About Team Legacy

Rickson (pronounced Hickson), son of Helio Gracie, was born into Jiu-Jitsu. At six years old, he began competing; at fifteen, he started to teach the art; and at eighteen, he received his Black Belt.

In 1980 at age twenty, 180-pound Rickson won his first professional Mixed Martial Art (Vale Tudo) victory against a 230-pound Brazilian brawler named Zulu, who until that time had an undefeated fighting record with 140 victories! Rickson gained immediate national acclaim in Brazil as the top free-style fighter. Five years later Zulu requested a rematch and lost to Rickson again in Maracanazinho before an audience of 20,000 spectators.

In 1993, the Gracie Family introduced Mixed Martial Arts to the United States by creating the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Rickson helped coach his younger brother, Royce Gracie in preparation for this epic event. Royce showed how smaller and physically weaker individuals could win with superior technique. The Gracie family introduced reality-based fighting back into the martial art world, and were instrumental in creating what is now the fastest-growing sport, Mixed Martial Arts.

Rickson is a 9th Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu whose technique is considered the finest expression of Jiu-Jitsu in the world. His innate talent and early mastery of the art has resulted in an undefeated record in MMA, BJJ, and No Rules Challenge Matches in more than 400 fights. He is a two-time Brazilian Champion in freestyle wrestling, a Gold Medal Winner in Sambo, and he has been the middle-heavyweight and open-weight World Jiu-Jitsu Champion for two decades!

A master-level instructor for over 35 years, Rickson has demonstrated how to teach the most advanced principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in a way that allows everyone, including first-time beginners, to succeed. His students have included World-champion MMA and BJJ competitors, Master-level instructors from various martial art styles, FBI agents, SWAT teams, Navy SEALs, Military personnel, Athletes, and even actors.

In 2014, Rickson founded the JJGF, Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation, to bring real-world martial arts effectiveness back to Jiu-Jitsu training and competition. Unfortunately, nearly every Jiu-Jitsu school today only teaches Sport Jiu-Jitsu, losing the full applications of the martial art training for life and real fighting skills! Rickson discusses this problem during various interviews conducted when the Federation was launched.

 

Rodrigo Vaghi started his training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the “gentle art,” at age 14 in the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Vaghi’s instructors were none other than Grandmaster Helio Gracie, the creator of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and his sons Rickson, Royce, Royler, and Rolker.

After many years of training with the Gracie Family, Rodrigo has become a family friend and a representative of the Gracie family outside of Brazil. Rodrigo is currently a 6th-degree black belt under the undisputed champion Rickson Gracie and is the highest-ranked black belt representative of Rickson Gracie outside of Brazil. In 2001, Rodrigo was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

As a competitor, Rodrigo has won several Jiu-Jitsu championships. His most recent championship was the 2010 World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. Rodrigo not only won the black belt division in his weight class but also the open division. While he still enjoys competing at the highest levels, he lives to pass down his knowledge and expertise to his students of BJJ and MMA alike.