Royce Gracie began competing in tournaments at age eight. He received his blue belt at age 16 and was promoted to black belt in less than two years. At the age of 18,
Royce moved to the United States to live with his brother, Rorion. They began teaching private classes out of their garage, sometimes for more than ten hours a day. In 1990, Rorion and
Royce opened the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California.
Royce’s reputable career as a fighter began in 1993 after defeating three opponents in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. This was a historic time in the UFC when there were almost no rules, no time limits, and no weight divisions. Discipline after discipline was defeated by the slight 6’1”, 180 pound
Royce Gracie.
His opponents consistently outweighed him by more than 50 pounds. He went on to win 3 UFC titles and today is the only man in the history of no holds barred matches to successfully defeat four opponents in one night.
Royce Gracie is still very active in the fight world with the longest MMA match in history (90 min) against Japanese Superstar Kazushi Sakuraba in PRIDE Grand PRIX 2000, and total domination of the Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida in PRIDE Shockwave 2003.
His largest opponent yet was Sumo Grand Champion Akebono, 6' 8" 486lbs.
Royce Gracie vs. Akebono was the main event of K-1 Premium Dynamite New Years Eve show on 12/31/2004.
Royce Gracie defeated the giant in just 2min and 13sec with a shoulder lock. Royce’s success has opened the eyes of many disbelievers to the importance of leverage and technique in grappling. In November of 2003,
Royce Gracie was the first fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
His list of students is enormous.
Royce Gracie has taught many celebrities including: Chuck Norris, Ed O’Neal, Guy Ritchie and Nicholas Cage. He has also been very active with the CIA, FBI, DEA, Secret Service, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Navy Seals and many sheriff and police departments.
Royce Gracie teaches here at Marcellini’s Martial Arts Academy on a regular basis. He uses Sam Marcellini as a sparring partner for his fight preparation.
Click Here to Train with Royce Graci
