Renzo Gracie is the reason Team Elwany exists under the name it does.
Born into the Gracie family in Rio de Janeiro, he trained from childhood in the art his family created. His lineage runs directly from Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie Sr. → Hélio Gracie → Carlos Gracie Jr. → Renzo Gracie. That chain isn’t marketing. It’s the line of transmission that authenticates every technique taught on our mats.
Renzo became a world-class competitor in his own right — ADCC champion in 1998 and 2000, and a long MMA career through Pride FC and the UFC. He fought because he believed in the art, not just in teaching it.
In New York he built the Renzo Gracie Academy, one of the most respected academies in the world. The names who came through there — John Danaher, Matt Serra, Ricardo Almeida, Gordon Ryan — set a standard, and that standard is what every affiliate carries forward.
Team Elwany is Renzo’s affiliate in Erbil — Iraq’s first Renzo Gracie academy, and the first Renzo Gracie academy anywhere in the Middle East. When Renzo confirmed the affiliation, he recorded a personal video message for our team. You can watch his message below.
[Affiliation video]
That message is why the name above our door means what it means.