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Community Corner

La Jolla Jiu-Jitsu Trainer Becomes Overnight Internet Celebrity; He's Ridiculously Photogenic

A photo of jiu-jitsu training Clark Gracie has gone viral on the Internet, and earned him the title of "ridiculously photogenic jiu-jitsu guy."

Clark Gracie, owner of the Clark Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in La Jolla, is an accomplished Jiu-Jitsu competitor and the reigning middle weight black belt division champ thanks to his most recent win at the Pan American Championship, one of the largest competitions in the world. Over the past few weeks, however, Gracie has taken on an entirely different title: "ridiculously photogenic jiu-jitsu guy." This, all thanks to a photo of Gracie that went viral on reddit.com.

The now-famous photo, which features Gracie looking poised while in the middle of competition, was snapped during the New York Open last year. After Gracie won the Pan American Jiu-Jitsu tournament on March 24, 2013, however, his notoriety soared and his picture quickly spread across the Internet, altered with clever memes such as “doesn’t need a sweeping spin kick to knock you off your feet." 

“My friends and family have all thought it to be mostly funny, and they’re excited for the arising opportunities,” Gracie said. “They know me and know that I think of myself as an athlete jiu-jitsu competitor, not a model, so they are always cracking jokes about it.”

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Since the photo has gone viral, Gracie has been flooded with media requests and has been featured on national news programs such as Inside Edition and Good Morning America. He has also become a mini-celebrity locally. But as much as Gracie is entertained by his instant stardom, his real hope is that the influx of attention will shift from his looks to his skills as a competitor and a trainer.

Gracie has been operating the Clark Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy at La Jolla Sports Club for more than four years. He offers classes for adults and children of all backgrounds, physical shape, age and competitive levels. Gracie spent a lot of his childhood in Rio De Janiero, and as such focuses his classes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a form of self-defense that can also be taken to a competitive level of sport if desired.

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“I think that [the Academy] might become slightly more recognized, although it’s not really what I want people to think of it for,” Gracie said. “I prefer to have the academy known for the training program and success that we have in competition, as well as a great place to train and be with fellow healthy minds.”

Gracie formally began practicing jiu-jitsu at his father’s studio when he was 10 years old, but remembers learning his first moves as early as age four. Over the past several years, Gracie has competed in national and international competitions, including 11 tournaments last year alone. To learn more about the jiu-jitsu training he offers, visit his website at clarkgracie.com

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