Me and the Mayor: A Q&A with Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie is treated like the mayor at his own academies. Cliff Welch/Icon SMI Related Links GALLERY: Some prominent Gracie fighters

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Expecting a complete run-down of Jiu-Jitsu-MMA mumbo jumbo as hundreds of grapplers-in-training tumbled around me at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City, I practiced days in advance to be careful with my words. Sitting in the far corner of the gym (scrunched as tight as possible to avoid being engulfed by blue-belt fighters) with the Renzo Gracie, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guru and owner of the Academy, I was shaking inside, scared to be locked in an armbar out of punishment for a slip-up. But Gracie, clad in designer jeans, fidgeting with his Apple iPhone, and intermittently yelling out "get his leg around your hip" or "try moving your arm around the inside of his chin," got the first move. And that made all the difference.

As we sat and chatted, nearly all of the students in the class had their eyes on me (I'm guessing this was because I was one of about three people not dripping with sweat or wearing a Gi and I lacked the physical stature -- or anything remotely close to one -- that conveyed a jiu-jitsu contender.) and Renzo. I was informed on my first visit that "he's like the mayor here." Every time he walks in his own gym, people drop everything, part to create a runway and greet him with open arms and bags of gifts. The only thing missing was the paparazzi.

Once the evening class had ended, the students lined up and hovered around our designated corner, waiting to shake hands with their hero, whom they see quite often, as he's there most days of the week; a celebrity in his own home. One student carried over his gym bag, seemingly ready to shake hands, say hello and leave, but proceeded to kneel down and empty about six boxes of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts brought back from Hawaii, 20 or so calendars and more goodies than seemed to physically fit in the bag. The occasion? A former student, who Renzo hasn't had contact with many years, used the New York student as his messenger to just say "Hi." And "Thank You" to Renzo. And, indirectly, but obviously, "You're my hero." That seems to be the common sentiment for anyone who walks within a few feet of Renzo.

And there I was, ready, and well-prepared, to interview "Sgt." Renzo Gracie at his boot camp-like academy. At first sight, he gave me a hug. And opened conversation with "So if I don't want to answer, I just tell you I don't speak English, right?"

Jhabvala: Sure that'll work. How did you learn English, though?

Gracie: I started learning by watching movies. In [Brazil], the movies had subtitles. So I was doing two things to learn: one was watching movies, the other was [listening to] James Taylor, my favorite singer. I would listen to his songs and then start translating them. He's playing my hometown, Holmdel, New Jersey, on June 20 and I got first-row seats. I used to teach his son. He said his name was Ben Taylor, and I was like 'Oh, like James Taylor,' and he said 'Yeah, that's my dad.' To be sure it wasn't just another James Taylor I asked who his mother was. He said Carly Simon. [Ben] can sing, too. He can sing exactly like his father, exactly.

Jhabvala: So you taught him how to fight; did he teach you how to sing?

Gracie: That's one thing I can't learn. I tried. When I was little I tried playing guitar. For six months I tried, then one day my teacher said, 'Look, I love that you're trying, but for some reason I don't believe you will learn.' And I think he was right.

Jhabvala: What movies did you watch to help you with your English?

Gracie: Everything. I used to watch five movies a day. Raging Bull, I like a lot. I love the movies by Guy Ritchie. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch. I like the recent one, Revolver. There's so many I love but have forgotten. The Godfather trilogy I love.

Jhabvala: Guy Ritchie, he's Madonna's man.

Gracie: Yeah, I used to train him, too. I put him in touch with my cousin who has a school in London, and when he stays in New York, he trains here. You know I'm Going To Tell You a Secret, Madonna's record? It was a DVD of the show and a CD, so you bought both together. In the DVD, it shows me training him. I'm written in as "Renzo Gracie ... Guy's Hero." It was very nice.

Jhabvala: Madonna's pretty ripped. Does she fight, too?

Gracie: No, I don't believe she does. She's very lean, though.

Jhabvala: You were introduced to fighting at such a young age. Did you ever not enjoy it?

Gracie: From the moment that I could formulate a thought about what I wanted to do in my future, I thought about this. I knew I was going to be a fighter.

Jhabvala: How many Gracies are there? Who's the best fighter?

Gracie: There are a lot of Gracies. To give you an idea, at one point -- a long time ago -- we counted just the grandkids, of my grandfather and there were 75 of us. That was a long time ago. My father has 21 brothers and sisters. I have 12 -- I'm the fifth of 12. I just have three kids, though.

Jhabvala: Do you train with your family members?

Gracie: Unfortunately now, since we moved to America, we live very far apart from each other. But when we were in Rio, we would see each other every-day. We would train together every week. Now, it's difficult, like one of my brothers lives in San Francisco, one in L.A. So I'm not able to do it every week anymore.

Jhabvala: So why did you chose to live in New Jersey?

Gracie: I always liked New York, and when I came, my partner with whom I started the business, lived in Jersey. There, I found a good school system for my kids, and I decided to stay. Now, I like it so much there that I'm opening a big school. I just talked to my lawyer today and we're just waiting on getting the last few permits before starting construction. Once we start construction, it'll take about six weeks to get it up. It's going to be 8,500 square feet of nothing but open space. At the school in New York City, we're already at capacity. We have 950 students there, but we're trying to buy the top floor of the building so we can add 600, maybe 700 students. So the flagship academy will stay [on the lower West Wide] and I'm opening another one on the Upper West Side, because I want to teach kids, too, and there's a huge population of kids up there.