Senior Vicky Gracie hopes to fight professionally in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) style. She would be carrying on a family tradition.

Her great uncle, Helio Gracie, was the one of the founders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), an increasingly popular organization that combines all types of fighting styles. Vicky Gracie understands what it takes to become a fighter.

“When my family owned the UFC there were no rules,” Gracie said. “A fight could go on forever.”

Gracie’s goal in life is to become a professional. She has already put in countless hours of training to prove it.

“I train almost every day,” Gracie said. “My trainers push my limits and keep me going.”

Gracie has also had family members go into professional fighting. Royce Gracie, a UFC Hall of Famer and cousin, being the most iconic. He fought in UFC 1 and helped influence the sport.

Gracie’s older brother, Riury, trains in MMA and Jiu Jitsu along with her other cousins. Many members of the Gracie family own and run Jiu Jitsu gyms across the United States and Brazil, including her father.

“With some of my closest relatives fighting professionally,” Gracie said, “it makes me want to carry on the tradition.”

She is often found training at the Charles Gracie Jiu Jitsu Center in Tracy. She has been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 10 years and has achieved a blue belt with three stripes. She is at the highest belt level she can be for her age.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the original type of Jiu Jitsu, derived from a Japanese fighting style of Judo. It is a martial art, combat sport, and a self-defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was formed from early 20th century Kodokan Judo ground fighting fundamentals that were taught to Luiz França and Carlos Gracie by Master Mitsuyo Maeda. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu eventually came to be its own art through the experimentations, practices, and adaptation from the Judo knowledge of Carlos and Hélio Gracie, who then passed their knowledge on to their extended family.

“I have been doing Jiu Jitsu for all my life,” Gracie said. “It was taught to me by my dad, who was taught by his dad.”

Just because fighting has been in the family for a long time doesn’t mean Gracie was immediately attracted to it. Over time she learned to love the sport, with some encouragement from her family, while balancing other sports. Gracie now loves fighting because it shows her individualism as a person. She enjoys other sports like soccer, basketball, ballet and volleyball. She played soccer and basketball for Tracy High in the past.

“Sports are my passion,” Gracie said. “Life would be boring without them.”

Gracie, only 5 feet, 2 inches and 105 pounds, will be able to fight professionally in her weight class of Flyweight. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique, taking the fight to the ground, most notably by applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. Gracie is aiming to move up to the Bantamweight 125-pound class.

“This style of fighting dominated the octagon in the past,” Gracie said. “I want to bring back that dominance.”

Gracie has only participated in Jiu Jitsu tournaments throughout her fighting career. She has placed high in most tournaments and gained accolades. Due to a recent knee injury she hasn’t competed in several months, but is back in training.

“Vicky is a really good Jiu Jitsu fighter,” senior Samantha Worthington said. Worthington is a good friend who has seen Gracie fight. “She didn’t let her injury slow her down.”

Gracie wants to fight in the UFC and has several sponsors lined up to sign her when she turns 18. She hopes to turn pro soon after her 18^th birthday on March 12. She wants sponsors like Nike, Powerade and Tapout because she said they are the best products for fighting and daily use.

“I’m glad to see people being supportive,” Gracie said. “It motivates me to keep trying.”

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