Schooled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by his father Helio Gracie, Royce was groomed to be a grappling star. When his brother Rorion Gracie teamed up with Art Davie in the early 1990s to create the UFC, Royce got his chance to shine. And shine he did, winning three of the first four events. Note that the UFC followed a tournament format back then, which meant the man who won had to prevail in three bouts in the same evening (four bouts in the case of the second show). With the aforementioned being just a fraction of his fight record, it comes as no surprise that Royce paid a price for dominance, a price that's been demanding repayment for years. Now, however, the BJJ practitioner has found a way to avoid the bill collector colloquially known as pain.

Question: How did you learn about cannabidiol? Royce Gracie: I learned about CBD [from] talking to friends, talking to my manager — with people in general — to educate myself.

When did you first hear about Pachamama CBD products?Gracie: When I was talking to Craig Cramer, he introduced me to the company.

Who is Craig Cramer?Gracie: Craig … is a black belt of mine. He's been teaching for over 20 years — since the first UFC has been around. I try to go once a year to visit him, sometimes twice a year. Sometimes Craig travels and helps me out in seminars.

What appeals to you about Pachamama as a company?Gracie: Pachamama is Mother Earth. It's not the product but the people. The product is good, but the people [are] family oriented. They're there to take care of each other. If you look at their history, that's where they came from. That's how they started.

How do Pachamama products help you?Gracie: Pachamama products [are used by] my son, myself and some of the students. We're in the art of combat [and] fitness. So we need help for recovery. That's the main thing: Recovery is so important. I consider sleep part of my training.

Can you tell us about your recovery routine?Gracie: It's a lot of ice baths, eating healthy and Pachamama. Yesterday, my son trained for his next fight, [and his] lower back was bothering him. So [he asked], "Can you rub the cream on my back?" I just rubbed it on his back this morning, and he's already feeling much better. It's not like the "ice hot" that is temporary and then it's gone. As soon as the heat or the cold disappears, the pain comes right back. No, it's something that stays on your body. It stays and cures you, not just quick relief.

When do you use CBD? Throughout the day or as part of your morning routine or just after workouts?Gracie: [If my] body's aching, I'll do it. If it's not, I don't do it. You see, I only do it if I need [it]. If I feel like my legs are sore from running or my joints are sore from lifting or training, I'll do the nighttime. It's anti-inflammatory, so it helps on that. It's not like you use it just for the hell of it. If it doesn't hurt anymore, stop using. It's not something that you have to keep using 24/7.What kind of training do you do these days that stresses your body to the point of soreness?Gracie: I work out — from martial arts to running to lifting weights — from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep. It's an active day. So yes, inflammation comes a lot with that. In training, you always tweak something. Pachamama helps [me] recover faster. Of course, I still take my ice baths and massages. I tell the masseuse, "Hey, rub the Pachamama cream on us." So he works with us.

What message do you have for gyms and clubs that want to start using CBD?Gracie: To the gyms [and] martial arts schools [that] want to use any CBD product, well, Pachamama is on the top of the list. The boss showed me a test comparing it to all the other CBD companies out there. If you're going to use something, why not use the best?

Looking back on your career, is there anything that stands out?Gracie: If you're asking me about going back in time, I would have used Pachamama earlier. How come you guys took so long to come to the market?
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