When The Greatest Gracie Carpetbagged Himself
How Rickson Gracie overcame his claustrophobia and became undefeatable
Years ago, on one of the hottest days in Rio, a young Rickson Gracie and his brother stood looking at the enormous carpet laid out before them.
“Roll me up and don’t let me out,” he said.
Why would young Rickson want to be stuffed in a carpet in unbearable heat? It could have been the fact that he had just tapped out while being pinned during live sparring.
In the martial arts world, tapping out is reserved for unbearable situations, ones in which unconsciousness or bone-breaking injury is imminent.
But Rickson didn’t tap to a choke or joint lock. He tapped to a pin.
Since as far back as he could remember, Rickson had been severely claustrophobic. In other words, he did not like tight spaces. Elevators, narrow alleys, even crowds can induce panic attacks. Constricted breathing, cold sweats and hyperventilation. It starts with the feeling of immense pressure on one’s chest, the very same feeling caused by a wrestling or judo pin.
So Rickson tapped.
He could have labeled himself a claustrophobe. The doctors had a name for it, the symptoms were clear, and it wasn’t his fault. But that just wasn’t good enough for the boy who might one day have to defend his family name and art in the field of competition. Besides, how could he tell his students that the techniques he taught them could protect them from larger opponents in the streets if he himself couldn’t use them due to his disability?
So Rickson decided to get in the smallest, most constrictive space he could imagine: Rickson got inside the carpet.
At first he could only bear a minute. But repeated practice led him to endure two minutes, then five, then ten… and soon he realized that he could stay rolled up inside a carpet in the sweltering heat for as long as he wanted.
It wasn’t actually so bad, he discovered, if you could just control your breathing. This insight drove Rickson to learn yogic breathing. By then Rickson had learned that breath was everything.
Mastering his breath, combined with his Jiu Jitsu, allowed him to master the breath of his opponents as well. In fighting, as in life, things rarely go as planned. But the one who can control his mind and body can think more clearly, move more efficiently, and capitalize on more opportunities. It all starts with how much oxygen we can take in, and how much carbon dioxide we can expel. It all starts with control of breath.
Rickson went on to become an undefeated champion widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. Clearly he had something others didn’t, of which a willingness to roll with floor decorations as well as humans is but a manifestation.
If you ever wonder what your competitive advantage might be. If you want to know how to set yourself apart in ways that matter, look no further than that hot sweltering day in Rio and the claustrophobe—still feeling the sting of defeat—who decided to conquer his deepest fear.
He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t try to demand special handicaps for his matches. And he definitely didn’t give up on the family business. Instead, he found safe ways to train his weakness out of him. Over time, exploring that fear brought him to levels of mastery that few others in his field had. This is because humans differ from one another not by the traits we have but by the degree to which we have them. At some level, we’re all bothered by having our movement restricted, and we all experience stress.
Where some see stress as a warning to run away, others see it as a call to greatness.
Are you willing to get in your carpet?
Yes, breathing is so important!