Celebrate Master Carlos Gracie Jr’s red and white belt with five teachings for a complete BJJ lifestyle

Carlos Liberi, Carlos Gracie Jr and Marcio Feitosa

Master Carlos Gracie Jr reached another milestone on his life dedicated to Jiu-Jitsu. He is now a red and white belt, equivalent to the 8th degree on the black belt. The ceremony took place April 25, in Campinas, Brazil, at the Gracie Barra Annual Convention.

We take the opportunity to celebrate the Master’s influence on the Jiu-Jitsu community. We went back to GRACIEMAG #200 and selected five of the lessons he shared with our Editor Raphael Nogueira and Photographer Gustavo Aragão during the three days they spent with the Master in Florianopolis, Brazil.

1. The recipe for being a good guard player 

“Defeating the guard passer is like taming a wild horse. We impose control little by little, gradually progressing, taking away the animal’s impetus until it’s exhausted. That’s when you attack.” 

2. Persistence is one of the keys to success in life

“Discipline and consistency. I owe everything I have attained in my life to this two factors. Things have never happened overnight. Results have appeared as a consequence of decades-long toil. It’s necessary to persist.”

Carlos Gracie Jr

3. Live a healthy and fulfilling life

“I wake up every day wanting to live the best way possible. I want to enjoy my moments to the fullest. My dad, Carlos Gracie, was an example of that. He was lucid and healthy until his last day. He lived more than 90 years. Looking after the health of his body – which is the vessel of your mind and spirit – is the secret to a life like his.” 

4. Know well the basics and you’re good for life

“This new acrobatic guards are efficient for sure, but your body can’t withstand them for too long. The lumbar region, for example, as strong as it may be, will never be armored against the passage of time. You can rest assure that the basic techniques, like the closed guard or the open guard with the hand on the lapel that I like to do will never abandon us. At 70, we’ll still be capable of performing them with plenty of mobility. That can’t be said of the berimbolo or the tornado guard.”

5. A man’s true value is…

“Here on earth, you are worth exactly the good you do your fellow man, and the beneficial teachings you pass on. All the rest is worth absolutely nothing.”