By BJJ Heroes on September 26th, 2010

Kyra Gracie

Kyra Gracie is the very first female black belt of the Gracie family clan. She is also one of the top Jiu Jitsu black belts in the world, a multi time “Mundials” champion (World Championship) she is considered by many to be the face of the sport amongst the main stream media in Brazil.

Kyra Gracie in Detail

Full Name: Kyra Gracie Guimarães

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Carlos Gracie Junior > Kyra Gracie

Main Achievements:

3x ADCC Champion
5x World Champion (2004 – closed final with team mate, 2006, 2x 2008 – weight and absolute, 2010)
5x Pan American Champion (2001 – blue belt division, 2002 – blue belt division, 2003, 2005, 2007)
6x Brazilian National Champion (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008)

Weight Division: Peso Leve – Lightweight (58kg-141lbs)

Favourite Position: Closed Guard

Kyra Gracie Biography

Kyra Gracie Guimaraes was born on the 29th of May, 1985 in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil. She is the granddaughter of Robson Gracie, son of BJJ founder Carlos Gracie. Kyra was raised in the same house as her uncles, BJJ black belts, Ralph, Ryan and Renzo Gracie. Her approach to BJJ started from a very young age, even though she only truly started taking regular classes when she turned 11 years of age.

She began competing as a yellow belt, always accompanied by her family who were supportive of Kyra following the family tradition. When she got her blue belt, however, that support vanished. Her uncles did not believe Jiu Jitsu was a sport fit for a girl, and tried to convince her to quit. Kyra had to prove that her family name wasn’t just for show and in a display of Gracie perseverance she continued training hard against her uncle’s whishes.

Kyra trained mainly with Alexandre Soca, but in 2005 she moved her training to the Gracie Barra’s head quarters to be closer to another one of her uncles, Carlos Gracie Junior, the man who awarded Kyra her black belt when she was 21 years old. Kyra Gracie also enrolled in the University to study law, a degree she left after the first year to dedicate herself fully to competing and teaching. In 2009 she decided to pick up boxing classes with the famous boxing coach Claudio Coelho in Brazil, hinting a possible venture in the MMA world. She also sharpens her Judo game at her boyfriend’s academy, Leonardo Leite.

Kyra became one of the biggest stars in BJJ, with numerous TV appearances in main stream television. She has also been offered work as an actress.