
The 2nd oldest son of Helio Gracie, Relson Gracie moved to Hawaii in 1988.
He began learning jiu-jitsu at 2 and entered his first competition at the
tender age of 10! He was the Brazilian National Champion for 22 years
straight, and during this period went undefeated in his weight and the open
weight division. He became so popular that he attained the nickname
"Campeao" or "Champion" among his friends and fans. Relson represented his
family's style in the rough streets of Rio de Janeiro against all
challengers. He at this time he was considered the meanest of the Gracie
Representatives. There are still stories circulating in Brazil about some of
the challenges Relson answered. Relson's style of Jiu-Jitsu is submission
based and is best suited for self-defense. Relson still has a good
relationship with his father & trains with him each year. Relson as a Master
of Jiu-Jitsu still learns and follows the correct promotion standards his
father set. Relson's style of instruction is very detail oriented and
technical. He is the only person ever to have two students that train under
the same roof to close out a division of the World Championships by taking
first & second place. Relson has helped train some of the best fighters in
the world & most respected Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. Upon his arrival to
Honolulu, Relson had to prove that Martial Arts from South America works
well to the locals. This would be a tall order for anyone. Hawaiians are
usually large and tough warriors and there is a huge military population on
island. It was with great pleasure that Relson introduced the art of Gracie
Jiu-jitsu to the Aloha State. He now has trained Honolulu Police Department,
all the U.S. Military forces, the Secret Service, the D.E.A. the F.B.I. and
more. Now retired from competition, Relson continues to enjoy teaching
classes in Hawaii and at his associations across the Nation. He has become
quite fond of the island life. Each week you can find Relson at Sandies
beach or at a B-B-Q when he is not on the mats.