HELIO GRACIE

Helio Gracie welcomes GRACIE Magazine
Grand Master summarizes his 91 years of age, reveals with exclusivity his philosophical writings and claims to have no fear of death.
By Raphael Nogueira - Photos by Gustavo Aragao
“The brave man is a quiet and sure being, for nothings disturbs him, one who is able to solve any task, any problem,” says the highest rated Jiu-Jitsu fighter alive. Seven members of GRACIE Magazine (a photographer, two editors, two reporters, one trainee and one curious guy from the administrative sector) listen to the lesson with plenty of attention, unlike the fly – one of those very small ones – that clumsily flies above Helio’s head. At times it lands on the face of the red-belt (already at the tenth degree), who tries to push it away with the hands. The insect is able to dodge and goes back to annoy him. A brave one for sure.

Helio has got a card index with a black cover on his lap. That’s where he keeps his philosophical writings, a treasure never before revealed to a report team. Running across the index, the current patriarch of the Gracie family finds a page concerning one of the texts he likes the most. It’s called “The Man and the Dog,” from which the following aphorism is worth mentioning: “If the man walked on all fours, he would be an animal that deserved to be castrated and put away.”

And this is just one of Helio Gracie’s theories. His favorite pastime nowadays is thinking, reflecting on life. Consequently he writes. “I’m 92 years old [he adds the nine months of gestation to his age]. It is hard to find a head that works as fast as mine. I’ve never had this much good sense in my whole life,” he reveals. If the wrinkles show that Helio is suffering from this inexorable opponent called time, the irreverence and brilliancy of his words make it clear that the Jiu-Jitsu monarch walks hand in hand with the years.

Perhaps simplicity is a strong ally of Helio’s in reaching this late well-being, as he approaches a century of living. The out-of-line Casio wristwatch tells time on the guru’s left wrist. The pair of sneakers he wears is worn out, with no famous brand left to be seen. The white t-shirt, bearing the family name chest-high, is tucked into the loose gray pants that go way above the waist.

But it is not only for being alien to the latest Sao Paulo Fashion Week that Helio Gracie can be defined as a simple man. That becomes much clearer when one listens to the humility of his self-criticism (“I’ve always been a skinny guy, a nobody”) or the objectivity of his decisions (“With me there’s no halfway, it’s either yes or no”), besides the elementary lever techniques he used in order to perfect Jiu-Jitsu: “Any crippled is able to learn from the moves I created.”

For years interview-unfriendly, the legendary Jiu-Jitsu professor speaks spontaneously to the GRACIE Mag team. “I like the magazine,” he explains. Helio could earn a lot of money giving motivational seminars at great enterprises – you’ll notice this interview resembles a class. The reporters, professionals paid to ask questions, spend most of the time quiet, listening.

But when they do ask…
“Are you afraid of death?” “Do you regret having or not having done something in such a long life?” “Don’t you feel lonely in this far away ranch?” In the following interview, you’ll learn how Helio Gracie faced every one of these questions, treating them as if they were the weakest of white-belts. He still found the strength to lead our team to the house back of the ranch, where there’s a dark-green mat, and showed us some of the positions of the martial art he reinvented: Jiu-Jitsu.

You are nearly a century old. Do you regret having or not having done something in such a long time?Funny, I don’t remember anything I disapprove. I was always a normal kid, except for one flaw: I liked to fight. At least until I got two important life lessons. I remember the first as if it were today. I used to walk up and down, still very young, before I got acquainted with Jiu-Jitsu. I weighed about 70lb, but I’d tell anyone: “What the hell are you looking at?” Well, one day a friend called Gugu told me: “Hey, there’s a certain Benigno around who wants to beat me up.” In order to defend Gugu, I decided to fight the guy without even knowing who he was. I asked him: “Do you want to hit Gugu?” and punched his face right away. Then he punched me about 20 times. My face was all swollen. People would enquire what had happened to my face. I told them I had fought Benigno and they replied: “Benigno, alright; that guy is malign, look at the beating he gave you!” [laughter]. In the end I realized it was a deserved beating. Lesson one: don’t be unfair, don’t fight for no reason.

What about the second lesson?
Well, years later I was on a bus, going to Copacabana beach, and there was a stern, strong young man, looking in my direction. I approached him and said: “Why are you staring at me? Do you think I’m a queer?” But he didn’t give a damn, didn’t even pay attention. He lowered his sight and spoke: “Go away, kid.” It was such great contempt that I never again disturbed anyone else. Soon afterwards I met Jiu-Jitsu and never fought in the street again. The fellow fights in the street because he doesn’t believe in himself, he wants to challenge people to prove something. But after he learns Jiu-Jitsu, he strengthens himself in such a way that he starts to treat street fighting with the same contempt that guy on the bus had for me.



