Episode 121 - Rener Gracie

Rener Gracie is a 4th-degree black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a head instructor at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy and co-creator of Gracie University, the world's largest online jiu-jitsu training program. He is the grandson of Helio Gracie, the creator of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and the second eldest son of Rorion Gracie, the father of Gracie jiu-jitsu in the United States. He is also the creator and founder of Quikflip Apparel.
Raised from birth to teach jiu-jitsu, Rener has spent over twenty years on the mats at the Gracie Academy studying the art under Rorion and Helio's tutelage. A black belt at age 19, Rener earned a reputation as a gifted teacher. While Helio created Gracie jiu-jitsu and Rorion introduced it to the world by co-creating the Ultimate Fighting Championship to showcase the effectiveness of the family's art, Rener and his brother, Ryron Gracie, made the art available to everyone with Internet access or a DVD player.
The brothers created Gracie University, the world's first interactive, online martial arts learning center, and developed distance learning packages for the Academy's proprietary courses. Today, Gracie University has more than 70,000 active students in 196 countries offering tailored self-defense programs for men, women, and children. The curriculum includes Gracie Combatives, Gracie Bullyproof, Women Empowered, and the Master Cycle as well as special instructor certification courses. They also offer special courses for military and law enforcement professionals.

[@EnabledShooter]

This guy could sell ice water to an eskimo. I'm a quadriplegic and I'm ready to sign up for Jiu-Jitsu.

[@bl0wurmind]

The funny thing is that you actually can. Beleive me or not..you could practice bjj w/o arms and legs . Food for toughts !

[@TheNinjaOfThe906]

@@bl0wurmind Bullshit

[@Cosmicsurfpro]

Do it!!!

[@proudmasculine]

Do it

[@mikeharryman1613]

Get after it

[@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783]

Love listening both these guys speak. So cool watch have a conversation. Pretty important stuff ok actually.

[@KarmaFlight]

How could you not love Rener?

[@jonathan2416]

Rener is the best!!!

[@XRLostCause]

Whoa whoa whoa! Handshake during a pandemic? J/k. Great job guys! Very motivating!

[@jonbeck6889]

Bro my dad's tribe is CSKT in the flathead valley, I've never been there but want go one day. Ive seen gorgeous pictures of the lake! If y'all start a CTC I will definitely come visit and train with y'all!

[@PauloBerni699]

A student who’s a police officer showed me surveillance footage from his phone of a fellow officer being completely controlled on the ground by a guy he tried to arrest last summer. The bad guy could have reached for the officers’ weapon or rained down punches, but he didn’t. He just had a crouched reverse knee on belly type of position while the officer had a semblance of half guard type control on the bad guys posting leg. This “haha what are you going to do?” type of control went on for about two long minutes before some customers at the big box store pulled him off the cop, who obviously had no idea what to do and in my estimation was afraid to escalate the situation by trying to fight the guy off. Terrible to watch and could have had a much different outcome if the bad guy was really a bad guy, or conversely if the cop knew how to at least defend and counter from such a compromised position.

[@kinsellakp]

I don't get the whole cop loving thing that's supposed to go along with the art we all train. I think cops should train to but because of the humility and respect it teaches you. I'm supposed to just assume that in your circumstance the cop was the "good guy" and the other guy was "bad", and maybe in your circumstance that's true but it's certainly not true for all circumstances. We need to focus on training the cops for sure, but we also need to he focused on transparency and putting the cops that abuse their power in jail.

[@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783]

Has anyone heard that guy that was in Ariel Helwanis show years ago that did the impression of mma fighters? He did Renee too and it was spot on lol. Hilarious.

[@robobitch12]

Great interview! Is there any jui jitzu facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada for women? I don't feel I can go àny further with kick boxing

[@barebonesacoustic3956]

Tamara Bard LeClair Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Winnipeg- Certified Training Center under Gracie University! They are awesome!

[@shrimuyopa8117]

There are two aspects to Jiu-Jitsu learning. There is LEARNING HOW TO DRILL the techniques, concepts, and systems. And then there is LEARNING TO APPLY the technique, concepts, and systems under pressure. Rener is right that generally speaking LEARNING how to do the movements and such is easier and better when there is a video that you can watch, rewind, and provides multiple views and you can do on your own time. When it comes to fine fitting and applying those techniques you need sparring and you need good sparring partners that can push you and help you see where you are going wrong with the techniques. Because I have learned techniques and drilled them a thousand times correctly and used them against lower level Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and it has worked but when I used those same techniques against higher level guys it didn't work. And what was happening was I was missing little details in the technique that they happily showed me after we were done sparring. I knew those little details beforehand and was drilling them but under the pressure of rolling was forgetting to use them and originally thought I was doing it right because it worked against someone that didn't know what they were doing. And to Rener that probably doesn't matter because he is focused purely on self-defense, so if it works against someone untrained than that is all that mattes. For me though I want a higher standard. So at the end of the day understand that there are pros and cons to each way of teaching and that you need to find what is best for you. Jiu-Jitsu might now have exactly what you want right now, because its still growing and niches are still being developed in this market. But the sooner you get in, no matter where that is, the better it is going to be for you.

