Photos/MANDI HARGRAVE ROYCE GRACIE criticizes students at the Johanis' School of Karate in Orangeville. Royce Gracie of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and K-1 Pride fame, was in Orangeville on Sunday to teach students at the Johanis' Karate School.

With a string of submission wins during the mid- 90s, Mr. Gracie quickly became well known. When the UFC began it was an eight-man single-elimination tournament with few rules. The intent was to see how different styles of martial arts would fare against one another. He won UFC 1, UFC 2 and UFC 4 with notable wins over Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn and Kimo Leopoldo.

John and Elise Johanis invited Mr. Gracie to their dojo to launch their jiu-jitsu program. Jiu-jitsu is a form of martial arts that focuses on grappling and ground fighting to gain a dominant position using joint-locks and chokeholds to make an opponent submit.

The Gracie family, who learned jiu-jitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda, quickly perfected techniques and challenged large wrestlers around the world before teaching Gracie jiu-jitsu in the United States.

Mr. Johanis says Gracie jiu-jitsu is the most authentic system they can teach, as it's from the first generation of jiu-jitsu techniques.

Mr. Gracie enjoys teaching martial arts students as it allows him to see how they improve after learning the different moves and techniques he teaches, including self-defence.

Usually he is on the road for six months of the year, but not all at once, so he can spend time with his family.

While he used to fight professionally every few months, Mr. Gracie now fights once a year.

"I'm getting to old for this," he says while laughing. But he keeps busy with seminars.

His next fight will likely be in June or July of 2008, he says, although he's not sure whether the fight will be with the UFC or K-1 Pride fighting.