tournament,

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

approached Relson to start the Arnold-Gracie World Submission Championships in 2000, also held in Columbus. On January 25, 2020, Relson was arrested in a bus in Rio, Brazil, on charges of drug trafficking. Relson was in possession of medical marijuana, which he obtained legally with a prescription, and which had been legalized in Brazil in December 2019. He was released less than a week later.

Black Belts under Relson

There are many black belts given by Relson across his career. His reputation is for being very hard on promotions, often taking 10-15+ years to attain black belt level. Here are all of the known black belts and their promotion dates, where known: 10] Name - School/Affiliation - City, State - Date of promotion to Black Belt * Steve Maxwell - MaxwellSC - Philadelphia, PA - 11/2002 1* Scott DeVine - Devine Jiu-Jitsu- Brunswick, GA - 3/2003 * F M - Relson Gracie - Honolulu - 3/2003 * Jeff Hudson - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 3/2003 2*

Phil Migliarese Phil "Jiu-Jitsu Matrix" Migliarese (born Philip Migliarese III, January 11, 1976) is a 6th degree Relson Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt with over 20 years of experience in BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts. A Gracie Worlds and National Champion ...

(6th Degree) - Balance Studios - Philadelphia, PA - 3rd, 3/2003 3* Andre Derizans - Relson Gracie Academy - Honolulu, HI, 3rd, 3/2003 * Sam Mahi - Relson Gracie - 7th Degree, 4/14/04 * Rick Migliarese (5th Degree) - Balance Studios - Philadelphia, PA - 1st, 2005 3* Kofi Debrah - Relson Gracie - 9/28/05 * Robin Gieseler - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 2006 (started 94) 4* Ronn Shiraki - Relson Gracie Academy - Honolulu, HI - 6th degree, 6/5/06 5* Kimo Kreis - Relson Gracie Academy - Kaneohe, HI - 6th degree 6/5/06 * Phil Cardella (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie Academy Austin - Austin, TX - 6/5/06 6* Mike Onzuka - 02 Martial Arts Academy - Aiea, HI - 4/4/07 7* Garth Spendiff - Coastal Combatives Inc - Savannah, Georgia - 8/25/07 8* Vince Panzano - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - ? * Lionel Perez - North Florida Brazilian jiu-jitsu - Jacksonville, FL - ? 9* Richard Giberson (1st Degree) - Relson Gracie Academy Austin - Austin, TX - 10/8/07 6* Nathan Zigler - (4th Degree) - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 1/26/2008 0* Toney Waldecker (6th Degree) - Calvert MMA Academy - Sunderland, MD - 4/18/08 122] * David Wilson - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 7/24/08 * Shawn Chitwood - Team Chitwood - Columbus, OH - 11/14/08 3* Steve Hordinski (3rd Degree) - Katharo Training Center - Littleton, CO - 1/17/09 (no longer affiliated) * Michael Casey - Gracie Jiu Jitsu New York - Bronx, NY - 3rd Degree 1/24/09 (started 1994; opened school 1999) * Chris Onzuka - 02 Martial Arts Academy - Aiea, HI - 2/11/09 * Shane Agena - 02 Martial Arts Academy - Aiea, HI - 2/11/09 * Reyn Morimoto - Relson Gracie Academy - Honolulu, HI - 2/18/09 * Todd Tanaka (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie/Team HK Jiu Jitsu - Honolulu, HI - 7/22/09 4* Jay Dennis- Relson Gracie Myrtle Beach South Carolina / 8/9/2009 * Rodrigo Salazar - Denver Jiu Jitsu Academy - Denver, CO - 3rd degree 10/24/09 * Heath Wigginton - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, Az - 12/16/10 * Tony Zara - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 2/19/11 * Matt Rigney - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 2/19/11 * Mark Kurano - Relson Gracie/Gracie Waikiki - Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 5* Jeff Furuta - Relson Gracie/Gracie Uptown - Honolulu, HI - 2nd Degree, 6/22/11 6* Kaleo Auwae (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie/Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu- Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 7* Josh Lauber (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 8* Rhalan Gracie - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 8* Kaleo Hosaka - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 