Relson Gracie

Relson Gracie (born in 1953) is the second oldest son of Helio Gracie and a 9th-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Red Belt. He is widely recognized as the pioneer who brought Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to Hawaii and was the first member of the family to heavily tie the BJJ lifestyle to surf culture.

A Wild Youth and Family Dynamics
The “Champion”: In his youth, he was nicknamed “Campeão” (Champion) by Rio de Janeiro’s surfing community. Whenever friends called his house asking for “The Champion,” his mother would famously yell back, “In this house everyone is a champion! Which one do you want?”

Street Fighting & School: Relson was a rowdy child who disliked school and spent his days playing football and surfing. To motivate him, his father Helio bribed him with $100 for every gold medal he won in local tournaments. Relson claims to have had over 100 street fights in his youth.

The Bathroom Brawl: His toughest fight came from his own cousin, Rolls Gracie. Following a heated argument, Rolls locked them both in a bathroom and beat Relson so badly that the family had to break the door down to stop it. The cousins later made up and became close friends, with Rolls even introducing Relson to surfing.

The Long Wait: Despite being one of the family’s most active and dominant competitors, his father made him wait a grueling seven years at brown belt before finally awarding him his black belt.

Expanding the Gracie Empire
Gracie Ilha: In 1975, Relson co-founded the “Gracie Ilha” academy at a local sports club in Rio de Janeiro alongside senator Artur Vígio (a black belt under Reyson Gracie).

The Move to Hawaii: After a brief teaching stint in California in 1985, Relson relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1988. The local warrior culture embraced his style, and by 1992, he organized the first official BJJ tournament outside of Brazil. He was also one of the very first instructors to bring a foreign team to compete at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (Mundial).

Focus on Self-Defense: Over the years, Relson shifted the focus of his academies away from modern sport competition, choosing instead to preserve the traditional, street-oriented self-defense roots of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.