Abu Dhabi: The FGB Arena at Zayed Sports City was abuzz with excitement as Jiu-Jitsu masters of the UAE came together for a training session. Taking centre stage was a short-statured man who was practically mobbed by the masters.
Like young starstruck fans, around 200 senior instructors formed a beeline to click a photograph with whom they regard as the legend of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — Renzo Gracie.
Gracie, now in his late 40s, patiently obliged all of them smiling throughout. “Yes, they all wanted to click a picture with me and I had to oblige. You cannot turn your back on your fans, you see. You are here because of them and here the sport is growing because of them,” said Gracie, who was in Abu Dhabi for a workshop for instructors in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Education Council at the FGB Arena.
Gracie has been a regular to the UAE and made his first trip to the country 21 years ago on an invitation from Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to impart his knowledge of the Brazilian martial art in the UAE.
Two decades down, the sport has captured the hearts of martial arts enthusiasts in the UAE and is now a part of school and college curriculums.
Garcia was all praise for the UAE and the efforts put by them. “It shows what a country can do when the people who run the government are honest and good. The growth of the city to what it is now is an amazing development and Jiu-jitsu, too, has grown as much as the city has developed,” said Gracie, the grandson of Carlos Gracie, the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Gracie said the sport had received a tremendous boost in the UAE and other places, but it had taken a hit in Brazil due to the lack of interest shown by officials there. “There is a lot of interest but the sport grows if there is support from the people at the top. I wish we had a government like here in my country, Brazil. Then I would have an unbelievable country. I think every Emirati should be thankful to the Zayed family,” added Gracie, who is confident that very soon, his preferred sport would be a part of the Olympics.
“It has everything to become an Olympic sport. Now in partnership with the Emirates, I believe it is a certain goal. The sport is growing all over Asia. It is already big in North and South America. It can’t be ignored anymore,” said Gracie.
“It is a matter of time before we get in there. The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship held early this year drew more than 3,000 participants and the last competition in California had over 2,500. These numbers would certainly not go unnoticed,” he said.
At 47, Gracie still spends hours practising the sport and takes active part in competitions. “I have been doing Jiu-Jitsu my whole life. I have a proper diet and I have been a happy man. I never expected Jiu-Jitsu to be that big because, when I began, it was a small mat with 10 people. After seeing this grow so much, I can only be happy. I feel young and I wish I could live for 200 years so I could interact with more Jiu-Jitsu lovers, teach them and even learn from them.”
Gracie also had a tip or two for young aspiring Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts. “Do Jiu-Jitsu with passion, with love. If you are able to do this, you are able to do anything else in life. I always say that when I grow old and my face is full of wrinkles, I know my wrinkles will be in the shape of a smile.”