8* Gye Nitta - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 6/22/11 8* Jim Hannan - Relson Gracie - Relson Gracie DC - Fairfax county, Va -7/13/11 * Dan Wallen (4th Degree) - Relson Gracie - Fightworks Academy - Greenville, SC - 7/13/11 9* Tom Feister - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 7/29/11 * Paul Joyner - Relson Gracie601, Meridian, MS - 11/10/11 0* Stuart Ramos - Team Maryland BJJ, Towson MD, - 12/2/11 1* Paul Kimo Kalaiwaa - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI 2011 * Craig Chitwood- Team Chitwood - Mansfield, OH - 1/20/12 3* Doug Moore-Relson Gracie-Gracie Arizona-Phoenix, AZ 1/28/2012 * Shane Briggs - Legion Martial Arts - Little River, SC - January 21, 2012 1* Dave Patton (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie - Fightworks - Sterling, Va - 03/12 9* John-Michael Kaleikini (3rd degree) - Gracie Florida Jiu-Jitsu, Ormond Beach, FL - 03/26/12 * Kayle Quinn - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI - 5/30/2012 * Makena White - Relson Gracie Association Honolulu, HI - 6/6/12 * Brad Scott - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI -6/11/2012 * Christopher R. Laird - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 6/11/2012 * Christina (Thomas) Del Guidice - Empire Jiu Jitsu - Austin, TX - 6/19/2012 2* Steven Abood - Tokyo, Japan 8/18/12 * Mark Stefanac - Relson Gracie Cleveland - Cleveland, Ohio 2/2/13 * Neil Chitwood - Team Chitwood - Lexington, OH 4/6/2013 * David Tabron - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 5/6/13 * Tracy Hopkins - Bushido Martial Arts - Columbus, OH - 5/7/13 * Kyle Spendiff - Gracie Jiu Jitsu Maryland - Clarksville, MD - 11/1/13 * Jerry Brewer- Gracie Charleston-Charleston, SC-12/03/2013 3* Robert Moss - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI - 4/2/2014 * Chris Spicer - Relson Gracie Waco - Waco, TX - May 2014 * Greg Bartman - Bartman MMA and Self-Defense - Silver Spring, MD - 5/13/2014 4* Jim Thrift (3rd Degree) - Calvert MMA Academy / Lineage BJJ - Sunderland, MD - 6/18/2014 5* Josh Simon (3rd Degree) - Relson Gracie Academy, North Columbus Chapter - Columbus, OH - 10/2/14 (Black Belt originally awarded by Gracie Barra. First degree awarded by Relson - 3/6/17) * Scott Phillips - Danger Academy / Wylie, Tx. 1/15/15 * Marco Moreno - The Basics Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu - Leesburg, Virginia 03/27/15 * Michael Cassesa - Relson Gracie Cleveland - Cleveland, Ohio 3/28/15 * Nick Goldizen - Relson Gracie Cleveland - Cleveland, Ohio 3/28/15 * Rod Amano - Relson Gracie - Honolulu, HI 8/26/2015 * Gabriel Obiedo (2nd Degree) - Relson Gracie Austin - Austin, Texas 09/02/2015 * George Mathai (2nd Degree) - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, Texas 9/2/15 * Paul Joyner - Relson Gracie601 - Meridian, Ms 11/11/2015 * Jason Dodd - Global Mixed Martial Arts Academy - Gainesville, Fl - 2015 * Eric Smith- Relson Gracie- Gracie Arizona-Phoenix, AZ 2/2/2016 * Ron Aderhold - Relson Gracie Cleveland - Cleveland, OH - 2/13/16 * Doug Kalin - Relson Gracie Cleveland - Cleveland, OH - 2/13/16 * Dave Futa - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 5/17/16 * Mike Tran (1st Degree) - Calvert MMA Academy / Lineage BJJ - Sunderland, MD - 6/14/2016 5* AJ Mendoza - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 11/25/16 * Drew Arthur - Relson Gracie Tyler / Lone Star MMA Academy, (GracieTyler.com)Tyler TX - 1/1/2017 * Desmond Thain - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 11/28/17 * Kevin Tang - Relson Gracie Team HK - Honolulu, HI - 12/9/2017 * Zachary Pang - Relson Gracie Team HK - Honolulu, HI 12/27/2017 * Christopher Slavens - Relson Gracie O2 Martial Arts Academy - Honolulu, HI 12/27/2017 * Travis Kashiwa - Relson Gracie O2 Martial Arts Academy - Honolulu, HI 12/27/2017 * Andrew Kawada - Relson Gracie O2 Martial Arts Academy - Honolulu, HI 12/27/2017 * Grant Arakawa - Relson Gracie O2 Martial Arts Academy - Honolulu, HI 12/27/2017 * Patrick Gaul Jr. (1st Degree) - Team No Quarter - Greenville, SC - 02/22/2018 * Eric Olson - Gracie Combat - Ashburn, VA - 02/22/2018 * Isaac Ike Haertel - Kogen Dojo-Relson Gracie - Severna