[@frankiecal3186]

If Gracie jiu-jitsu is so awsome how come they(practicionars of bjj) aren't anywhere near successful as high school and college wrestlers in UFC AND BELLATOR ?

[@ronniedcb]

Frankie Cal where exactly those wrestlers be in mma without Gracie Jiu Jitsu? Oh that’s right there wouldn’t be any mma.

[@timholmes7674]

Ronnie boose. Although I don’t agree with the statement Frankie made, you did not answer his question. The making of mma has no merit on how good you are at the sport. It’s obvious and has been proven the Gracie name holds true to what they do and they are the best. I’m sure college wrestlers that go pro have practiced BJJ in some way. These guys are PRO. In many cases they have a variety of backgrounds to use. Their college and highschool wrestling is where they get their base from. Same goes for a boxer who would transition. But I’m not a pro so that’s just my take. Watch the pro’s at their best and when a Gracie trained guy is in the ring it’s very effective.

[@frankiecal3186]

@@ronniedcb pancration came before ufc so pancration.

[@ronniedcb]

Tim Holmes which pure wrestlers with no BJJ training at all have excelled in mma?

[@helioperdigao]

Wrestlers without jiujitsu get tap like anyone else...

[@MrVaher]

The progress Andy has made as an interviewer is undeniable.

[@robertblake1228]

interviewer?

[@MrVaher]

Usually what you call a one on one conversationalist who asks questions with guests that differ from week to week.

[@StevenLynnMusic]

Well, didn't seem like he even had to say anything. Rener can speak eloquently about anything for an indefinite amount of time apparently.

[@tdunn2]

Listening to Rener's pure, genuine passion for bjj got me like "Hey, Siri, find Jiu-Jitsu training near me...right now."

[@DanielThomasArgueta]

Too bad gyms are closed. 😔

[@pinksupremacy6076]

@@DanielThomasArgueta Train online.

[@IMPERATOR540]

@@pinksupremacy6076 not the same

[@mikehirst8459]

Do it bjj is amazing

[@edgarbiii4661]

Make sure it is a Gracie JJ school or teacher. Big difference between BJJ & GJJ. Rener & Ryon have the formula.

[@SuperLittlebuddha]

Thanks to Jocko, I started brazilian jiu jitsu a little over 3 years with Gracie University at a local CTC near my work. Loving it!

[@gensunasumus101]

Please share more about your CTC experience and what it does for you.

[@jeffdj1975]

GU is no joke definitely. I’ve tried two bjj schools, and they’re disorganized, random, and all sport. “Flowing” is neat, but learning how to protect yourself, and learning how to handle a situation from standing is amazing! Gracie Jiu Jitsu for life!

[@chrysaliscamps3838]

you re right, GU structure is definitely a HUGE advantage over other affiliations for sure :) !!

[@DanielThomasArgueta]

I knew about Gracie University before watching this, but I registered my account because of this video. Thank you. 🙏🏻 🥋

[@chrysaliscamps3838]

"Once you start training jiu jitsu, you become aware of how much you don't know" this is so fricking true ahah 🙈😅🙏🔥

[@JR-ju3kj]

Absolutely but I feel like that's true once you learn how to fight,PERIOD. So that can be true once you learn Jiu-Jitsu, MMA or wrestling or boxing. I just got into boxing for the first time in my life as an adult(and I want to learn Jiu-Jitsu,as well)and I'm learning how much I don't know. Also,once you learn how to fight,you learn how not to underestimate anyone, how to read people better and how wise it is to do everything within your power to avoid fighting unless there is absolutely no other choice.

