 Greg Eldred and Helio GracieI started taking lessons at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA almost 20 years ago in January 1991. This was 3 years before the first UFC, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was mostly unknown at that time here in the United States. The UFC platform helped propel the Gracie family name and their style of martial art into mainstream America and the rest of the world. A friend of mine, and long time martial artist of several disciplines, first told me about the Gracie’s, as he had already been taking lessons from them for a couple of months. He couldn’t believe the effectiveness yet simplicity of the things these skinny mild mannered Brazilians were teaching him. He said that what he had learned in those few months of practicing jiu-jitsu would be much more beneficial to him in a real street fight than the many years of his other martial arts experienced combined. He encouraged me to come to class with him to check things out, and said the Gracie brothers were very nice and welcoming to everyone. So, I did just that, I went to the Gracie Academy with my friend one evening and I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be involved in. I was the Gracie Academies 197th student.
Back then students started out with privates lessons. The academy had 2 small rooms, and a larger room for bigger classes. For the first 6 months or so all of my lessons were one on one with either Royler or Royce in one of the small private rooms. They focused on teaching new students street self defense, including, the club, knife, and gun techniques, as well as fundamental ground techniques. Eventually students were put into small semi-private classes of 2 – 3 other students. I don’t remember classes being any bigger than that, at least not until after the first UFC and their popularity skyrocketed. After my first year Royler moved back to Brazil, then most of my classes from then on were with Royce, and occasionally with Rorion or Rickson. Eventually, Rickson started branching out on his own teaching classes at a couple other locations. People always ask me if Rickson was incredible, and the answer is always yes. There was also a Brown Belt named Craig Kukuk, who started teaching some classes at that time, who soon after became the first American to receive a Black Belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. And I’ll never forget a Black Belt named Fabio Santos who they brought in to teach at the academy too. Fabio is one of the nicest guys you could meet, and yet looks like one mean dude, who also had some of the greatest fight stories.
The Gracie’s used to have challenge matches at the academy, where local martial artists of all types would call them up and challenge them to a no-rules match to see whose style is really the best. The Gracie’s used to upset some in the martial arts community with their claims that they had the most realistic and effective style of martial art, so many lined up to try and disprove that. I had the privilege of witnessing several of these fights, where Royce or Royler always emerged victorious, and it only deepened my desire to make jiu-jitsu a permanent part of my life. Some of the fights I witnessed are on a video they produced called “Gracie in Action II”. If you’ve ever seen it I’m one of the students standing up against the wall. In one challenge match I witnessed, the challenger cried after being beat because he was so devastated and upset that his technique was not effective against Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. - Part II will be coming soon. Professor Greg Eldred |
 On April 9, 2010 we held our first FREE Women's Self-Defense Class open to the public. We will continue to offer a FREE class once per month.
Our next FREE 1 1/2 hour Women's Self-Defense class will be held on Friday, May 7th from 9 - 10:30 am. Women ages 16 and up are welcome to attend. In this class you will learn to escape from an attacker in various situations using simple effective escape techniques. No reservations are required. Attire is comfortable work out clothing such as a T-shirt and sweat pants.
To inquire contact Greg Eldred at 506-0973, or email at indianapolisbjj@aol.com. |