Joining the family business is usually a matter of choice, but when you grow up a Gracie a career in combat is the only way to earn a living.
Since moulding the teachings of a visiting Japanese judoka into their own martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in the early 1900s, the Gracie family have changed the face of unarmed combat by turning the confused chaos of ground fighting into a dynamic science of joint-locks, chokes and strangles.
Royce Gracie became a household name in 1993 when he won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship by forcing a boxer, a wrestler and a savate specialist into submission on the same night.
Royce was a pioneer in mixed martial arts (MMA). He defeated bigger, stronger opponents and won three of the first four UFC events.
Igor Gracie lights up when he talks about his family. He speaks excitedly about Royce's exploits in the UFC, and rubs the black-and-grey portrait tattoo of his father "Rolls" on the inside of his bicep when he talks about him.
In a recent interview in Singapore, the Rio de Janeiro native also talked of the pride and pressure of being a Gracie.
"Everybody wants to beat a Gracie," said Igor, who divides his time between MMA fighting and teaching at his cousin Renzo's BJJ academy in New York.
"Everyone knows about our family and they want to beat us so much. But it's that kind of pressure that makes us better, makes us train harder.
"When they first developed BJJ my family went all over Brazil, challenging other martial artists to fights and beating them. So we are used to dealing with that kind of pressure."
Igor's father died in a hang-gliding accident at 31 but had a major impact on the evolution of BJJ, studying other martial arts and training regimes to improve conditioning and technique.
"I grew up in the fight world, grew up seeing my cousins fight, was behind the scenes at fighting events, Pride in Japan and the UFC," said Igor Gracie, who is due to fight in an MMA event in the US in February.
"I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I cannot imagine growing up without BJJ. I tried. I went to law school for two years but I knew I'd never be a lawyer, so I switched to business school for another year and a half.
"But at the back of my mind I knew I wanted to teach BJJ and I knew I wanted to fight."
The Gracies are determined to popularise BJJ around the world, though Asia has proven a tough nut to crack, perhaps due to the predominance of regional martial arts such as taekwondo, karate, and judo. However, he sees great growth potential in Asia and hopes BJJ will gain the kind of worldwide popularity that earns it place in the Olympics.
"That's our dream but it's going to be hard," he said. "Meeting the Olympic criteria isn't easy and, to be honest, the judo people won't be happy. But since BJJ came from judo, perhaps we can go backwards a little and make something we can all be happy with."
The Gracies have been victims of their own success as the spread of BJJ meant they lost their early dominance in MMA.
While fighters in the early days were dependant on boxing or wrestling or kick boxing, today's athletes have many more weapons in their arsenal, taking bits and pieces of different martial arts to strike and grapple.
Igor says the Gracies are evolving too, training hard in Muay Thai, boxing and wrestling to supplement their BJJ base. Current rules governing the intensity of action on the ground, and fans' preference for knockouts, also makes a good stand-up game crucial.
"We created BJJ but we have to make sure we keep evolving with the sport. We can't stop or we'll get left behind."
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
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Company%20Profile
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Napoleon
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Ridley%20Scott%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Joaquin%20Phoenix%2C%20Vanessa%20Kirby%2C%20Tahar%20Rahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding