With never-before-seen photos and profound insights into the sport and way of life that only a studied legend can provide, Breathe is an entertaining and magnified view of an enduring legacy as well as an inspiring tale of weathering life’s complexities and overcoming them with style and grace. Simply put, without the Gracie family, there would be no sport of 'MMA', no 4-billion-dollar UFC empire, and no 'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu' at strip malls all across America. I would love to learn more stories and insights on how what and how Rickson built that dedication when things looked difficult.

It covers the stories, mostly personal, in a pretty down-to-earth manner, which had had verified before with other BJJ figures. For those who already know the ins and outs of Rickson's story, they may not get as much out of this book, but as someone who knew only the broad outlines, I learned a lot. Undefeated from the late 1970s through his final fight in the Tokyo Dome in 2000, Rickson Gracie amassed hundreds of victories in the street, on the mat, at the beach, and in the ring. Not long after, he falls in love with a much younger woman (Cassia’s age is never mentioned but college age was indicated I believe).It also gives you great insight into the life and upbringing of Rickson Gracie, one of the greatest martial artists of all time. O n November 12, 1993, in a sports arena in Denver, a lean Brazilian man in an outfit resembling a pair of pajamas stepped into an octagon to fight. Everyone should be able to take one or two lessons from the strange and incredible life of Rickson Gracie. In Breathe, for the first time, Rickson will share the full story of how his father and uncles came to develop Jiu-Jitsu, what it was like to grow up among several generations of world-renowned fighters from the Gracie clan, and the principles and skills that guided him to his undefeated record.

Today, he teaches seminars around the world and his students come from all walks of life: men, women, children, senior citizens, law enforcement officers, military personnel, veterans suffering from PTSD, and martial artists of all styles. If you're into martial arts or pro sports, then this is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the greatest of all time. I don't remember the last time where i read a book where the author was this direct about himself and his past. The self censorship is pretty obvious if you have any knowledge of the Gracies/jiu jitsu/UFC/MMA/Pride. I thought Royce Gracie was the champion of the Gracie family since the UFC was initially concocted to demonstrate the dominance the Jiu Jitsu over other martial arts, which he one prevalently.

Along with my foray into the art of 8 limbs I decided to learn more about this mysterious and legendary family. Towards the end of the book, Rickson reflects on his daughters and denounces his father’s negative mentally towards women roles. Frankly, the book lacks depth in MANY places: starting with the origins of Gracie JJ (aka BJJ) - there's surprisingly little on how Helio and Carlos have developed the style, why they did it, what they have struggled with, etc.

Ebooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook). Lovers of the sport would love the tips, the tricks, and the philosophies of Rickson as he lays them out in the book. I understand that nobody is perfect, but I was surprised at the sheer amount of disrespect towards their wives, the drug use, and the arrogance towards others and each other.Rickson Gracie is probably the greatest fighter--real fights, not rules restricted sport fighting--in the last 100 years. But the blend of underdog appeal and mental challenges goes only so far to explain why practitioners flock to their gyms with a mangled finger buddy-taped to its neighbor, a swollen elbow strapped to the torso, or—as one longtime training partner of mine did while suffering a groin strain—legs bound together like a mermaid. This experience taught me an important lesson about Jiu Jitsu: sometimes it's not about escaping but about finding whatever comfort you can in hell. Sparring offers brutal real-time feedback, its rhythms forcing you to bounce back from failure—if you (or your partner) “tap out,” you slap hands and start over. For me, Jiu Jitsu needed to be more like chess - staying many moves ahead of my opponents and using my functional intelligence to take advantage of any windows of opportunity.

The conquest here is how to conquer yourself in the midst of chaos and understanding that going against the grain is the key to your biggest problems. The best memoirs provide both a narrative of one's life, and some re-examination and contemplation, but this mainly just focuses on the former.Jiu-Jitsu, the fighting style developed and pioneered by his family, has become one of the world's most prominent martial arts, and Vale Tudo, the anything goes style of Brazilian street fighting over which the Gracies had a monopoly, was an early precursor to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. When Hélio finally began training in the late 1920s, his approach to jiu-jitsu, a martial art first developed in 15th-century Japan and then modified into judo, had to be strategic. Even if you are not a martial artist, you can learn a lot from reading it, and seeing the experience of a man that has experienced as much as Rickson did. Along the way, he conveys lessons learned not only through personal experience and from his father and uncle, the founders of Gracie Ju Jutsu, but also through his studies with Olando Cani -- a yogi and developer of bioginastica.