LEGENDARY Universal Fighting Championship (UFC) hall-of-famer Royce Gracie yesterday reminded new (and old) mix-martial arts (MMA) enthusiasts to “go back to the basics” during a three-hour training session at the CJRS gym of instructor Norman Go.

Gracie, who was in Cebu yesterday as part of his Southeast Asian tour, said having a solid grasp of the basic and fundamental styles and techniques in fighting is the key to a successful fight plan.

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The 42-year-old Brazilian powerhouse who was known for introducing his family’s trademark Gracie Bara Jiu-jitsu in modern UFC, was in Cebu yesterday, to not only train with up-and-coming MMA fighters, but also to teach the young on how a champion does it in the ring.

Gracie, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, said that today’s MMA is not about the flashy techniques that you see on television.

“MMA is very basic stuff, as flashy combinations don’t work (in the ring),” said Gracie.

Gracie, who is the first UFC champion and a Hall-of-Famer, said learning martial arts is like building your own house.

“If you’re going to build a house, you need to have a foundation. Fighting using flashy moves is like putting an attractive furniture or paint inside a house, but if you don’t have a good foundation, your house falls apart”, said Gracie.

Gracie also adds that he also encourages practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to practice it as though they were playing a game of chess.

“I told them that because I want them to think, to use their brains. They have to practice their techniques one move at a time, as though playing chess with an opponent”, said Gracie.

MMA champions such as Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) featherweight title holder Sabah Fadai were delighted with the honor of training with Gracie.

Fadai, who took the title from Manila-based fighter Andrew Benibe last June, told Sun.Star Cebu that the training with Gracie yesterday will help him with his ground skills
for his incoming fight later this month.

“It’s the little stuff that (Gracie) teaches that really stands out”, said Fadai.

Fadai added that he admired how Gracie was teaching them the “chess game” tactics when it comes to performing grapples and locks, that the need for more time to think was crucial when it comes to performing such techniques.

Fadai is scheduled to fight Benibe’s fellow fighter Ari Zargo in his first URCC title defense on Nov. 21.

Today, Gracie will be flying to Davao City for another teaching seminar with MMA fighters, then he will fly to Phuket, Thailand to stay there for a couple of days before flying in to Houston, Texas.

Gracie has lived in California for the past 25 years but spends almost seven months a year on the road to teach the sport.

Gracie, son of the Brazilian Jiujitsu founder Helio Gracie, became the first UFC champion after winning UFC 1 by forcing Frenchman Gerard Gordeau to submit with a rear-naked choke.

He and fellow UFC champion Ken Shamrock were the first people to be inducted in the UFC hall of fame.