by Steve Gupton at Royce Gracie JJ of Henderson, N.C. TEAM-MBMA/ROC How old were you when you started training? I was 6 years old. I just turned 39, so it's been a little while! (Laughs) What was it like growing up in the Gracie family and EVERY one of your brothers was on the mat training? Ever have any "friendly" fights when someone got angry?! (Laughs) No, nothing like that. We all respected each other, worked very hard, and were very close. Plus, catching each other proved very difficult; we all knew the same techniques! (laughs) You & your brothers all started training very young, how did your Father train young children? Dad was always very serious with us, but fun and playful. He believed children, especially very young ones, are best taught, through play, and that was how he taught me. What age do you recommend kids to start training? For me, it was 6, so I'm biased towards that age group. My brothers differ with me on this, but I feel that 6 is the perfect age. Most children are ready by then and usually do well, with proper training. The game today seems to be leaning more and more without the Kimono, how do you feel about this? Do you feel that Gi training is more important? The Gi is where technical precision comes from. Period. Much easier to take it off and roll effectively than train without it and expect to do well with it. Keep your Gi's, American guys!! (Laughs) Of your Father's many accomplishments, which are you the most proud? That's a tough question. My Father's accomplishments are many and it would take a lot longer than this interview to list them all. But, by far, my proudest was when my Father saved the swimmer who was drowning in the shark-waters. It is mentioned in Kid Peligro's new book, "The Gracie Way", (plug). That is the one that I can say, makes me feel the most proud. In America, there are very few Women students studying GJJ. What can we do as instructors and practitioners to help attract more Women students to our art? I think GJJ has something for everyone, especially Women. In Brazil, we have the same problem, not many of the Ladies want to train. I think we need to emphasize Self-Defense even more. That has been my families mantra since day one: Self-Defense. After all, isn't that what everyone really begins training for? So, I think getting more Women involved will be through pushing the Self-Defense aspect even more so. What would you say are the biggest differences in training in Brazil versus America? In Brazil, the game is much faster, and of course, much more technical, but our American friends have better educations on Nutrition, Fitness, etc and this is helping to improve their overall game, as well. What major changes have you seen in the evolution of GJJ over the last 5 years? The Leg game? No-Gi? The Leg game is certainly a factor, as well as the no-Kimono, but to me, the biggest change that I have noticed is the explosion of children training. More and more children are discovering GJJ every day! Which is wonderful, because they are the future. Our art will die without them. Finally, what is your opinion of American GJJ?! Are we Americans improving? (Laughs) As long as you have good instruction! Just kidding! But, absolutely. As I said a minute ago, American JJ enthusiasts have many tools in their arsenals, that are helping them to catch up. Also, one big factor, is American passion. Americans are very passionate about JJ and that is a big factor in how well you actually do something. Is it in your Heart or not. Thank you Sir, for your time! My pleasure! Keep up the hard work out there American JJ guys!! All Interviews