Carlos Gracie was part of a legendary generation of family members in the famous Gracie family. He was also the first Gracie member to break away from the traditional family structure and created his own Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team, Carlson Gracie BJJ. To this day, the Carlson Gracie BJJ team is still alive and kicking, with multiple schools and affiliations around the globe.
What’s more, his son Carlson Gracie Jr. still carries the torch and trains and teaches – keeping the Carlson Gracie lineage alive. Like many members of the Gracie family, Carlson was not one to mince his words – so here are his top 10 most explosive quotes for BJJ and life.
“If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions”
“If it were not for me, the Gracies would be selling bananas in Largo do Machado!”
“Always enter like a kitten and leave like a lion. But never enter like a lion and leave like a kitten. Always be humble”
“If you cannot win, make the enemy pay a steep price for victory”
“Never quit. You have to resist the utmost. Til you drop, like a samurai”
“There was no one left to fight besides me. It was just me, Robson and a bunch of women”
“Everything in the world changes and progresses, so I try to do that with Jiu Jitsu”
“The best way to get a move to work is to make it so uncomfortable that the opponent gives it to you to stop the pain”
“Punch a black belt in the face, he becomes a brown belt. Punch him again, purple…”
“There is no reward without sacrifice”
“The word creonte, I created that. And that worked out, everything I do in Jiu Jitsu works out”
If you’re a fan of Carlson Gracie then check out his book, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for experts only.
