Rolles Gracie Jr. - 5th-degree BJJ Black Belt

Rolles Gracie Jr. is a renowned 5th-degree BJJ black belt. He is the son of Rolls Gracie and is widely known as a third-generation martial arts member of Gracies.

Rolles Gracie Jr was born on 14 July 1978 in Brazil. Rolles’s passion for jiu-jitsu was in his genes which he received from his father and Grandfather, founder of Gracie BJJ. His Grandfather, Carlos Gracie Sr. is famous as the family’s most iconic fighter.

Rolles Gracie started his BJJ training at the age of 6. But after his father’s death, he stopped practicing jiu-jitsu for some time.

In 1998, Rolles Gracie and his mother moved to Boca Raton. That place did not have any closeby jiu-jitsu coaching institutes so he decided to perform the Judo. Rolles was trained there under the supervision of wrestling instructor Bob Anderson and learned different types of techniques including Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling, and Judo’s modified form, Sambo.

Gracie learned the Judo effectively and amazingly showcased his skills in different competitions. But after a year, Gracie returned to BJJ mats and again started his jiu-jitsu journey with the assistance of his uncle, Rilion Gracie. Rolles learned the various grappling techniques at his uncle’s academy which was located at Santa Catarina, South of Brazil.

Rolles Gracie not only trained under the Rilion Gracie but also learned the advanced BJJ techniques under the supervision of his other uncle, Carlinhos Gracie who was providing coaching at Gracie Barra Rio de Janeiro.

In 2004, Rolles Gracie’cousin Renzo Gracie invited him to America to provide coaching classes with him. Then after moving there, Gracie not only provided training with his cousin but also assisted him in his MMA's preparation. Meanwhile, his interest in Mixed Martial Arts was also developed and he also started his MMA career. He competed in various MMA tournaments including International Fight League.

In 2009, Rolles Gracie joined Greg Jackson’s team and learned some major MMA techniques while training at the Albuquerque-based squad.

Rolles Gracie Jr has been a significant part of Renzo Gracie Academy. He served as a leading instructor there and also represented the Renzo Academy in different seminars. His top clients include United States Navy Seals, New York Jets, Fort Myers Police Academy, NYPD, and many more.

Rolles Gracie was an accomplished athlete with numerous fighting capabilities. He exceptionally performed in different fields including BJJ, Judo, and MMA. He was awarded the winning titles at different competitions including the No-Gi Pan-American Champion, Boston Open Absolute Champion, Brazilian National Championship, World Championships, New York Open Gi and No-Gi Champion, Gold Metal Miami Dade Open, Gold Metal Sunshine States Game, Abu-Pro world championship and many more.

In 1975, Rolles and his various students competed against the Karate Institute. All those matches were recorded and became a part of the first "Gracies in Action" tape.

On 2nd January 2004, a controversy spread in the entire BJJ community when he awarded the black belt to UFC Top Fighter, Rashad Evans. The entire BJJ community and media criticize Gracie's decision.

In the 2001 ADCC Championship, Rolles Gracie Jr. faced Tsuyoshi Kosaka. The audience witnessed the thrilling performance of both strong fighters. In the last few minutes, Rolles Gracie successfully applied the submission technique and won the match.

In the 2013 WSOF Championship, Rolles Gracie competed against Derrick Mehmen. Both fighters displayed aggressive behavior. Mehmen hit Gracie with the punches and won the match.

Photo Credit: @rollesgracie