# Relson Gracie ("Campeão")

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## Overview

**Name:** Relson Gracie

**Nickname:** Campeão

**Date of Birth:** March 28, 1953 (age 73)


## Bio

Eldest son of Helio Gracie and a famously wild competitor, Relson Gracie was bribed with $100 per gold medal by his father to channel his brawling nature into jiu-jitsu tournaments, a tactic that produced multiple local titles. A founding member of the Gracie Ilha academy in 1975, he endured a seven-year stint at brown belt before Helio finally promoted him. After a brief teaching stint in California in 1985, Relson moved to Hawaii in 1988, where his surfing spirit and the islands’ warrior culture helped grow his school rapidly; he organized the first official BJJ tournament outside Brazil in 1992. Though he later pivoted his academies toward self-defense, he was an early pioneer in bringing foreign teams to the Mundial.

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/relson-gracie)