Gomes with Roger at a seminar at Zé Beleza’s school. Gustavo Aragão/GALLERR

Some time ago we caught up with coral-belt Maurição Gomes when the celebrated student under Rolls Gracie was marking 50 years in BJJ. He recalled the games he used to play with a young Roger — his son with Reila Gracie, — and how the fighting spirit slowly blossomed in the future three-time absolute world champion.

We asked Maurição to give some advice to any parent out there hoping for their child to become a great champion. “The truth,” he answered, “is that you can give whatever incentive you want, tell your child to repeat whatever position, but, if they don’t like training BJJ, there’s nothing you can do. The main thing, then, is not to make demands, but to slowly lead them to have fun with that.”

“What I used to do with Roger was to play all the time,” he added. “We were always rolling. I would submit him all over the house. Until one day he, already grown, caught me in a nasty wrist lock, and I didn’t want to tap. I went a year unable to prop my hand on the ground!”

After chuckling at the memory, Maurição continued: “But a dad has to take it easy. Roger, when he was ten, hated going to practice. He would tell people repeatedly, ‘I hate this crap. I only go to the gym because my dad makes me.’ And look where we are now.”

Now a father to a boy and a girl living in England, Roger is working on passing the BJJ torch to his offspring — with a light touch, of course. His case is reminiscent of the incentives Grandmaster Helio had in place for his sons Rorion, Relson, Royler, Royce and Rickson. “When I would win a competition, my dad gave me a gift,” Royce once told Graciemag. “When I would lose, he gave me two.”

Gomes com Roger em seminário do craque Gracie na escola de Zé Beleza. Foto: Gustavo Aragão/GALLERR

Um tempo atrás, entrevistamos nas páginas de GRACIEMAG o faixa-coral Maurição Gomes, quando o célebre aluno de Rolls Gracie completava 50 anos de Jiu-Jitsu.

O mestre recordou-se das brincadeiras que fazia na infância com o pequeno Roger, filho dele e de Reila Gracie, e de como o espírito de lutador foi aos poucos se consolidando no jovem tricampeão mundial absoluto, hoje capa da GRACIEMAG após a aposentadoria em grande estilo.

Logo na primeira pergunta para Maurição, disparamos: “Qual seria a dica primordial para aquele pai que sonha ver o filho se tornar um grande campeão um dia?”.

A resposta veio bem-humorada, e cheia de sabedoria.

“A verdade é que você pode dar o incentivo que quiser, mandar seu filho repetir a posição que for, mas se ele não gostar de treinar Jiu-Jitsu, você não pode fazer nada”, disse o mestre. “O principal então não é cobrar, mas levá-lo pouco a pouco a se divertir com aquilo.”

Maurição acrescentou: “O que eu fazia com Roger era brincar o tempo todo: a gente estava sempre se embolando; eu finalizava ele pela casa. Até um dia em que ele, já crescido, me pegou numa chave mão-de-vaca filha da mãe, e eu não quis bater. Fiquei um ano sem conseguir apoiar a mão no chão! [Risos.] Mas o pai tem de pegar leve. O Roger, nos seus 10 anos, detestava ir treinar; ficava repetindo para os outros: ‘Odeio essa porcaria, só vou à academia porque meu pai me obriga’. Deu no que deu”.

Roger, hoje pai de um menino e uma menina na Inglaterra, trata agora de passar a chama do Jiu-Jitsu adiante aos seus pequenos, de leve, sem pressão.

O caso de sucesso de Roger lembra os incentivos que o grande mestre Helio costumava dar aos filhotes Rorion, Relson, Royler, Royce e Rickson, entre outras lendas da família. “Quando eu ganhava uma competição, meu pai me dava um presente”, disse Royce, nas páginas de GRACIEMAG. “Quando eu perdia, ele me dava dois.”

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Book Cover Carlos Gracie

The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo will also be the setting for the launch of the biography of one of the most important figures in Jiu-Jitsu history.

Carlos Gracie, The Creator of a Fighting Dinasty, is the English version of the book released in 2008 in Brazil.

Carlos Gracie’s life and the saga of his family are told in a biography written by his daughter, Reila Gracie. Carlos was more than the creator of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

As an athlete, he had memorable bouts, which packed gyms and stadiums in Rio de Janeiro, where he lived with his family. As a teacher, he shaped future champions who would revolutionize the sport, such as his brother Hélio and son Carlson.

Author Reila Gracie, 54 , mother of the 10-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion Roger Gracie , from Rio de Janeiro, is an arts publisher and president of the Carlos Gracie Cultural and Sports Association.

Among the internationally recognized artists she publishes are: Cildo Meireles, Anna Maria Maiolino, Waltércio Caldas and Antoni Muntadas. As a silk-screen printing teacher, she has worked with psychiatric patients at the Colônia Juliano Moreira.

The World Jiu-Jitsu Expo takes place October 18-19, at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Marcus Buchecha, Leo Veira, the Mendes Bros, Rodrigo Cavaca & Robert Drysdale, Augusto Tanquinho & Mackenzie Dern, Jean Jacques Machado, Caio Terra and Roberto Cyborg will be teaching seminars.

All seminars at the WJJE will be in the gi.

Three IBJJF events will take place during the Expo: IBJJF Pro League, the American Nationals Kids and the Long Beach Open.

Nine superfights are also already confirmed:

Gianni Grippo vs. Augusto Tanquinho

Nino Schembri vs. Vitor Shaolin

Robson Moura vs. Marcos Parrumpinha

Tim Spriggs vs. Leo Nogueira

João Assis vs. Rolles Gracie (no-gi)

Caio Terra vs. Jeff Curran

Samir Chantre vs. Baret Yoshida

AJ Agazarm vs. Bruno Frazatto

Kit Dale vs. Ricardo Rezende

For more info and for tickets, go to worldjiujitsuexpo.com.

Go to ibjjf.com to register for the tournaments.