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BJJ Legends: This is very consistent with other things I’ve heard you say, other members of your family. Robson Gracie was attributed with the statement that Jiu-Jitsu… he believes Jiu-Jitsu is fantastic and that its a form of education.

Rickson Gracie: Yes.

BJJL: He felt it was transformative. Do you feel that same way?

Rickson Gracie: I’m sorry.

BJJL: He felt it was transformative. It changed people, that Jiu-Jitsu had the ability to change people and that was one of the things that made it fantastic and the fact it had an educational component to it. Do you feel the same way, that it’s very transformative for these reasons?

Rickson Gracie: I’m positive, but not because Jiu-Jitsu transforms you. Jiu-Jitsu gives you the opportunity for you to know what you are made of and how you adjust yourself to get better. You don’t have to be panicked in those situations. Jiu-Jitsu proves that. You can be more relaxed here. You can have your leverage to instead power. By understand about your leverage, your weight distribution, your techniques, your elements of emotional control, you definitely become a different animal. You become a much more complete animal in terms of strategy, in terms of courage, in terms of capacity to handle emotions. So that transformation, coming from within, based on the exposure of Jiu-Jitsu.