My favorite course on GB Online is the Life Lessons with Master Carlos Gracie Jr. A series of informal talks with the founder of Gracie Barra, Master Carlos explores a number of topics of interest to practitioners of the martial arts.

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This week we are listening to parts of a conversation with Master Carlos as he walks around his country home near Florianopolis in Brazil.

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This talk is translated from Portuguese and transcribed for GB students. You may view this video (and the other videos in the course) on GB Online: LIfe Lessons with Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

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On Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, being close to nature and healthy mind and body.

“So I was looking for a life that I would enjoy living, and Jiu-Jitsu gave me that. Here I have a mat area, gym, mineral water, I’m close to animals, I can be more creative when it comes to plantation, do this kind of thing and be close to nature in general.

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Where to find inspiration.

I believe this gives me the mental and spiritual balance that I need to make my daily decisions, to have better ideas about my goals, being here clarifies my ideas because I’m far from everything. When you are in the city, you end up being overloaded with other people’s matters and leaving your thoughts aside and you can’t think straight because there’s always something in the way, people distracting you, people having problems, etc.

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When I come here by myself in the nature, my thoughts get cleaner from other people’s matters, and I can be alone with my own thoughts.

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Here I try to seek only good thoughts, on how I can be useful for others and for the world.”

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Serving others through Jiu-Jitsu

“What could I do to help humanity? I don’t want to be just another person who passed through life and didn’t do much. I want to be someone who helps people somehow. Through Jiu-Jitsu I found a way to do it. And by being here, I believe my ideas are always clarifying to the point that when I go to the city, I can pass that to people there. I can help them get more energized, so they can have better thoughts too, this way we all grow together and get better.”

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On leadership roles and the strength of GB Team

“I believe my man role inside Gracie Barra nowadays is to think about the future, where we want to be in the future. Have ideas about how and what we can build. I only visualize these goals but you all make it happen. You are the doers.

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It’s like a general or a leader studying a map, and the leader shows the way and how to get there, while the other generals go ahead and make that happen. We can’t do it without each other. It’s team work, a master mind, a group of minds seeking a single goal.

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I believe Gracie Barra has a very harmonic foundation where everyone thinks alike.

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I believe this to be Gracie Barra’s greatest secret.”

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Please check out the other great content on GB Online!

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See also on Gracie Barra : Drilling : How To Do It Right

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Credits: Mark Mullen

Gracie Barra Black belt based in Asia