Retirement doesn’t seem to be for everyone, especially UFC veterans. Among them, the first-ever UFC champion and Hall of Famer, Royce Gracie, is now taking center stage this week in Olathe, a suburb in the Kansas City metropolitan area. However, instead of competing, he is actively working to help the people of the city with his latest outreach.
Royce Gracie will be conducting self-defense seminars open to children, adults, and law enforcement officers throughout the Kansas City area, with sessions being held at Tyson Kilbey Jiu-Jitsu in Olathe. Kilbey, who owns the gym and serves as a captain in the sheriff’s office, is co-running the seminars alongside Gracie. Speaking to FOX 4 Kansas City, Kilbey described the event as “inspirational” and emphasized that no athletic background is required to participate.
“Jiu jitsu doesn’t just have one benefit,” Kilbey said. “It has a variety of benefits from physical health to mental health, to discipline, to self-confidence.”
The UFC legend is working directly with law enforcement officers, training them to detain and control suspects without causing unnecessary harm.
“I won three fights in the first UFC without hurting my opponents,” Royce Gracie explained. “You don’t depend on speed; you don’t depend on strength. So, you’ve just got to know what you’re doing based on leverage. So, a smaller opponent can defend themselves against somebody bigger and stronger.
“If you have confidence, and you know how to make a decision under pressure, it will help in any job in any aspect of life.”
UFC legend Royce Gracie will hold self-defense seminars for adults and kids this week at an Olathe Jiu-Jitsu gym.https://t.co/5bzrDBfDqv pic.twitter.com/FGUUocv0Nw
— FOX4 News Kansas City (@fox4kc) April 3, 2026
Olathe sits within the Kansas City metropolitan area, a city that the US News & World Report ranked 8th among the 25 most dangerous cities in the United States in 2025. The seminars aim to build confidence and discipline in participants beyond the technical skills themselves, something Gracie explains is the broader purpose of Jiu-Jitsu and his work throughout his post-competition career.
