Royce Gracie is a Living Legend in the World of MMA and is the person who is directly responsible for the incredible growth of the UFC and Ultimate Fighting. His complete dominance of men twice his size and strength in the first 4 UFC competitions, propelled the UFC into the public eye and created the enormous following that MMA has today.Here are 4 Quotes from Royce Gracie:
1. The one that wins the fight.
Once in a seminar, one of students in the seminar asked Royce Gracie what was his favorite technique to win a fight? And he replied, "The one that wins the fight". He went on to explain that he did not plan a fight. He did have specific moves for certain times that he intended to use and to try at various times during the fight, but he did not make a plan of attack in his head and try moves that were not working or techniques that would not work against a particular opponent and try to do them anyway.
2. You don't "plan" a fight, you win a fight.
You do practice and work on techniques that you think might be good for a particular opponent, but when the actual fight starts you have to use techniques that your opponent is giving you, not techniques that you are determined to try anyway, even though your opponent is fully prepared for them and will stop them. Royce Gracie said that you adapt the techniques you know to the particular fight and the fighter you are fighting.
3. Go with the flow.
Take what your opponent gives and you and use the techniques that you know that will stop what your opponent is doing, nullify his attack and allow you to control the fight, control the events in the fight and win the fight.
You might have a great guard, but find yourself caught in the mount. You might have some great chokes, but find yourself being choked. So all your "plans" and all the techniques you think you are good at or even great at, might not be able to be used because your opponent is not allowing you to do them.
4. You must learn to practice all aspects of your fight game.
You must become great in punching, kicking, throws, chokes, hold downs, wrist locks, joint locks, combinations, strength training, diet, mental training, etc. You can't just be a great ground jiu jitsu player and win all your fights on the ground. You have to be good at everything. You have to train in all aspects of the fight game and be prepared to make adaptations to any particular fight at any time during the fight with easy and confidence.
You have to be prepared to change the way you are fighting and defending to what your opponent is giving you. When you learn that, and when you have practiced enough to know what to do in any particular situation, you will become a great fighter and a Great Martial Artist.
Source: Grandmaster Ted Gambordella
