By MARK GARCIA / STAFF WRITER
LAGUNA NIGUEL – Martial arts students from throughout south Orange County were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity March 26.
Ultimate Fighting Championships legend Royce Gracie shared his wealth of experience with nearly 40 kids, ages 5 and older, and dozens of adults as he conducted two 2-hour seminars at the U.S. Blackbelt Academy.
Gracie, the very first UFC champion back in 1993, is considered the “Godfather of MMA.” He went on to win UFC 1,2 and 4, and in 2003 he was the first fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame after compiling a 20-3-3 record.
He last fought in 2007, and now maintains a rigorous travel schedule of seminars and classes. He was recently hired by Bellator as an official brand ambassador.
“I teach about seven months of the year, all over the world,” he said. “I love to travel and I love to teach, so I combined the two.”
If the smiles on the children’s faces were any indicator, the seminar was a huge success.
Gracie was invited by U.S. Blackbelt Academy owner Ivan Kravitz, who earned a black belt at Gracie’s first dojo in Torrance in the 1990s.
“The first time I met Royce we fought and he gave me a Wet Willy,” said Kravitz. “I knew then this guy was all right. We’ve since become good friends, and I’ve traveled with him to Japan and different places. It’s been a pretty cool journey.”
“Ivan’s doing a great job,” said Gracie. “He got a black belt under me, and that’s hard to do. There’s no point system or tournament to fight. You’ve got to know the self-defense program and how to teach.”
Kravitz, who has about 300 students, said he invites Gracie “about once or twice” a year to hold classes with his students at the Laguna Niguel dojo. “(Royce) is so humble. He never takes himself seriously, but he realizes the legacy he carries,” said Kravitz.
On this day, Gracie explains the importance of being on your feet and developing a good base for jiu-jitsu. He periodically pulled kids from the class to spar with him, much to the awe of those he chose.
“I like to see the kids grow with the sport, and the adults gain more confidence,” Gracie said.
Afterward, he signed autographs and posed for numerous photos with academy members and fans.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ufc-656370-kids-gracie.html
