Rickson Gracie (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈxiksõ ˈɡɾejsi]; born November 20, 1958) is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist. He is a member of the Gracie family: the son of Hélio Gracie, brother to Rorion and Relson Gracie, and half-brother to Rolker, Royce, Robin and Royler Gracie.
Rickson, son of Helio Gracie, was born into Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. At six years old he began competing; at 15 he started to teach it; and at 18 he received his black belt. At 20 Rickson won his first victory against the famous 230-pound Brazilian brawler Rei Zulu. With this victory, Rickson gained immediate national acclaim as the top freestyle fighter, leaving his mark on the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the Gracie challenge. Five years later Zulu requested a rematch and lost to Rickson again, in Maracanazinho before an audience of 20,000 spectators.
Rickson is an 8th Degree Black Belt Open Class Champion of the Gracie Family, whose technique is considered to be the finest expression of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the world. His innate talent and mastery of the sport have been demonstrated in numerous Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, freestyle wrestling, Sambo, open weight freestyle competitions and no holds barred fighting matches. Rickson is a two-time Brazilian Champion in freestyle wrestling, a Gold Medal Winner of Sambo, and for almost two decades he has been the middle-heavyweight and no weight division World Jiu-Jitsu Champion. He conquered Japan's elite fighting in a tournament, the Japan Open Vale Tudo, winning both in 1994 and 1995. At this time, Rickson was acknowledged by the Japanese for possessing the Samurai Spirit.
In the 1997 Pride 1 Vale Tudo match in Japan's Tokyo Dome (before 47,860 spectators), he defeated Japanese professional wrestler, Nobuhiko Takada, in 4:47 of the first round. A year later, to the day, at Pride 4, Rickson defeated Takada once again. At Colosseum 2000, held at the Tokyo Dome, broadcast to 30 million TV Tokyo viewers, Rickson fought Masakatsu Funaki. He defeated his opponent with a rear naked choke in 11:46 of the first round.
Released by Manga Entertainment in 1999, Choke, a 98 minute documentary by filmmaker Robert Goodman follows Rickson Gracie and 2 other fighters as they prepare and fight in Tokyo's Vale Tudo 1995, an early MMA event. "Choke" has been distributed in 23 countries. Palm Pictures presents this freestyle fighting program, featuring matches between some of the most popular and successful athletes in the world. Shot at fighting competitions in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Denver, and New York and released in 1998, Rickson Gracie: Choke includes the matches that culminated in the world-wide Vale Tudo Fighting Championship. Some of the fighters making appearances are Todd Hayes, Koichiro Kimura, and Rickson Gracie, who is considered by many to be the best jiu-jitsu artist in the world.
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