Carlson Gracie Jr. - Prince of Jiu-Jitsu

03/02/20 • 51 min

Master Carlson Gracie Jr. is the only son of the legendary Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr. and grandson of the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie. “Junior” as he is known to his family and friends, started jiu-jitsu at the tender age of three under the direction of his father. He now holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in BJJ, as well as a Black Belt in Judo, and is known throughout the jiu-jitsu community as one of the humblest and most genuine representations of the incredible legacy of Gracie jiu-jitsu. Although based out of his academy in Chicago, Junior also travels around the world hosting seminars that support the growth of jiu-jitsu, providing students everywhere the opportunity to learn from one of the most knowledgeable instructors in the history of the gentle art.
We talk about the singular experience of growing up in the Gracie family during the rough and tumble early days of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including incredible stories of his famous father that highlight the unique character that was Carlson Gracie Sr.. We discuss what legacy personally means to him, why jiu-jitsu continues to have such an enduring impact, and what the future holds for the martial art as it expands into new communities around the world.

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Episode 8 - Lucas Lepri - The Champ

This episode‘s guest is a good friend of 4STRIPES, who just so happens to be one of the most accomplished and decorated jiu-jitsu athletes of all time. Lucas Lepri is a 9-time black belt World Champion who has won almost every major jiu-jitsu tournament in the world, and is broadly considered the greatest lightweight competitor of his era. To list just a few of his accomplishments: In 2014, Lucas won every major tournament he entered, including winning the World title again in one of the most dominant performances ever. In 2016, he achieved gold again at the 2016 World Championships in a performance universally described as “flawless”. Finally, in 2019 Lucas won his 6th World title with another perfect run, with no points scored on him by anyone, in the most stacked division in the sport. We talk about Lucas’s upbringing in Brazil, his first few years moving as an instructor to New York City, through to the creation of his own academy. We dive deep into his competitive mindset, his regime during training camps and the road to this year’s ADCC. Lucas shares what, if anything, about his approach has changed with time and age, his views on the state of jiu-jitsu today, and finally, how he thinks about his legacy in the sport and art.

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Dr. Kimberley Carder - Mixed Mental Arts

Dr. Kimberley Carder is a clinical psychologist, avid jiu-jitsu practitioner and retired professional MMA fighter. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Dr. Carder, or simply Kim to her friends, has a unique understanding on the mental health climate of international, fast-paced cities. As a human-centered clinician, she adapts her approach to the children, teenagers and adults she works with and draws on her clinical training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Psychodynamic Analysis to help people overcome challenges they face.
We talk about growing up in Asia, her love of combat sports that led to her career as one of the first professional female MMA fighters in in Hong Kong. We discuss what it means to push one’s limits, developing mental and physical aptitudes, and the importance of the mind-body connection - as well as what it means to pursue and even choose between one’s dreams. Kim shares her very timely thoughts on maintaining positive mental health in the often chaotic world we live in and how to overcome the common challenges that almost all of us encounter at some point in our lives.