[@chrysaliscamps3838]

@@JR-ju3kj very true, this statement holds for most martial arts indeed including boxing which is an AMAZING art 🙏✊!! That being said, Rener refers to some moment when, even if you know other martial arts, you get to experience BJJ and you just end up flabbergasted at how much all the stand up in the world ain't gonna help you on the ground. It s just a different game all together (experienced by the world through the first UFCs too).. If you get the chance to find a Gracie CTC near your home, go for even just 1 class, you ll get to experience how it feels to be powerless at the bottom until you learn a simple technique to get out (trap and roll). My associate and I have 30 years of martial arts XP combined (savate, judo, sanda, wrestling, wing Chun and kick boxing) and I'm telling you man, the day I tried GBJJ for the first time I realised: "well, f**k me, if I were to get in a street fight, I would much rather use these techniques (based more on control than damage) rather than any kickboxing technique even though I trained for years doing that 😵😅". Good continuations on your martial art journey my friend 🙏💪

[@jamespearce3172]

I miss getting choked out 😭😂 so humbling 🤙🤜🤛

[@dannynesbitt7056]

Put a microphone in front of Rener and let him go!

[@brianfrazier5215]

His brother is the perfect catalyst for teaching....

[@bobbybick4804]

Started to wonder why I was up at 4:00am... now I know This podcast is why

[@NPC_Kyle]

Bjj is like a religion. Because of it. I have lost over 135 pounds and one nite i was accidentally mistaken for some one else and had ab 4 guys try to jump me... bjj saved my life on 2 separate occasions. Thank you for that

[@carlomiranda3799]

Awesome!

[@s216674]

Interesting discussion, thanks. That's the first time I have seen him get into depth on the why of the way their curriculum was set up. Makes sense. They are basically just following Bloom's taxonomy in terms of learning. Good stuff.

[@valetudo333]

Much love guys. I’m the father (bjj black belt) you discuss in street fight.

[@LoveyMcFly911]

Jiu jitsu is a legit super power.. I think all police should be people who are skilled at violence.. that way violence would never be the first solution to a problem. So many videos of armed suspects being controlled by a bjj practitioner. Departments would much rather waste money on dumb stuff like drones 🙄🙄 lol..

[@RudeSaiyan]

Powerful Origin Maine hoodie, Andy. Respetch

[@steveb8821]

Ryron and Rener are both incredible!! These guys are doing it right 100%. But seriously....who’s the instructor Andy mentioned that he had in the SEALs? I’m so curious

[@Loulito]

What a solid podcast, very informative! Thanks for this ANDY! :)

[@chasecoburn1392]

Love the Renergy

[@Xplicid]

The more you know, the more you realise the less you don’t know.

[@mysiflyby]

1:36:39 Thank you Rener for the shout out. Andy, whenever your ready to 🤜🤛, I'm ready. 😁

[@proudmasculine]

Scalability of violence 👌

[@MattOriginalP]

Im a Gracie Garage owner and also train at a sport based school, the Gracie Combatives program has helped my BJJ game immeasurably, and we're not even half way through.

[@brianfrazier5215]

Thank you for helping the principles of the thing...

[@mircow.]

Omg 😱 only 4-8 hours of DT Training (depending on the department) per year is mandatory in the US?? That is nothing! Our supervisor lets me teach two DT sessions a week for our officers!

[@dirt6945]

Sorry, Tony Robbins, and Ron Popeil. Set it and forget it.

[@DigitalNomadInvestor]

Hey it's my former JJ instructor of two years....Rener. He's a great instructor.

[@solarsolicitor9618]

Andy is amazing and is there anyone better as an ambassador for jiu jitsu than Renner Gracie? So well spoken and likable.

[@TrishCanyon8]

I'm so proud and honored to be team jiu-jitsu Gracie Style. Thanks Rener for all you do for law enforcement and everyone.

[@joesphbest3120]

Cops need to walk the beat in city's & towns not ride around in cars, there not getting to know the people. people get to know you they will help you, like 50 yrs, ago.In rough area's two or three walked together.

[@brianfrazier5215]

This is something no one talks about ... It's a valuable job... And I am a fan of old style... Beat cops..

[@literaryartist1]

You know hearing you guys over the years talking about Jiu-Jitsu definitely peaked my interest but now after this I'm definitely doing this!!!!

[@WestCoastIrk]

I went to Gracie Academy in Torrence like 5 years ago, they paired me up with some dude on my 2nd day, and the dude was literally tackling me like in football and smashing me down knocking the air out of me.. lol. He was also a white belt but was a total dick. I felt like the instructors were oblivious, dude literally WWE style body splashed me like 3 times haha

[@dirt6945]

Rener is the Tony Robbins of jiu-jitsu. It is a compliment somehow.

[@TiltChamberlain513]

Rener is actually in one of the Tony Robbins seminar videos.

