Royler Gracie

Royler Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro on December 6, 1965. A son of Helio Gracie, he learned Jiu-Jitsu from his father as a small child and started taking it seriously at around 7, under his cousin Rolls Gracie. He would ride the bus from Botafogo with his brothers Royce and Rolker to Rolls’ academy in Copacabana, and often stayed after class to watch the adults train.

After Rolls died, in 1982, he kept training with his brother Rickson under their father’s supervision. He won the featherweight division at the first four editions of the IBJJF World Championship, from 1996 to 1999.

As the head of Gracie Humaitá, he produced black belts such as Saulo Ribeiro. He was inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame in 2014.