Grand Master Helio Gracie's life, and I feel more focused and excited than ever to train. This is my passion and my discipline, and I'm a person that needs both. I'll rep Gracie JiuJitsu forever.


OTM: Herb, where were you when you learned about the passing of Helio?

Herb Dean: I gotta text message sent to my phone. My first thought was- I was sad. Helio means a lot to all of us . This all [this modern age of martial arts] comes from Helio.


OTM: If you had to try and explain to someone who does not know anything about Helio Gracie explain what he contributed to martial arts?

Herb Dean: Helio changed not just the world of martial arts. He changed the world. How to live life, everything. Martial arts was in kind of a sad state before Helio came. Theres a lot of people taking the arts further and further into a land of fantasy. Helio brought it back. That started this whole movement of mixed martial arts. It changed what everybody thought about martial arts. It got people who were teaching fantasy world stuff to stop doing it. Besides that he gave us an example to live as a martial artist with honor. Family first. He surrounded himself with his family. He lived all his life doing the things he loved. He was a shining example of a man.

Adisa Banjoko is CEO of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. For more information visit www.hiphopchess.blogspot.com