So you hold no grudge whatsoever?
Let’s say all of you [he points at the seven members of the GRACIE team] kicked my ass right now, broke the hell out of me, so that I’d have to spend the next six years in bed recovering. Suddenly a cop calls me saying he arrested the gang that beat me up. “I can kill or cripple every single one of them, no one will ever know about it, it depends solely on you,” he would tell me. I’d simply reply: “Do nothing, leave them all alone.” I believe nature charges a fair price that perhaps I would not be able to reckon. I don’t avenge myself on anyone. Nature will get them for me, and that makes me sleep peacefully, with no fear of anything. I usually say that nobody gets what they don’t deserve, be it punishment or reward. A brick fell onto your head? Thank God for it, because you owed something that was paid by this. It ain’t easy to think like this, it’s hard, but one day you’ll get there and understand it.


Speaking of punishments from nature, how do you look at natural disasters such as tsunamis? Nature cleans; by the way, it is cleaning at this moment. And the worst is yet to come. There are a few things I write, if you wish to hear I’ll read it aloud to you. I started studying nature and consequently studied mankind. You think you know yourselves, but none of you knows what you truly are. [Master Helio leaves the porch to fetch to card indexes in the back of the house. On one there’s a tag reading “Moral traits” and on the other “General Issues.”] Everything that comes out of your mind is a moral trait. I have listed 58 of them. Don’t notice, I’m ignorant, although not stupid. I always had the intention of giving good lessons, serving as example, correcting other people’s mistakes. But then I realized I had more defects than the people I advised. I began scrutinizing myself, digging deep inside my soul, correcting myself before correcting others. Thus I discovered all that I ended up writing in theses notes. I found out I’m the worst fellow I have ever met. I’m a thief, a criminal… Not that I have committed any of these crimes, but I have thought of so doing, and to me that’s enough. If I think, I am.

Do you want to publish your writings?


I have never thought of it. I don’t intend to convince anyone, this material is nothing but my way of thinking. I don’t want to influence anybody; the fellow either agrees with me or s/he doesn’t. I don’t believe in religion or anything of the sort. I believe nature controls everything in the universe [Pause for reflection]. Am I boring you?
Of course not, Master.

Well then. I am convinced that we are also all controlled. We receive from nature according to our thoughts, words and works. There are people who do nothing wrong, say nothing wrong, but thinks wrongly like there’s no tomorrow. To this day there hasn’t been a single human being who didn’t think wrongly. I am even trying to correct that in myself, not to think bed things anymore. When a bad thought comes to me, I punch its face and send it away.

What was the most negative thought you ever had?
When I was younger I was the worst person in the world. If someone did anything wrong to me, I immediately wanted to kill them. I would never have reached the fighting level I got to if I was a good guy… When I started there were only criminals to fight against, I confronted a human jungle. And to kick an animal’s ass I you must be worse than it, which is my case. Man is the worst animal on the face of Earth.

Are you afraid of death?
Death? [Laughter.] Why fear death? I don’t need anything, I don’t have anything, I don’t want anything. I think it’s silly for somebody to be scared of dying. One should be afraid of being born. I have already told my children when I die I want a party, with no alcohol, no hell raising [general laughter]. But I want a party with music, food… I don’t know if you guys believe in reincarnation, but we all go and come back until the day we no longer have to return. My brother [Carlos Gracie, already deceased] used to say the fellow only stops returning to Earth when he mingles with the Whole. Even when you’re thinking just a little bit wrongly, you come back to continue evolving. Hell, my friends, is right here on Earth.

Why have you isolated yourself from the city and come to live here on this far away ranch in Itaipava, Rio de Janeiro?I’ve lived here for fourteen years now. You are aware of the crap it is to live in a big city, aren’t you? There is not enough gold in the world to make me leave this place. In Rio [capital of the state] you leave your house and don’t know whether you’re coming back alive.

Don’t you feel lonely here?
Lonely? Do you know what loneliness is? Loneliness is a person not liking his/herself. Loneliness is not having a mental activity. It is hard to find a head that works as quickly as mine. I am 92 years old and none of you can think or discuss more quickly than I. There’s no reason to feel alone. Solitude is a man getting older and not having any friends. Loneliness is a man not having anything to do or think. It’s hell, a disgraceful death. I like living here, no one annoys me, I have no neighbours, the property is huge, I am miles away from the street. For my age, my health condition, the lucidity I have today… That is very rare, may God give you all the same. I have never such good sense in my entire life. It’s hard to find a happier man than me. [Helio lives in Itaipava with his wife, Vera Gracie.]

What are your pastimes here on the ranch?
When there is no student coming to take Jiu-Jitsu lessons, I write, play solitaire… I’m an utter vagabond [laughter]. I even watch television, but find most of the shows awful.

Few people get to your age with so much lucidity. Is there a secret formula for that?

The sternness of age makes me see things as right or wrong. With me there’s no halfway, it’s either yes or no. Try from now on not to answer “maybe,” “more or less,” “who knows.” Simply say yes or no, you’ll see how tough it is.

After all, which is the best move in Jiu-Jitsu?
That depends on the attack the guy is under, but when I fought my favorite move, because against it there’s no tough guy, was the “sleeper,” that is, the choke. I think to this day I have only won one fight with an armlock, the rest of my opponents would go to sleep. Since I was thinner than my adversaries, I was always on the bottom, doing guard, and from there I would give the choke. Therefore, to me, the greatest move is the choke-in-guard, for there’s no man who can resist it, they all fall asleep. Or give up.