Renzo Gracie is one of the most influential BJJ practitioners and MMA fighters ever. He is known to wear his heart on his sleeve and always speak his mind. Because of this, down the years he has come up with some very fitting quotes which are commonly used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu today. His philosophy is simple and sometimes brutal – that life is tough and fighting is a part of life to be embraced. We have compiled a list of 15 of his best quotes that relate to not just BJJ but wider aspects of life and how to apply a successful mentality to do the best on an everyday basis.
1. “A good friend doesn’t try to break up a fight. A good friend comes in with a flying kick”
2. “My opponent is my teacher. My ego is my enemy”
3. “Even if you don’t win, you learn. So there’s no losing…You win the fight or you learn”
4. “A boxer is like a lion, the greatest predator on land. But throw him in the shark tank and he’s just another meal”
5. “Be brave, be bold and above all be honest, some people will hate you and some will love you but they will all see the real you”
6. “Every time I see open space I see a mat on the floor”
7. “A black belt is a white belt who never quits!”
8. “The secret of this sport is, while you’re the nail, hang in there, let them hit you, until the day you become the hammer, then you smash them back!”
9. “We are like artists by nature. Constantly we are trying to add beauty to movements”
10. “For multiple opponents, I have multiple brothers”
11. “Life is about fighting. You will have to fight every day of your lifetime”
12. “The more I train, the luckier I get”
13. “Fighting is the best thing a man can do with his soul”
14. “People would see a lot of times fighting as an ugly thing, as a thing that degenerates the human being. In reality, you see fighting in everything…Everything’s fighting doesn’t matter what it is. You wake up in the morning, to get out of bed is fighting”
15. “The first rule to perfect your Jiu Jitsu is to never be deaf to other peoples knowledge”
