I've enjoyed the Myth of Rickson Gracie as much as any other jiu-jitsu practitioner of my era (started training in 2005). But what has always interested me more than the Myth of Rickson Gracie - or the Reality of Rickson Gracie, for that matter - is the Theory of Rickson Gracie.
The Myth of Rickson Gracie is that he outperforms everyone he trains with. That he is "better" than everyone else. The Reality of Rickson Gracie is likely something a little different.
The Theory asks a more important question for me - and for anyone trying to become more efficient and effective with their jiu-jitsu: What would it take for the Myth to be the Reality?
What would it require from a jiu-jitsu practitioner to be able to best all-comers, and without any particular exposure to any potential adversary's game? Even more challenging would be to isolate this jiu-jitsu practitioner, largely, from jiu-jitsu's innovations and thus render them even less familiar with the contemporary changes to the art.
I have no idea if such a person is conceivable. And that too is beside the point. The question is: what would it take to create such a person? What would that person have to be capable of?
Listening to a recent interview with current no-gi pound-for-pound great Gordon Ryan, I was reminded of this Theory of Rickson Gracie idea that I've been noodling for more than a decade. Ryan, in addition to being an incredible grappler, is also a notorious trash-talker who insists repeatedly and without hesitation that he wins because most of his opponents "suck" at jiu-jitsu.
To be clear, Ryan is trash-talking. But I don't think he's kidding, either. And given his technical dominance and high finishing rate rarely seen even among jiu-jitsu's best, I'm inclined to wonder just a little bit: what if he's "right"? Or, more to the point, in what way could Gordon Ryan be correct in his assessment of the jiu-jitsu of at least some (okay, almost all) of his opponents?
I've long thought that I had an answer for the Theory of Rickson Gracie. And hearing today's interview with Ryan, in some ways, not only reaffirms my Theory of Rickson, but is now reinforced by a Theory of Gordon, as well.
