In a recent interview for the Jits. Magazine, Harley Flanagan – the founder of the famous Cro-Mags band, reflected on how BJJ reshaped his life and why, nearly 30 years later, he still trains relentlessly.

He began training in 1996, after discovering Renzo Gracie’s first New York academy through ads in the back of martial arts magazines:

There was only one other black belt there besides Renzo.

A couple of brown belts and purple belts…
This was before the whole onslaught of Gracies that moved to New York.

This was pretty early on.

Now, nearly three decades later, Flanagan still trains consistently, seeing Jiu-Jitsu as essential for both physical health and emotional balance:

I do this because I love it, not because I’m trying to be a top-level competitor,

I’m almost 60. This keeps me in shape.
I get my ass kicked more than not — I’m training with guys bigger, better, younger.

But if I get a couple of good sweeps or a finish, I feel like I just won the UFC.

Despite his age, Flanagan refuses to take it easy:

I leave it all out there. I grind hard, I sweat it out.
It keeps that fire burning.

That’s what you need to go through life — to take the ass-beating and not give up.
That’s what sets us apart from the people who fail at life.

Beyond the physical rewards, Flanagan credits Renzo Gracie — his longtime mentor and friend — for shaping his character and helping him navigate life’s toughest moments:

He’s been more like a brother than a master. He’s been there for me through some of the hardest times in my life.

He taught me Jiu-Jitsu, but more importantly, he helped me become a better person.
I owe that man a great deal.

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