JUNE 2012_Beverly Hills Times Mag. 6/25/12 1:14 PM Page 34
EDITOR’S PICK Gracie Academy Jiu-Jitsu School
Grand Scale Excitement Comes To Beverly Hills The famous Gracie Family has opened a state-of-the-art self-defense school in Beverly Hills. To celebrate the Grand Opening, they're offering a 10-day FREE"TRIAL to all firsttime Gracie Academy students that includes a FREE uniform and unlimited access to their beginner group classes. They have specialized self-defense programs for men and women, and an amazing kids program GRACIE BULLYPROOF. No experience necessary. Established in 1925, Gracie Academy is the most renowned, high visibility Jiu-Jitsu training program globally. Gracie family members are the BEST Black Belt fighters on earth winning the most prestigious UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) titles in cage fighting/ring combinations of boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Wrestling, Muay Thai and Karate; Rorion Gracie is the creator of the UFC. Although Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is world-renowned with Certified Training Centers around the world, the Beverly Hills location will be ONLY the second location that the Gracie Academy family has personally opened and will be on site to instruct classes. The class structure, the camaraderie, and high quality instruction will convince you to let them guide you on your path to jiu-jitsu mastery. Me, my kids and friends are signed up and ready to go. Call in or visit their website to reserve your spot! See you there!
My Interview with Rorion Gracie by Suzanne Takowsky ST: People think of Jiu-Jitsu as fighting, but Gracie Jiu-Jitsu promotes efficiency, patience and control. Is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu different from other martial arts? RG: My father, Helio Gracie was introduced to Japanese Jiu-Jitsu as a young boy in Brazil. He was so weak the techniques were not effective for him. Out of necessity, he modified the techniques to accommodate his frail physique, and through those modifications gave birth to an entirely new discipline, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Unlike other martial arts, the techniques of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu do not rely on strength, speed, or coordination. Instead, the entire art is based on leverage, timing, and energy efficiency so that anyone can learn and effectively apply it regardless of age or athletic ability. ST: It seems as if Jiu-Jitsu is the new karate. How did your system become so popular so quickly? RG: When I brought Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the US in 1978, no one knew what it was. Everyone was still in “Bruce Lee mode,” where it was all about powerful punches and high-flying kicks. In 1993, I created the UFC—the Ultimate Fighting Championship—to answer the age-old question: what is the most effective martial art? By pitting all the disciplines against one another on pay-per-view, viewers from around the world witnessed the first true comparison of the arts. My brother, Royce, entered the competition and, even though he was the smallest competitor, defeated all of his opponents with relative ease. His success put Gracie Jiu-Jitsu on the map as the only
Ryron Gracie, Sage Gracie, Ralek Gracie, Eve Torres, Rener Gracie
“Three million children each month miss school out of fear of bullies. The Gracie ST: What makes a good jiu-jitsu student? Bullyproof classes give children confidence RG: At the Gracie Academy, we strongly believe there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” students, only good or to defeat bullies without violence, but with bad teachers. If the student doesn!t learn a technique, verbal assertiveness. We also teach a series it!s not their fault; it!s the instructor!s fault for not making of non-violent self-defense techniques if it easy enough to understand and execute. Guided by this philosophy for three generations, my family!s primary physically assaulted. We prepare children focus has been to teach Jiu-Jitsu in a way that is welhow to overcome bullies without turning coming, safe and easy for new students, especially those with no previous experience. Today, our patented teachthem into bullies.” — Rorion Gracie self-defense system that is truly reliable for the average person against a larger, more athletic opponent.
ing methods, unique programs, and welcoming introductory classes, allow anyone to experience the magic of Jiu-Jitsu without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed.
ST: The Gracie Bullyproof kids program is getting a lot of attention in the media. What inspired the program? RG: When we learned three million children each month miss school out of fear of bullies, we decided to act. We created Gracie Bullyproof to give children the confidence to defeat bullies without violence. In these classes, we teach children (ages 5-13) to use verbal assertiveness to deter bullies, but also arm them with a series of nonviolent self-defense techniques if physically assaulted. More important, we don!t teach to punch or kick, since this often does more harm than good. Instead, we use leverage-based control holds to neutralize threats without violence. Many schools districts have embraced the defensive nature of the Gracie Bullyproof techniques as a reasonable, nonviolent response to bullying and host Gracie Bullyproof classes on campus! The
bottom line is: we prepare children how to overcome bullies without turning them into bullies. ST: Why open a Gracie Academy in Beverly Hills? RG: A good friend of mine, Ed O!Neill (star of the hit comedy show Modern Family) has trained with me for almost 20-years and recently earned his black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Ed tries to introduce his friends—most live in and around the Beverly Hills area—to Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. When they hear that they have to drive to Torrance to learn from us... it!s a deal breaker. So, we figured “If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.” And here we are! ! Learn more about the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Beverly Hills and their specialized beginner selfdefense programs FREE for 10 days.
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy Beverly Hills 324 S. Beverly Drive 2nd Floor Beverly Hills, 90212
424-259-2455 infoBH@gracieacademy.com www.graciebeverlyhills.com Reylan Gracie, Rener Gracie, Ed O'Neill (Modern Family), Rorion Gracie, Ralek Gracie, Ryron Gracie 34 // bhtmag.com //
Photos courtesy of the Gracie Academy.