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Renato Laranja:Legend
Posted on April 9, 2011 by georgenada
There are moments in time, where question meets potential. The result of this crossing… Legend. Not in the sense of a Michael Jordan, who showed his greatness, but something more wondrous. Something of the imagination. A figure with undoubted potential. The once in a lifetime athlete, who spawns dreams of unimaginable statistics and unforgettable championships. The “What if?”. For football, it was “What if Bo Jackson never got injured?”. For basketball, “What if Earl The Goat Manigault played pro?” For martial arts, it’s not who was better, Bruce or Chuck… it’s Renato Laranja. In 1993 Royce Gracie shocked the world by winning the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship but what most people never knew is that, both Rorion Gracie and Art Davie chose Renato Laranja to represent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Flattered by their confidence in him, Renato did not feel comfortable representing BJJ, or as it was know at the time, Gracie Jiu Jitsu. He politely declined and then the choice was split. Art Davie wanted Rickson Gracie and Rorion Gracie wanted Royce. When Rickson got wind that Renato was the first pick, he refused to represent the family and Royce stepped in. Nervous about the challenge ahead, Royce looked to Renato for inspiration. Renato had very little to say, instead speaking with action. Renato reached into his gym bag and handed Royce a white gi… his white gi. The very same gi Royce wore on his championship run. It was just the charm Royce needed to ensure victory. After the success of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in the UFC, many fighters sought the tutelage of Renato but he vanished into the streets of Brazil. He never wanted to be a star and only did it for the love of the gi. For years he remained silent until word spread about a street fight against “King of the streets” himself, Marco Ruas, in which Renato used his gi to choke out the future UFC tournament champion. Renato had no choice but to flee Brazil for a life of silence in the States. So where is Renato now? An unlikely hiding spot… the world of “No Gi” jiu jitsu. Although he sticks out like a sore thumb, Renato has found refuge in Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Arguably the best jiu jitsu player of all time, with unreported victories over the best of the best, Renato continues to avoid the limelight on his journey for peace. Although it was not him directly, Renato knows that “his gi”, piloted by Royce Gracie, changed the world forever. And for Renato, that is more than enough.
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