Park, MD - 02/27/2018 * Blayne Barlow - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 03/20/2018 * Conor Waffle - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 03/20/2018 * Dan Radoff - (1st Degree)Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 03/20/2018 * Michael Morales - Relson Gracie- Gracie Arizona-Phoenix, AZ - 03/20/2018 * James Watkins - Relson Gracie - Relson Gracie - 03/24/2018 * Mitchell Johnson - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/18/2018 * Phil Baltunado - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/26/2018 * Justin Nihei - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/26/2018 * John Gilbert - Relson Gracie - Columbia, MD - 11/9/2018 * John O'Brien - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu NY- Bronx, NY - 11/14/2018. First student of www.gracieny.com * David Caraulia - Relson Gracie - Waterfront - Honolulu, HI - 02/26/2019 * Josh Harrold - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 3/7/2019 * Jack Notebaert - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 3/7/2019 * Seta Reupenny - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 3/7/2019 (Gracie Arizona's 1st and Relson's 2nd Female Black Belt) * Juan Berumen - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 3/7/2019 * Adrian Berumen - Relson Gracie - Gracie Arizona - Phoenix, AZ - 3/7/2019 * Tori Garten - Bartman MMA and Self-Defense - Silver Spring, MD - 3/27/2019 * Seth Caron - Calvert MMA Academy / Lineage BJJ - Sunderland, MD - 3/28/2019 5* Julio Lima - Relson Gracie Curitiba - BRAZIL - 4/27/19 * Michael Stewart jr.- Rising Tide Academy - Columbia Maryland.-4/27/19 * Carter Lee - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/8/2019 * Shane Nakagawara - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/8/2019 * Antonio Criado - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 10/8/2019 * Kalani Pacyau - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI -10/8/2019 * Chad Kam - Relson Gracie/Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu- Honolulu, HI - 11/27/19 * Phil Clark - Phil Clark's Martial Arts Academy/Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu of Kentucky - Ashland, KY - 12/10/19 * Steve Salas - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - 06/03/2021 * Mark Sanchez - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - 06/03/2021 * Victor Ramos - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - 06/03/2021 * Michael Campos - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - 06/03/2021 * Michael Delgado - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu San Antonio - San Antonio, TX - 06/03/2021 * Ivelin Ivanov - Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Austin - Austin, TX - 06/03/2021 * Jordan Stewart - Rising Tide Academy - Columbia, Maryland - 06/12/2021 * Naqi Sayed - Rising Tide Academy - Columbia, Maryland - 06/12/2021 * Stephen Miller - Rising Tide Academy - Columbia, Maryland - 06/12/2021 * Dwayne Bowie - Kogen Dojo - Severna Park, Maryland - 06/12/2021 * Neil Verbrugge - Relson Gracie - RSA - Honolulu, HI - 6/18/2022 * Johnathan C. Bolton - Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Hawaii - Honolulu, HI - 6/20/2022

Personal

Relson has five children: Karina, Rishna, Rhalan, Kailani and Ka'ena. He also has 3 grandchildren. He travels the world teaching seminars. Relson received his 9th degree red belt from his eldest brother

Rorion Gracie Rorion Gracie (; born January 10, 1952) is a Brazilian-born Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Grand Master, a prominent member of the Gracie family, writer, publisher, producer, lecturer, lawyer and the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the ...

on April 6, 2013.

References

External links

Relson Gracie Official WebsiteCalvertmma.comRelson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Austin Association)Denverjiujitsu.comLineage BJJ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gracie, Relson 1953 births Living people Sportspeople from Rio de Janeiro (city) Brazilian people of Scottish descent Relson People awarded a red belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu