UFC legend Royce Gracie condemns MMA gyms for straying from tradition - "A woman enters martial arts to learn to defend herself"

UFC legend Royce Gracie has seemingly suggested that most MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) gyms of today are straying away from the essence of martial arts. Gracie indicated that the majority of modern BJJ and other martial arts academies are focusing largely on the sporting aspect rather than the self-defense aspect.

As reported by Brazilian news outlet Globo, the 56-year-old asserted that the sports' mentality, which prioritizes scoring points instead of damage, creates martial artists who aren't well prepared for real-life combat situations. Gracie stated:

"Nobody enters the martial art because he wants to compete. No one puts a son to take up martial arts because he wants his son to win a championship. Parents want the child to learn to defend himself. A lady, a woman, goes into martial art because she wants to learn to defend herself."

The Brazilian combat icon explained that those who cite him as their reason to learn martial arts, aren't really inspired by him but rather by the technique he's displayed.

Some fellow martial arts experts, such as judoka Flavio Canto, concur with Royce Gracie. Canto opined that the "essence of self-defense" tends to get lost in modern BJJ and other martial arts because of excessive emphasis on the sporting competition aspect.

Alternatively, a few other martial artists, such as karate veteran Diego Moraes, disagree with Gracie. Moraes insinuated that karate aims to teach its practitioner control over their internal energy and not simply damaging their opponent.

Furthermore, many believe that focusing on the sporting aspect helps the martial art grow as a professional sport and business. This leads to private and government investors promoting the martial art as a sport, right up to the Olympic level, which means more sponsors and more money for martial arts confederations and martial artists.

Gracie acknowledged the monetary and other benefits of the martial arts' sporting aspect. Nevertheless, he warned that the primary goal of martial arts, the tradition of self-defense, shouldn't be forgotten in that process. The UFC veteran said:

"The academies forgot the essence of martial art. The academy influences this competition business the most." [*Translation via Google]

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Royce Gracie and other Gracie family members to star in docuseries about their family

UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie (15-2-3 MMA) is hailed as an MMA pioneer and one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. He notably won the UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4 tournaments. Gracie's final MMA bout witnessed him defeat Ken Shamrock via first-round TKO in their trilogy matchup at Bellator 149 in February 2016.

Royce Gracie and several other members of the famed Gracie family continue teaching the art of BJJ to this day.

Watch Gracie vs. Shamrock 1 below:

Earlier this month, ESPN announced that it's planning to present a docuseries regarding the Gracie family and their contributions to combat sports. The docuseries is likely to feature well-known Gracie family members, including Royce Gracie, and will address multiple significant events from their professional and personal lives.