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Relson Gracie

Creator credit recorded on the linked source page: Oregon Martial Arts · CC BY 2.0

Relson Gracie

Hélio Gracie’s second-oldest son, Relson built a Hawaii teaching community from garage mats and university space to Waialae Avenue.

Biography

Relson Gracie, born in 1953, is Hélio Gracie’s second-oldest son. Ronn Shiraki Academy describes him as a ninth-degree red belt, while the Relson Gracie Federation says he continues to teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Hawaii and Brazil. By the late 1980s, Relson’s work in Hawaii began with a small circle. MidWeek reported that he arrived with one student and taught from a house and at the University of Hawaii. In a 1999 interview, Relson described giving private lessons on mats in a garage. He attributed the ensuing word-of-mouth network to returning when people asked and to teaching jiu-jitsu day by day. By 1996, MidWeek reported, the university space had become too small and he opened an academy on Waialae Avenue. Relson described his jiu-jitsu as self-defence for people of different ages and body types, rather than only a competitive practice. The Hawaii team he took to the 1997 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Rio offered one concrete result: Kendall Goo and Kelly Matsukawa placed first and second in the Adult Blue Belt Pessidissimo division.

Sources for this profile

  • Relson Gracie Federation, "About," accessed 2026-09-13.(opens in a new tab)

    • Relson "Campeão" Gracie is Hélio Gracie's second-oldest son; the official federation says he continues to teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at academies in Hawaii and Brazil.

      Where in the source: Grandmaster Relson Gracie — "Relson ‘Campeão’ Gracie"; "second oldest son of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie"; "still teaches" in Hawaii and Brazil

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "Relson Gracie," accessed 2026-09-13.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes identifies Relson Gracie as born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and records the nickname "Campeão."

      Where in the source: Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu — "born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"; Nickname: "Campeão"

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes gives 1953 as Relson Gracie's birth year.

      Where in the source: Relson Gracie Biography — "born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 28, 1953"

      Accessed:

  • Yu Shing Ting, "Red Belt," MidWeek, 2 April 2013.(opens in a new tab)

    • MidWeek's 2 April 2013 profile reported that Relson had celebrated his 60th birthday the previous Thursday.

      Where in the source: Red Belt — "celebrated his 60th birthday last Thursday"

      Accessed:

    • MidWeek reported that Relson arrived in Hawaii with one student, taught from a house and the University of Hawaii, and opened a Waialae Avenue academy in 1996 after outgrowing the university space.

      Where in the source: Red Belt — "one student"; "University of Hawaii"; "Waialae Avenue"; "By 1996"

      Accessed:

    • MidWeek quoted Relson describing his jiu-jitsu as self-defence for people of different ages and body types, rather than only a competitive practice.

      Where in the source: Red Belt — "for kids, women"; "weak, skinny, fat"; "defending yourself"

      Accessed:

    • MidWeek reported that Relson took a Hawaii team to the 1997 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Rio, where Kendall Goo and Kelly Matsukawa finished first and second in the Adult Blue Belt Pessidissimo division.

      Where in the source: Red Belt — "In 1997"; "Kendall Goo and Kelly Matsukawa"; "first and second place"

      Accessed:

    • MidWeek reported in April 2013 that Relson was scheduled to be promoted from an eighth-degree red-and-black belt to a red belt.

      Where in the source: Red Belt — "promoted from 8th Degree Red-Black Belt to Red Belt"

      Accessed:

  • Chris Onzuka, "An Interview with Relson Gracie," Full Contact Fighter, 8 March 1999.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a March 1999 interview, Relson described teaching private lessons on mats in a Hawaiian garage, returning after people asked for him, and building his local network by teaching day by day.

      Where in the source: Interview, 8 March 1999 — "mats for me in his garage space"; "asking him to bring me back"; "Day by day I teach Jiu-Jitsu"

      Accessed:

  • Ronn Shiraki Academy, "Grandmaster Relson Gracie," accessed 2026-09-13.(opens in a new tab)

    • Ronn Shiraki Academy expressly gives Relson's belt degree as ninth degree.

      Where in the source: Grandmaster Relson Gracie — "9th Degree"

      Accessed:

    • Ronn Shiraki Academy reports that Relson received the red-belt rank of Grandmaster on 6 April 2013.

      Where in the source: Grandmaster Relson Gracie — "On April 6, 2013"; "Red Belt rank of ‘Grandmaster’"

      Accessed:

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