Schuckman: Gracie shows being kind and respectful is just as important as fierce and ferocious

PALMYRA, Mo. — The chatter and commotion steadily increased as a group of jiu-jitsu students and their parents gathered Saturday morning, just a few feet from the mats where a self-defense class was being taught and Royce Gracie happened to be sizing it up.

The kids waiting to take the mat themselves were sizing him up, too.

“He’s a UFC legend,” one of the boys said.

When asked what he thought that meant, the simplest answer followed.

“He’s tough,” the boy said, “and could beat us all up.”

There’s some truth to that. Two decades ago, Gracie, a Brazilian mixed martial artist, won three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship open tournaments, and he was part of the inaugural class of UFC Hall of Famers in 2003.

His training and knowledge of Brazilian jiu-jitsu made him a standout because of his ability to win matches through submission, grappling and ground fighting.

So to say he’s tough is accurate.

What might surprise you is how he sheds the stereotypes many UFC fighters face.

Kind and gentle are as fitting a description for Gracie as furious and aggressive might be. That softer side, along with an engaging smile and make-you-feel-good laugh, were on full display as Gracie conducted a pair of clinics Saturday at the Royce Gracie Jiu-jitsu Academy of Missouri.

Gracie spent an hour working with a group of 18 kids and then two hours with a group of adults, offering training tips, helping hone techniques and serving as a mentor, just as he has for Missouri Academy owner and black belt Mark Kerkhoff.

The style in which Gracie approached the kids — persistent yet patient, demanding yet delicate, focused yet fun-loving — made it easy for them to stay engaged and entertained, no matter their age or attention span. They made the most of every minute on the mat with him, listening to his words, following his commands and doing everything he asked.

Every single one of them did it with a smile. So did Gracie.

His reach in the mixed martial arts realm is always expanding. His network includes 27 academies located across the globe, and he conducts seminars and clinics at those academies on a regular basis with plans to visit seven in the next three weeks.

It’s a thriving business based on the jiu-jitsu principles he learned from his father, Helio Gracie, but it never would have gained popularity or a following had it not been for the personality and genuine respect and love for people Gracie exhibits.

Every kid taking part in Saturday’s clinic felt it and reciprocated it.

Could there have been a future UFC fighter in the room? Maybe so, only time will tell.

If there was, expect them to be tough, physical, strong and ferocious, while also knowing they will be kind, gentle, respectful and considerate.

That’s the Gracie way.