A fascinating interview with Orlando Cani, the man who taught yoga to Rickson Gracie and who is the true founder of what is known as Ginastica Natural, currently marketed by Alvaro Romano.
Q: How was Rickson, as a student? How was his attitude? How was his talent in it? How fast and how deep did he learn it? What was he interested in, mainly? How long did he learn it from you?The bit about Romano is disappointing in many regards, because I think what he has done to make Ginastica Natural more widely practiced is very admirable. But if you're going to know something, you might as well know what is likely to be true.
Orlando: Rickson Gracie was the best student I had. He was the one to assimilate best the process. He's very serious and deeply concentrated. He stare at me hearing, and what I say penetrates him like a glove. He assimilates it deeply. It's very impressive. After two years of training with me, he almost make me cry, I was deeply touched. He told me: "Today you will be seated down and I will perform the class by myself". I felt like he was going to fly away from the window, how perfectly he did, specially smoothing. My work is very intense, standing - on the ground, standing - on the ground, there's no good or bad position, it's movement, for me movement is life, is action, it's energy.
