One of my favorite stories in the grappling world was told in Saulor Ribeiro's book Jiu Jitsu University. Here it is:
Helio Gracie - The Ninety Year Old Warrior (from Jiu Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro) pg. 18
“The last time I trained with Helio Gracie was a truly memorable experience
and is to this day the most important class I ever had on jiu-jitsu. What struck
me most was how Helio addressed me. He did not hold me in awe for my tittles or
championships, and what he said more than surprised me. He said, “Son, you’re
strong, you’re tough, you’re a world champion, but I don’t think you can beat
me.” At the time, I just looked at him sideways in disbelief. After all, how
could a ninety-year-old beat someone who is in his athletic prime? It was at
this moment that I realized how he deftly put all the responsibility on me to
defeat him. This is the key to Helio; he never says he will beat you, only that
you will not beat him.
This is important because he believes he will survive. His survival has
nothing to do with perfect timing or strength. Instead, it has everything to do
with mastering the defensive aspects of jiu-jitsu. He didn’t say he would escape
from my positions, or that he would do anything else. He said he would survive.
The result of our training only validated that fact. Helio did survive, and I
was not able to impose my game on him. Helio proved to me the importance of
survivability and the defensive nature of jiu-jitsu. Furthermore, I took from
him one of the greatest lessons ever: It is not enough to be able to defeat all
of your challengers. To be able to tell any man that he cannot defeat you is to
wield true power.”
Helio Gracie - The Ninety Year Old Warrior (from Jiu Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro) pg. 18
“The last time I trained with Helio Gracie was a truly memorable experience
and is to this day the most important class I ever had on jiu-jitsu. What struck
me most was how Helio addressed me. He did not hold me in awe for my tittles or
championships, and what he said more than surprised me. He said, “Son, you’re
strong, you’re tough, you’re a world champion, but I don’t think you can beat
me.” At the time, I just looked at him sideways in disbelief. After all, how
could a ninety-year-old beat someone who is in his athletic prime? It was at
this moment that I realized how he deftly put all the responsibility on me to
defeat him. This is the key to Helio; he never says he will beat you, only that
you will not beat him.
This is important because he believes he will survive. His survival has
nothing to do with perfect timing or strength. Instead, it has everything to do
with mastering the defensive aspects of jiu-jitsu. He didn’t say he would escape
from my positions, or that he would do anything else. He said he would survive.
The result of our training only validated that fact. Helio did survive, and I
was not able to impose my game on him. Helio proved to me the importance of
survivability and the defensive nature of jiu-jitsu. Furthermore, I took from
him one of the greatest lessons ever: It is not enough to be able to defeat all
of your challengers. To be able to tell any man that he cannot defeat you is to
wield true power.”
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