[@CFNA300]

Lol I thought the same thing

[@nothingnewtome1]

Please I need to know, what is the origin of the intro clip? The dude calling Danger Close?

[@Themandogh]

Dan Means look up what cleared hot means in the military

[@nothingnewtome1]

JoelAmbrose I know what cleared hot means. I’m not asking what it means. I’m asking “what is the origin of the clip” as in where and when was it recorded???? Is it real radio traffic? Or was it recorded for dramatic purposes as a re-enactment?

[@Themandogh]

Dan Means I see, yeah I’m not sure either

[@Jessie_James850]

Best intro ever. Second place is Nick Diaz "all night" on JRE.

[@DanielThomasArgueta]

Wow! 🥋

[@lubo0wap]

Rener man, what a dude. That was a great one Andy👍👍👍

[@digitadigita3578]

I think that in the future Jujitsu might be just used for exercise if every kid starts to learn it. Then everyone knows jujitsu. Then we are back to square one.

[@aabedian]

58:33 Rener freezes after Andy's question lol

[@Dean-gt2cr]

Who didn't get the choice at there first class to not roll? I didn't but they were a good bunch, loved juijitsu since 🤙

[@jamespearce3172]

These two men are making me change my life for the better. To find them both on the one podcast 🤙 Thankyou 🙏

[@uchenwokedi6812]

God bless Rener Gracie.

[@yootoober49]

Renergy

[@SF_Native]

Does anyone know of an elite level grappler from the Gracie online academy? As in wins tournaments [legit ones, not small events], etc, strictly from online learning? Just curious, would love to check it out.

[@bruhinthewild]

Uhhhh...I think you misunderstand the purpose of the curriculum. Its self defense. Not going to have allot of GA students in tournaments. More than enough schools deal with the competitive aspects of jiujutsu.

[@SF_Native]

@@bruhinthewild I wouldn't know, which is why i asked. I train at a gym where it's also self-defense based however we have a lot of guys on the competition circuit. Thanks

[@bruhinthewild]

Allan Art sorry... I sounded condescending. But ya...that's basically the premise.

[@SF_Native]

@@bruhinthewild All good man, have a nice day. Cheers

[@brianswingle8056]

What a great infomercial

[@COMMON-SENSE501]

Hey Rener, Always go to your videos if I have a life lesson question. Cause the answers for me they're like Buddhist like lessons. I'm from Holland the Netherlands and I like to open a sports centre. I would like that to do with someone like you. Someone with the right vision. Maybe you can sent a student who has the tools to help me with that. There's no Gracie university over here. There's a slim chance you gonna read this but if you do,I hope you know that your life vision let me to ask this question. Stay save& healthy and thanks for the lessons.

[@gavinborden5451]

Another awesome podcast

[@nothingnewtome1]

16 people cannot be pleased!!! If you don’t like this guy.. you can’t be helped.

[@stephenwilliams1946]

Andy , you’re a great interviewer. And you have a very good podcast. Were you in any of the Discovery Channel series on the Class 234 or anything else on screen where you wouldn’t have been recognized?

[@jacquiehanson6544]

nice haircut andy

[@Jessie_James850]

Andy "Fill the blancs" Stumpf😁👍🇺🇸

[@tekopuakanapanapa6824]

Hi Andy, just found your podcast. All the best for the future. Subscribed

[@cowboywithnohat]

Hey man - you need to be uploading 1080p quality video. Let me help you

[@papabear328]

"you guys!" (admit it, if you are a BJJ guy, you read that in Rener's voice)

[@stephen3]

glad to see you don't have a potato cam anymore. when is Instructor Patstone going to be on your podcast?

[@jimmyjones4398]

That’s a lot of work. First meniscus or labrum injury. Not to mention spinal disc injury. 99% wont finish.

[@Chris-fk1kr]

If this was your co host you would blow TF up. Great podcast thankyou

[@LemieuxJiuJitsu]

Great conversation! I really enjoyed this :) #TeamJiuJitsu #GracieUniversity

[@brianfrazier5215]

I love the Gracie combative videos.. thank you both for this video...

[@Cosmicsurfpro]

Smart man. Sales is the highest paid profession

[@SwordsmanRyan]

He’s ducking Renato Laranja and has no excuse...

[@tyrterrell2551]

Kickass 🤙🏻

[@robertbrock3666]

He needs to go on Rogan I think it would be a great podcast

[@NateAmado]

45:40 When did you get your Renergy, Rener?

[@iceman-22]

Two questions. What are those shoes? And also what headset and mics are those?

