Just have to sub this thread. 
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Great thread!
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The Swinging Richard - Great thread!
“Always assume that your opponent is going to be bigger, stronger and faster than you; so that you learn to rely on technique, timing and leverage rather than brute strength” - Helio Gracie
If I had known years ago what I know now, I would have booked a flight to brazil and waiting patiently for the chance just to meet the guy and tell him thanks. Jiujitsu is a life art, I hope I can do it till the day I expire.
In 
In this old thread there is an interview with open-minded Aikido and self-defence instructor Mits Yamashita who describes how he over the years thought several times that his martial arts knowledge was complete after being humbled by, and then learnt from, karate practicioners, wrestlers, boxers and so on and then he was humbled yet again by a tiny 75-year old man. Such reading was awe-inspiring back in the day.
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=forum.posts&thread=361371&forum=1
per - In this old thread there is an interview with open-minded Aikido and self-defence instructor Mits Yamashita who describes how he over the years thought several times that his martial arts knowledge was complete after being humbled by, and then learnt from, karate practicioners, wrestlers, boxers and so on and then he was humbled yet again by a tiny 75-year old man. Such reading was awe-inspiring back in the day.Here is the original post:
http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=forum.posts&thread=361371&forum=1
Redneck - In an interview with Aikido Legend Mits Yamashita Sensei, he recounts his first experience with the great man Helio Gracie. Yamashita was well versed in Aikido, Karate and Wrestling when this incident took place.
"SENSEI: What brought everything together for me was the Brazilian Jujitsu of the Gracie family. A policeman who was one of my students told me about a new form of Jujitsu that focused on ground grappling, and my ears perked up. When I went to look at the art, Rorion Grace (who later became my teacher) introduced me to his father, Master Helio Gracie, who was then 75 years old. "Mits, this is my dad," Rorion said. "He says that he wants to wrestle you." Knowing that Helio only spoke Portuguese, I said to Rorion, "I'm stronger than he is, and I'm in great shape. Your father looks old to me." To my surprise, Rorion translated what I had said for his father - and then he translated the reply for me: "My dad says that now he really wants to wrestle you - and, if you go easy with him, he's going to hurt you." I thought, "Oh, my goodness!"
When we grappled, it was no contest. I attacked this man, who was 75 years old and weighed about 130 pounds, with everything I had, but there was nothing I could do to him! He would neutralize my attacks without breaking a sweat. He would hold me down, laugh, and talk to his son while I was struggling. If I did manage get out of a hold, he would put me in another. For 30 minutes, I was humiliated.
That convinced me that there was something to Brazilian Jujitsu. Until that moment, I thought a martial artist had to be big, strong, and quick. I thought that all the stories about 90-year-old masters defeating 20-year-old football players were just fables. But on the ground Helio Gracie would neutralize my movements without using strength - just as, in the stories, Ueshiba Sensei would neutralize his attackers' movements from a standing position.
Brazilian Jujitsu, I came to see, is Aikido on the ground."
And a few stories from that thread:
holmes - I have rolled with him. I used to be in the instructor program at Gracie Torrance. When Helio was there he used to occasionally teach class through Ryron's interpretation.
Rorion would cringe but Helio would occasionally demonstrate techniques or positions himself. During one class in particular he had me mount him and try to finish. Well I of course was going to try to use perfect technique and not just crush the guy because I had a 50 pound and almost 50 year advantage on him.
I was surprised how fast he was. He would bait me to try to take an arm. He would try to slap me to get me to reposition so he could defend better or escape. I was only a new blue belt at the time (I'm a brown belt now). I couldn't catch him using only technique.
Mark Hunter - A guy that I used to train with at Renzo's said that he went out to Rorian's awhile back for a seminar. He said that Helio was there and rolled with him. He also said that Helio was walking through his guard like it was the entrance to Grand Central Station.
TPSM - I had a buddy that rolled with him around 6 years ago. My buddy, Louie, was a brown belt and 6'1" 255 lbs of roided muscle. He was also 25 years old and in his prime.
Rorion was teaching the class and out from behind a curtain came Helio himself. It was like God just walked into the room and everyone just stared at him in awe and respect.
Helio didn't say a word, he just pointed to the baddest dude in my class and pointed for him to meet him at the mat in the middle of the room.
Everyone started yelling in anticipation, even Rorion (LOL). Rorion grabbed my video camera and said, "Camera No." I wisely shut it off.
Louie immediately shot for a leg on Helio and Helio sucked him in like a snake and within a second Louie found himself in Helio's legendary guard.
For the next five minutes Helio slapped around 50 submission moves on Louie while Louie was helplessly trying to over-power Helio. We counted a total of 45 separate times Louie tapped in 5 minutes!
The man is not human.
SHawk - rolled with him, as did Holmes, since at that time we were both in the Gracie Torrance Instructor's Program. Holmes told it pretty much like it happened with all of us. Using technique you couldn't get Helio and I'm not sure if you could have combining strength & technique. I was also a Blue Belt back then. A couple of details that really amazed me about Helio. When you or anyone else was mounted on Helio, he made very few movements & adjustments in warding off your attacks and wasted no energy at all. When he went for a hip lift escape, he always got it. When he was mounted or had you in his guard and he went for a choke, his hands were like a blur and always shot deep into your Gi. I watched him let Royce mount him and he blocked Royce getting a choke or armbar for 5 minutes when they stopped. Royce was really trying to secure the choke. Helio never tried to roll Royce because Royce didn't make a mistake to let him. His patience was unreal and his mindset was such that it mattered little to him if he was on the bottom or on top. He never tried to force anything. He would get his opp. frustrated and when one of us went just a hair too far one way or the other or tighened up a little too much, BOOM!, he was out. The years I'm talking about are '95,'96,'97, & '98. I have never been more impressed with any Martial Artist or any type fighter as I was with Helio Gracie. Hawk
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