training with Royce Gracie

this past weekend I had the privilege to attend a Royce Gracie, Brazilian Jujitsu (BJJ) two-day seminar. Royce is the most famous grappler ever--winner of three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titles. Royce inspired me, and countless others, to start training in Jujitsu and grappling.


- Royce Gracie and Stephen Cawood

six hours of high-level BJJ was great, but being able to learn from, and talk directly with Royce was worth the price of admission. Royce was all business during the three hour training sessions, but after we finished, he stayed to answer questions, and sign autographs. he was very candid when answering questions; when asked who the biggest jerk he fought was, he said "Ken Shamrock and Frank are both a__holes."


- Royce Gracie with my sensei, Ray McKinnon--the founder of the Bushido-Kai martial arts school in Halifax, Canada


- Royce demonstrates a technique for gaining back control


- Royce hangs around to sign autographs and answer questions

the seminar was hosted by Fitness Plus in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. "Fit Plus" is the training school for a number of local MMA fighters including TJ Grant (8-1).

here is a list (from memory) of what we covered:

Day One
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Defensive technique for getting up off the ground
Defense against double throat grab
Guard pass with label choke and stacking
Lapel choke and rear-naked choke
One arm headlock defense
Off balance and take-down
Ogoshi and Koshi Garuma (can't remember setup, possibly from choke)
Closed headlock defense with knee block and take down
Rolling an opponent to back control
Defending rear-naked choke
Escaping back control
Question period

Day Two
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50/50 inside trip take down (from swing out)
Guillotine defense no arm
Guillotine defense arm inside (shoulder down)
Guillotine in guard (arm in) defense (using wrist lock)
Kimura from guard
Counter to Kimura from guard with pass
Can opener and defense
Arm bar to Omaplata
Arm bar to Omaplata to triangle
Arm bar to Omaplata (roll) to ankle lock
Grappling matches
Question period