[@Themandogh]

Rener has endless energy it’s incredible haha

[@rhconn]

I bought 2 for the wife and I

[@mikehirst8459]

Hate to say it Jocko and Joe got me here!

[@blehbleh222]

God damn. The Gracies are the ST6 of GJJ. Just saying.

[@aixpert291]

17:15. Was that Matt Serra ?

[@kroaroorocro]

I loved that guy!

[@chuckjack2168]

I wonder if he was talking about Deeter

[@samzippo1372]

Awesome

[@dpeshy6719]

Actually, he's 100% correct, I went out testing and searching various studios after watching a few of his videos, except those that are available, well they are sub-par. I had to settle for judo 😋. Got to add, it was for my primary school kid. And I got sucked into it myself. So both of us are in it. Though I'm not new to it. I have to admit the judo grind is harder on the body, easier to get injured during one of those repetitive slamming throws when I'd land a bit funny or get tossed with less care. There is the grappling ground component too. So, I got what I've asked for.

[@JC-qi9xz]

Renner used this entire podcast to plug his business 🤮

[@levrai944]

As he should. Gracie University is probably one of the best places to learn Jiu Jitsu period

[@frankiecal3186]

If Gracie jiu-jitsu is so good how come the Gracie family got beat up by Catch Wrestlers : Frank Gotch,Sakuraba,Tatu,Matt Hughes,Dos Santos,Kimura ......They didn't put those fights on the Gracie challenge Matches.😂

[@kinsellakp]

Which is fair I guess if you train catch wrestling in Japan. Or if you train in any of the arts that we now know to be effective. Wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai, Judo. But people who train one of those don't usually say shit like this, they typically are more interested in filling holes in their game than throwing shade.

[@TheUnbekantxe36]

Online colored belts? They're still doing this? Come on dude

[@EOCA]

Aaron Bandari 1:23:00

[@TheUnbekantxe36]

@@EOCA Worse than I thought

[@TitaniumDave]

They don't do this, the only belt you can get purely online is the Gracie Combatives belt which is white with a blue stripe through it (in between white and blue), all other belt tests are in person at a Gracie CTC.

[@jirihutecka9020]

Jiu jitsu is great. Unfortunately most street fights don't start on the ground. Good luck trying to grab stand up fighter(boxer, kickboxer, thaiboxer..) as a high level jiu jitsu with zero training in stand up. You will go to sleep really fast.. I would say stand up is a base and jiu jitsu is great addition to your arsenal.. Also keep in mind in a street fight you want to keep distance, because you don't know if the individual has a knife for example..

[@rcoles82]

Hahaha, remember UFC 1

[@jirihutecka9020]

@@rcoles82 1. UFC is not a street fight. 2.old school Gracie people were basically streetfighters not " high level jiu jitsu with zero training in stand up." They were fighting vs stand up guys in the gyms and training to take punches all the time. I am talking about regular person who had never done any street fight. Who is just high level jiu jitsu in the gym vs good stand up fighter. No chance.. One low kick from kickboxer and normal person even if trains BJJ can't walk. One punch to the face or elbow and they are done. So don't talk about Gracies here who were fighting all kinds of styles their whole life lol. They are completelly different category.

[@jirihutecka9020]

​@@pnharris05 "It doesn’t matter how many street fights you’ve been in it’s the same principals keep distance and with the correct timing shoot for the takedown." LOL Keep dreaming bro. Fighting on the street is completely different than training in the gym. Also I am not so sure that in Jiu jitsu they teach how to fight stand up guy. I am 100% sure that it's not the case. Maybe some form of combat jiu jitsu for police, military. But in regular BJJ classes there is not punching, kicking defence lol.

[@markmiller8746]

Are we still seriously having this discussion about Jiu Jitsu in 2020?!?

[@michaelyeomans8992]

Says the guy who clearly has not been around many fights. Speaking from expierence. Every single street fight i have ever seen or been a part of ends up in a grappling exchange. The one exception being sucker punches. Furthermore it is so easy to take down non grapplers regardless how good there stand up is.

[@BigDaddyCola]

Rener is a narcissist

[@daviebread]

Adrian Elice Naw bro, that's you.

[@frankiecal3186]

Catch wrestling > bjj

[@daviebread]

Frankie Cal Judging by your constant comments about this, you really need to focus on more important matters bro. You just come off like a competitive idiot.

[@googlesucksalot]

My way into Jiu-jitsu was exactly: Joe Rogan -> Gracie Breakdown -> local BJJ academy. Sending some love from Germany. Stay safe and healthy.