Everyone who’s been training Jiu-Jitsu for a while has heard of Renzo Gracie. And they haven’t heard only about his perfected BJJ; but, moreover, they’ve also heard how great of a human being Renzo Gracie is.
Only those who are closest to him have seen this in full light. For instance, Chatri Sityodtong has seen Renzo’s warmth time and time again, as they know each other since 2005:
I first stepped into the blue basement of the legendary Renzo Gracie Academy in early 2005 when I lived in NYC.
After more than 15 years of friendship, I can tell you that Renzo Gracie is one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever met. To this day, we speak almost every week.
He explains how the legendary Gracie has a pure heart:
He has the biggest heart of gold of any person I know.
I can tell you countless stories of Renzo giving to others with no expectation of anything in return, be it to a beggar on the street, a friend in need, a new white belt, or a total stranger.
He embraces everyone and has friends from all walks of life. He loves people, irrespective of race, religion, social status, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, etc. In fact, his close friends represent the diversity of our planet along those dimensions. Renzo is the definition of the human spirit born free.
What’s more, Chatri emphasizes that without Renzo Gracie, ONE Championship would’ve never come to fruition:
On a personal level, I can also tell you that I will spend the rest of my life to repay his kindness to me, and it will still never be enough. (Without Master Renzo and Kru Yodtong, ONE Championship would never have been born. They both inspired me to chase my dreams.)
We might not always agree on everything, but Renzo is truly a brother from another mother.
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