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Rickson Gracie Details Fight Against Parkinson’s, Receives Support from Biggest Rival
Considered the greatest representative for jiu-jitsu practitioners in the 1980s and 1990s, Rickson Gracie revealed in 2023 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. And it was the battle against the disease that motivated him to launch his second book, “Comfort in the Dark: The Power of...
“The idea was that, with the story of my life, after this biography (in the previous book called “Respira”), it was missing that I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and I am going through a, let’s say, evolutionary phase of my life,” he said.”And I would like to pass on to people the way I try to solve my problems. We all have problems, we all have opponents —whether physical, spiritual or mental. And to preserve my mental health, my physicality at the best possible level, and my spiritual field, I had to use the tools of the spiritual warrior that I explain in the book.”
Gracie makes it clear that he faces the disease with the same respect and the same desire to win as he did against his opponents in the ring.
“It’s a daily battle and my overview of the problem can be resolved. If it is not resolved on the outside, it will be resolved on the inside It is already resolved within my heart,” Gracie said. “The regular doctor gave me some medicine and told me to exercise and wait. But through seeking out various healers and different ways of interpreting this illness, I began to change my life. I stopped eating meat, drinking beer and wine. I started fasting, taking all kinds of supplements. I changed the water in my house to ozonated water. A series of things that no one told me to do, but I researched and changed, and now I feel that I am in the best possible condition to fight Parkinson's. I do physical therapy five times a week. I’m dealing with Parkinson’s with the respect of a great opponent, but with the hope of being able to win.
In mid-2024, Gracie moved with his wife from Los Angeles to Florida.
“I continue to follow my happy and optimistic life. I go to the beach every day. I moved from California to Florida, and it's been great because the sea here is much more pleasant,” he said.
Marco Ruas, who was considered to be Gracie’s biggest rival, expressed his support in an interview with the YouTube channel MMA Debate last Friday.
“I don’t wish that disease, not even on my worst enemy,” Ruas said. “First of all, he was not my enemy, only my rival. I´m sad for all Rickson is passing through. I even prayed for him. He has the same profession as I. He is a fighter, a warrior. He was the best representative of the Gracie family of our generation, the one who made himself available to defend his family name for so long. I really hope that he recovers and gets healthy. I have nothing against him. Our rival times were 40 years ago. This history is over. Rickson is a warrior, and I'm sure he will overcome that.”
The rivalry between Ruas and Gracie started in 1984, when Ruas got a draw against Fernando Pinduka, the best student of Carlson Gracie, in an event called "Night of Martial Arts.” It was a vale tudo challenge between jiu-jitsu and muay thai promoted by Robson Gracie in Maracanazinho Gymnasium. The final result was a draw. Besides Ruas and Pinduka, Eugenio Tadeu, from the Muay Thai team, scored a TKO over Renan Pitanguy (from Gracie Academy) and Marcelo Behring (Rickson’s best student) defeated Flavio Molina (master of the Muay Thai team). Since Rickson was considered the No. 1 representative of Gracie Family, a natural rivalry started between him and Rickson. But once Rickson moved to LA and started to compete in Japan and Ruas went to the UFC, the dream fight for Brazilian fans of that generation never happened. However, the rivalry between Ruas and Rickson has never been forgotten. That moving statement from Ruas last week was the first time the white flag was raised.
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