Tonight, I took three students to train with the master—Relson Gracie. He arrived at Balance Studios on short notice to give a seminar. Whenever he comes around, I always learn something new. For the most part, Relson teaches things that each student on every level can understand. The last three classes of his have almost been the same material, but it’s the way he teaches it that makes you get into it.
Tonight’s gi class would focus on mount escapes, and side control submissions. Relson does not change nor has he ever wanted to change the techniques his father, Helio, taught him. These mount escapes are the same ones that a white belt would learn on their first day of class. A simple bump and roll and an elbow escape are things that we all thought we knew how to do until Relson got on the floor. The simple things about his game became of great importance right away.
I learned so much from watching the way he positioned his hands inside his own collar in order to not get choked. I was told how to hide my chin so that it made my head heavier and harder to lift. I had been practicing these moves incorrectly for so long that I did not even realize it. The way I had been practicing, I was always letting my opponent sit up very high on my chest and get his knees under my elbows. Relson was able to teach me that, by pinning my elbows to the floor and holding on to my collar, I’d have much more leverage. I’d never get choked or arm barred again by doing it his way.
By the time we got to side control, my head was already spinning from excitement. Again, this was the same way that we had all learned how to maintain the side mount and knee-on-belly, but Relson took it all to another level. He asked the biggest guy in class to lay down and said to him, “try to get me off of you.” After about six tries, he gave up! Relson told us that the way you grab under your opponent’s back and shoulder area was the trick…similar to the way large aircraft are stopped from moving down the runway with those tiny wooden wedges under the wheels. He also told us not to show anyone what the details of those tricks were.
At this point, we all looked around as if Relson was telling some type of joke. He was not. The biggest thing I took home with me that night was that the Gracie family is nothing but that—a family. Relson referred to us all as brothers and sisters all night and said that the reason why these things have worked for so long was because his family has trusted their secrets to the right people. He had been burnt by some students in the past…even by some of his own brothers, and he just wants to make sure that his father’s teachings are preserved properly.
One Comment
I feel the same way when I look at myself, and what I have learned from you and sensei Mike. When I look back at my progression to the brown belt level, it is not the big things that I learn. It is the little things that make the difference. I have found that a slight change of angle does so much more than busting my butt to muscle it through. I am getting to the point where I am consciously adjusting my feet and position to facilitate my technique. Thanks to sensei Ray, I am now smarter during sparring. He has been teaching me how to look for the little tells, and hide my own. He has also helped to focus my sparring to work on my weaknesses and help exploit my strengths. Keep pushing me to be better!