Category: News
At the end of last month, Jason Spallek and I traveled to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas to teach Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. It was an honor to be on the mat with the soldiers and share some techniques with them. We had a great experience meeting and training with everyone. Our American soldiers truly are some of the finest people this country has to offer.
This is an amazing opportunity to learn from Master Relson Gracie, 22 year undefeated Brazilian National Champion! Following the seminar we will be conducting promotions, its going to be a great time. For those of you who have attended a Relson seminar in the past, you know what I mean. See YOU on the mat!!!
Earlier this month we had a small group of competitors step on the mat and represent Relson Gracie Colorado in the Fight to Win Tournament of Champions 10. Proudly 90% of our competitors placed in their respective divisions; the majority brought home the Gold!! I’m very proud of the results, with about 10 competitors we took 8th place! Next tournament lets push for at least 30 competitors and see what the results are. Keep up the hard work as I look forward to our team building on this success at the next competition.
INJURIES AND TRAINING
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is called a gentle art and if you haven’t experience that or get injured a lot you may want to look at how you train and who you train with. Seriously if you are injured, you are off the mat and not progressing and that just sucks.
By Chris Ferguson
As young students tangle and contort on a floor of wall-to-wall mats, jiu-jitsu instructor Steve Hordinski watches and gently corrects the young combatants.
Hordinski, owner of Relson Gracie Colorado, is in the business of molding youngsters into more confident people, one technique at a time.
Great job to all our competitors this past weekend! Heather once again went to war bringing home three golds, Scott made quick work of his competion bringing home the gold and giving all in the open. The kids carried the team this competition racking up a lot of points and medals, awesome job kids! I have recounted the points and submitted the corrections and all in all we tied for third with Infinite MMA according to my recount of the points.
RELSON GRACIE COLORADO
WOMEN BJJ ABSOLUTE
1ST HEATHER RAFTREY- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
KIDS BJJ 5 TO 7 YEAR OLDS
2ND ANDERW CHITTUM- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=2
2ND KEEGAN HOFFMAN- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=2
1ST GARRICK LEVESQUE- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
3RD SAYLOR PALMER- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=1
1ST DARIAN HOWARD- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
3RD BENICIO ARCHULETA- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=1
1ST ZAC BRUNETTE- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
1ST ROMAN CRUZ- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
2ND KEEGAN HOFFMAN- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=2
2ND FRANKLIN CRUZ- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=2
1ST DARIAN HOWARD- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
WOMEN BJJ
1ST HEATHER RAFTERY- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
WOMEN NO GI
1ST HEATHER RAFTERY- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
MASTERS BJJ
3RD FABIO MELENDEZ- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=1
MENS BJJ
1ST SCOTT BRUNDAGE- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=4
2ND ANDREW GARST- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=2
3RD WESS GLASSMEYER- RELSON GRACIE COLORADO=1
My count might be wrong but I think we brought like 17 competitors and took home 18 medals!
Gold=9
Silver=5
Bronze=4
Total points: 50
Thanks to all of the competitors for getting out there and doing work! Special thanks to everyone that helped get these warriors ready, as well as everyone that came to support. I’m very proud to have all of you on the team, IT’S A FAMILY!!! Lastly I would like to give a shout out to Seth Daniels for putting on another outstanding tournament.
Professor Steve Hordinski
By Ron Goldstein, Boulder MMA Examiner
Recently Examiner had a chance to sit down with Owner/operator Steve Hordinski about his brand new Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy in Littleton. Have you ever met someone that lives, eats, breathes and sleeps their passion?…Well I sure did when I sat down with Steve in his new gym location of: 6707 West Ken Caryl Ave in Littleton. The Denver bred Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt is a man that truly “BELIEVES” and has a wonderful story behind him. Come & meet this devoted Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.
Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy
Steve’s story begins with his involvement in the traditional martial arts of: Tae Kwon Do & Kenpo Karate. He eventually become a Kenpo Karate & Kabuto black belt and utilized a disciplined approach which transcended into many facets of his life. Once he enlisted into the Navy, his opportunity to train with Phil Cardella in Hawaii opened up his world to Jiu-Jitsu. He started training in Gracie Jiu Jitsu & entered in his first tournament in1997 and has never looked back. His rich BJJ training history begins with winning a Hawaiian State Championship & getting to train with the likes of grappling greats like: Daniel Moraes, Fredson Alves, and Relson Gracie himself. He’s also trained with other well respected Hawaiian grappling athletes while working as a Navy deep sea diver. This training led him to work closely with the man that would eventually change Steve’s life forever…Relson Gracie.
