In "Comfort and Darkness," Rickson Gracie shares his personal journey battling Parkinson's disease while offering profound insights into the philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu. He explores the 'invisible' aspects of the martial art, emphasizing mental fortitude, strategic thinking, and intuitive decision-making. The book transcends the physical realm, delving into spiritual resilience and the importance of self-awareness. Gracie's experiences provide a powerful framework for navigating life's challenges with grace and determination. It's a testament to the human spirit's capacity for adaptation and growth.
In this riveting memoir, Rickson Gracie shares the full story of how his father and uncles developed Jiu-Jitsu, his experiences growing up among several generations of world-renowned fighters, and the principles and skills that guided him to his undefeated record. The book offers insights into martial arts, human performance, and how the connection between mind and body can be harnessed for success both inside and outside the ring. It also includes personal anecdotes, lessons on resilience and mindfulness, and reflections on life, death, and the search for meaning.
In this episode, we welcome Rickson Gracie back to the show. He is a 9th-degree red belt in Gracie jiu jitsu and the son of the godfather of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Helio Gracie. Rickson is considered to be the greatest Gracie fighter ever and the Gracie family champion. He is a pioneer in the sports of jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts and was undefeated in his vale tudo (mma) career. He is the author of Breathe: A Life in Flow and his newest book called Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu and his newest book Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu. In this interview, we discuss how he feels like he broke spiritually and not physically in his first fight, why his drive to be the Gracie family champion led to his overall mindset, how an embarrassing moment led to him finding comfort in darkness, what it was like going into his last vale tudo fight with a mindset of victory or death, how to remain humble as you learn martial arts, how he carries the warrior mindset into his current fight against Parkinson’s Disease, why he teaches jiu jitsu to “regular people” now, what current mma fighter he wishes he could have fought when he was in own fighting his prime, and much more. Let’s get into it…
Episode notes and links HERE.
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Undaunted.Life: A Man's Podcast by Kyle Thompson 
