This week, RGOA begins publishing a series of interviews. The first is with Robson Gracie Jr, Renzo's younger brother, MMA champion and teacher at the gym on 30th Street in New York. 

What are the first memories you have of Renzo?

ROBSON: One of the first memories I have is when I was a child. At that time I was a big fan of an artist called Sergio Mallandro, who had a children's show on Brazilian TV. 
One day, my father took me to a Jiu-Jitsu championship, to see Renzo fight, and I saw Sergio Mallandro there... 
I was very impressed! There were a lot of people around him, talking, asking for an autograph...
I approached slowly and when I got very close to him, I took courage and asked: "Sergio Mallandro, who are you rooting for?"
And he replied: "I'm rooting for Renzo!"
That was a shock: I, just a child, seeing my television idol in front of me, rooting for my own brother!
And no kidding, I insisted on the question about 10 times, I annoyed Sergio Mallandro, because as it was a championship there were several fights, and Renzo fought several times that day...
With each fight I approached him again and asked: "And now, Sergio Mallandro, who are you rooting for now?"
And he repeated each time: "I'm rooting for Renzo! For Renzo!" (Laughs)


Can you tell us an interesting story involving you and Renzo, throughout your years together?
 
ROBSON: A story that marked me was the one that happened in my first professional MMA fight. I went to fight a guy who was a Muay Thai master and, analyzing my opponent's previous fights, my coaches and I drew up a strategy, because we saw that the guy had a very good counterattack. We outlined our strategy, defined some points, including the fact that I would not kick, because my opponent had a very strong kick as a counterattack. But the fact is that Renzo didn't know about the plan, he arrived at the end of the camp, when the strategy had already been defined... Then when the fight started, I could only hear Renzo's voice yelling at me: "Kick! Let's go, kick!" 
But I couldn't kick, that's not what I had agreed with my coaches, and I couldn't tell Renzo that...
I was in this dilemma for a while, until I realized that I had to obey Renzo, even going against the defined strategy. 
And I kicked. 
When I kicked, as expected, I took a very strong counterattack. Renzo shouted: "Good! Now kick again!" 
I kicked again - and took another counterattack!
When the round was over, I walked up to Renzo and said: "Renzo, you're making me nervous!"
Then Renzo replied: "Me? Am I making you nervous? You don't have to be nervous, you have to listen to me! You were afraid to take a counter hit from your opponent, you were fighting in fear... Now that you've realized that you can take the hardest blow he can deliver, the fear is gone and you can finally win this fight!"
And Renzo was right: I came back for the second round with a new mindset, so I managed to put my opponent down and choke him. And it all happened with Renzo saying: "Do it! Put your left hand there, with your right hand you pull it! Throw your hips forward!" It felt like he was narrating the fight, and I just followed his instructions. As if I closed my eyes, just following Renzo's voice.

(to be continued)