Ron & Steve Hordinski
After the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships in 2000, Steve went back to Hawaii & began working with Relson Gracie on maximizing his guard & developing a total game. He worked tirelessly on improving his technique and ultimately Relson Gracie saw the passion that Steve had for their family’s legendary system. His intense focus on living & embracing the lifestyle of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu brought Relson to Steve in a hotel room one day. His words etched a place in Steve’s heart & soul. Relson told Steve, “My Jiu-Jitsu was given to me by my father like an umbilical connection. I see the same love you have for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu & because of this…I will do the same for you, that my father (Helio) did for me.”
Steve hopes that the philosophy that he brings to his gym, will inspire many people to share the lessons he learned from Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The pillars of the Gracie philosophy incorporate traits such as: respect, honor, courage, discipline, support and family. These traits still stand today with an even greater presence than ever before in both Steve’s & the Gracie’s way of conducting life. This journey has virtually become a religious experience for Steve & his view of building a positive lifestyle through a family of old & new Gracie Jiu-Jitsu students drives this quiet, humble man.
He looks to be involved in helping people understand that training in this system is more than just an exercise. It is the foundation for a disciplined lifestyle that has brought so much positive change in the world of martial arts. Steve looks to grow his new academy by developing a strong community involvement with: self defense, rape-prevention, grappling, weight control, MMA and most importantly…kids classes. His approach is simple. He strives to make everyone feel comfortable & learn everything from beginner to high level technical Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. If you live in the south Denver areas, Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy is one place NOT to miss.
To contact Steve, or the new academy…you can go to: www.RelsonGracieAcademy.com for their schedule, or you can call the academy direct at: 303-932-1202. You can also contact him through www.FightJobs.com and finally you can directly email Steve for all the details at: SteveHordinski@RelsonGracieAcademy.com .
As always, thanks for the feedback guys & let me know how I can help if you have any questions.
By Ron Goldstein, Boulder MMA Examiner
This is a follow up piece on the growth of a local jiu-jitsu academy we featured before. We first did a piece on the Relson Gracie Academy in Littleton a few months ago which is owned & operated by Steve Hordinski. Since that article, Steve, a Relson Gracie jiu jitsu blackbelt has expanded beautifully and also has begun bringing in top level grapplers, fighters and specialists to give an even more expansive perspective to his students. His affordable rates, beaming attention to detail and extremely comfortable learning environment is the first thing that hits you when you enter this Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy.
Men, Women & Children of all ages & levels are welcome
Steve is a world renowned jiu jitsu competitor, Navy veteran, wonderful father and a man that is deeply concerned about the learning interests of his grappling family. His philosophy is simple….”execute the proper technique & good things happen”. Steve hosted a seminar by WEC fighter & grappling phenom Phil Cardella. Phil and Steve both come from the same philosophy of the Gracie teachings & it was inspiring to see men, women, kids and older people learning & enjoying the insights of these two grappling aces.
Mr. Hordinski Sr, Relson Gracie, Professor Steve Hordinski
I was blown away by the attention to detail in EACH move during the seminar & then the application of that move to a “fight ending series” for all levels. There was such a variety of ages and levels there executing & practicing the moves. It made me realize that it’s no wonder to see this academy growing so quickly. Steve’s rates are extremely affordable & that includes the rates for seminar instruction too. His easygoing personality & strict discipline to his craft provide an awesome learning environment. Everyone there was training very hard, yet enjoying the learning experience so much that the seminar actually ran longer than stated….and NOBODY left early….including myself.
Many times, seminars can be costly with too many people there to really learn & enjoy the techniques being taught. This was NOT the case here at Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. The techniques that were taught were drilled, filmed and photographed to ensure technique perfection, maximize technique efficiency & provide a reference for his students to always be able to refer back to in case of any questions.
It was such a well oiled machine of learning & executing moves to the point that each & every student learning was performing the moves with precision & a smile. This fun atmosphere of enjoying the science & art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu confirmed for me that learning Gracie Jiu-Jitsu here is not only good for someone from a physical perspective…but even better for them as a whole body experience.
