Rickson Gracie talks about Parkinson's and says he practices jiu-jitsu every day "through my breathing"
At 66, the jiu-jitsu legend admitted on a podcast that he feels his body losing strength, but said jiu-jitsu remains part of his routine through breathing, positive thinking and gratitude.
Rickson Gracie spoke again about life with Parkinson's. In an interview with The ROL Radio podcast, the 66-year-old master said he feels his body slowly weakening, but that he has not stepped away from jiu-jitsu.
According to him, the art is still present in his daily life in a different way: in his breathing, in a positive way of facing things and in gratitude. In the conversation, Rickson put more weight on the mind than on the limitations of the body and said he is grateful to still take part in projects like the podcast itself.
Focus on self-defense
Rickson also talked about Rickson Gracie United (RGU), a project focused on self-defense and on the personal empowerment of those who train, far from the logic of competition.
The diagnosis
The Brazilian made his diagnosis public in June 2023, on Kyra Gracie's podcast. At the time, he said he had received the news about two years earlier. Parkinson's is a degenerative disease that still has no cure, but there is treatment to control the symptoms.
Rickson is one of the best-known names in the Gracie family and ended his fighting career undefeated.
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