Another thing to greatly appreciate is the committed service of Steve and his academy to military & law enforcement when training ground-fighting tactics. As a veteran of our Navy, Steve has drawn interest from others that currently & have served….to help them stay safe in dangerous situations. He also offers an additional 20% off to all law enforcement & military personnel as a way to show his appreciation for the company he keeps. This coupled with his already great rates make this a “no brainer” if you are interested in learning jiu-jitsu.
Relson Gracie Academy will be well represented at the 2010 Fight To Win Nationals tournament on July 24th at the Magnus Arena. Steve will be leading his students in competition as they represent Relson Gracie Academy. If you’re a fan of jiu jitsu…then come by and introduce yourself to Steve & definitely don’t miss this great local event. He has so much to share.
By Ron Goldstein, Denver MMA Examiner
There’s a feeling you get sometimes when you stand in the presence of greatness. It is not an awe-struck feeling, but more a feeling as if…you know you should pay attention to every word. Such is the feeling I had when I sat down with legendary Gracie family member Relson Gracie. Thanks to the white hot rise in the popularity of MMA, most fight fans know who Royce Gracie is. Many know that he introduced “Jiu Jitsu” to the world on that fateful November night in 1993…right here in Denver. He taught it to us through fighting & tearing through fighting tournaments of much bigger men than he. How did he do it & where did he learn that funky style?
He learned it from his father Helio Gracie. Helio taught the art to his sons…hence now, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. In that tight inner circle of the legendary Gracie family, is the second oldest son Relson. His education in the fighting art is directly from his father…Master Helio.
Today many instructors have added their own versions & adaptations to the original Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. They have incorporated such things as: “butterfly guards” & “spider guards” among other “guards”. These are forms of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu…but are NOT Gracie Jiu Jitsu….Gracie Jiu Jitsu is about 2 things to me….patience & finishing the fight.
Helio himself was a very small & frail man. He needed to be an expert in self defense and therefore he had to be patient enough to wait for his opportunity, and then….quickly execute to end fights. Helio realized that taking punishment from a big man on top of you when you weigh under 140 lbs is not sensible. So Helio became creative & very patient during matches with the propensity to attack & finish. Many big men came to his academy to test their skills against the diminutive Helio. Their big man bravado got them into the door & little Helio and his sons taught them a lesson in skill, patience and respect. In martial arts & especially Gracie Jiu Jitsu, if called upon…you do not instigate a fight…you finish it.
The lessons the Gracie boys learned from Helio would set into motion a change in sports as we know it today. Those sacred teachings have been changed & tweaked by many others….but not by Relson & his blackbelts. Giving belts away because you have been a member of a gym for a while is not where the lessons lie. The teachings in skills, defense, attitude, respect and character are what Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is all about. Those teachings are what Relson Gracie & one of his most respected Black belts in the US, local Littleton blackbelt, Steve Hordinski still teaches today.
As I watched Relson & Steve teach the students of the seminar, I saw the value of what they were teaching instantly. Egos were left at the door, Relson’s instruction and comedic personality took over & the learning was part of such an enjoyable atmosphere, that it was palpable…everything all made sense to me at that moment.
Once the seminar was done, I had the chance to sit down with both Relson & Steve to ask them both a few questions on what Gracie Jiu-Jitsu means to them. Here’s how it went.
Examiner: First off, Relson…what an honor to sit with you here today & talk especially with both of you together. Relson if you could…what does it mean to you to have Gracie Jiu-Jitsu represented through Steve Hordinski?
Relson: “Steve is a great example of the important stances of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by my dad Helio. Steve is very honest, he is always early or on-time for training, he keeps the same stance of self defense Jiu-Jitsu taught by my father Helio. He is not aggressive with people, he doesn’t scream at people in his classes, he cares about military & law enforcement. This is important to become a blackbelt under Gracie Jiu Jitsu because when I give a diploma to one of my students like Steve…it represents what my dad was teaching us when we were kids in Brazil. It is the highest honor that Gracie Jiu Jitsu can give, because it shows that my blackbelt passes a personal & teaching criteria for what my father taught us. Steve will grow Gracie Jiu Jitsu in Colorado & create a lot of champions here for sure.”
Examiner: So from a teaching perspective…it is clearly NOT only about Jiu-Jitsu?
Relson: “My father used to have 10 things that he needed to see to promote students to a blackbelt. Some of the things are: technique, honesty, loyalty, respect, devotion, creativity, motivation, you wash & respect your Gi, you are on time & patient with students. Each of these things has a passing level. He used to judge his students on a scale of 1-10 and one was for your personal code & one was for the way you approach your Jiu-Jitsu. So as an example…if you only had a 4 in honesty…but you need a 9 to pass…you cannot become a blackbelt until you showed that you have improved to my father’s level of satisfaction. Some other areas, maybe you only need a 5 to pass…so everything is different & has different meaning. I am not sure how it is in every school, but Gracie Jiu Jitsu schools we have a personal code that we all follow and we follow it very closely.”
Examiner: If you could advise a new student looking to learn Jiu Jitsu….what would you suggest that they look for in an instructor?
Relson: “First you need to do some research. You should ask yourself: Who is the first to teach this? What teachers have the best results? Its like when you talk about following religions…you ask yourself, are these teachings the right teachings for me? Helio was the creator, he came up with the techniques, the rules, the codes of honor…so to follow his checklists for success in both personal and in Jiu-Jitsu is what makes sense to me. To me there really is only one teacher and the right stances, the teachings of Helio Gracie. The best technique, the best instructors, the best results, the best person…that is the lessons my father Helio taught us. When Helio Gracie dies…to me, you should look to train with his sons. When his sons die….you should learn from his nephews. I have brothers that have changed from my father’s teachings…but not me. I have not changed anything from the teachings of my father.”
Examiner: Because Colorado is such a training paradise and so many are now coming here to train…where do you see Colorado & Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu in the next 10 years?
Relson: “Steve had a student in the beginning of last year that was a blue belt competing at the Worlds…he took home the gold medal. Steve taught him the Gracie Jiu Jitsu system and in his first year, he took home gold medal”
Examiner: Do you think that was because of the training in Colorado?
Relson: “No, that is because Steve is teaching him his techniques. Then we have 2 students from another academy…2 gold medals. We see this because of what me & my brothers learned when we were young…and in world championships, we have many gold medal results. You see because Brazilian championships are different…there you can stall, you can hold sleeves as long as you want to, you don’t have to try to pass the guard.
In my tournaments…you cannot stall, you can only hold sleeves for 10 seconds & then you have to let go, so you have to always keep moving.”
Examiner: Steve tell me how you felt the seminar went…and how you feel about Relson being here?
Steve: Well, I think this was our best seminar yet. When I first showed Relson this location, there was broken glass, dinged up walls and a real mess, but Relson said, “This is going to be a very nice academy.”
Having him here is more than just another seminar because yes…he is a legend, but I don’t look at him that way. He is my friend, my best friend. He comes here to support me & show me new techniques, but more importantly, he gave me a lifestyle to follow & something to continually learn from…Helio Gracie.
Relson: “Its more than that too, because I see Steve teaching here, teaching beautiful technique, creating World Champions and for me to support him is very important for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu too.”
Steve: “Plus I bring good people. Nobody here has an ego, nobody has an attitude & I believe this: Be nice to people and treat them with respect…but when the time comes….bring that big stick too. You have to be able to take care of business”
Examiner: My final question Relson is…With the game of MMA & Jiu Jitsu growing so fast & ever changing…is it important that Helio’s teachings change with the developments & times too?
Relson: “I don’t think that you can change too much about my dad’s lessons. I want to make sure we keep his techniques the same as he taught me. The best thing in Helio Gracie Jiu Jitsu seminars too is the repetition. A, B, C….less moves, simple defense and the results are amazing because he was so small & leverage was everything to him. So he won many of his victories in his matches were from the bottom because he was so small.”
Steve: You know Ron, another thing is many people come to learn this to be able to defend themselves. If nowadays you try to use a crazy guard in a bad situation…you will get your face punched in. There’s a better way to learn defense & I love to teach it the same way Helio taught Relson & the same way that Relson taught me.”
Like I said earlier….when you stand in the presence of greatness, its best to keep your mouth shut & pay close attention. My dad used to say, “that’s why God gave you 2 ears & 1 mouth.”
As wonderful as it was to sit with Relson, I cannot describe in words to see the bond, mutual respect & admiration they have for each other. A legend and one of his best students share the concepts that have changed the world. Concepts that make troubled souls find their way & flourish. That was a very humbling experience for someone like me to say the least. This academy is a must see & Steve is a one of a kind for sure.
Come by Relson Gracie Academy in Littleton…it is located at 6707 W. Ken Caryl Ave in Littleton, CO 80128.
Their phone number is: 303-932-1202….ya never know, it could change your life.
