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Gene Pace, a good-natured 78-year-old grandfather, has been training Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Barra Costa Mesa, California, for the last 15 years.

Upon earning his black belt last Wednesday, Gene was featured in the “Daily Pilot”, newspaper in an article by Sarah Peters with photos by Don Leach, and with the story came some lessons.

Gene trains at GB twice a week, which seems about right for an elder practitioner not to suffer too many injuries.

The promotion ceremony gathered around a hundred of the new black belt’s friends and fans.

“It was pretty touching,” admitted Gene with a chuckle.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START JIU-JITSU

Mike Buckels, a teacher at GB Costa Mesa, highlighted the greatest quality of the senior 5 black belt (because there’s no such thing as a senior 8 or 9 division).

“He’s Mr Consistency. He never misses a class, ever,” says Buckels, who only had one black belt under him before Gene. “He does exactly what he’s taught. If you show him a position, he’ll perform the movement perfectly.”

Buckels says he’s judicious when pairing Gene up with a sparring partner but stresses that he is not to be underestimated.

GIVING UP HALFWAY IS WEAK

Gene can hang with me in training—I’m over 80 kg—and takes me down. He usually trains with guys about 55 years younger than he is,” says Mike, pointing out one of the peculiarities of Jiu-Jitsu, a gentle martial art where technique can overcome stamina and brute strength.

Gene Pace started practicing martial arts as a way to exercise and to give his grandchildren something to get excited about.

“I thought to myself, ‘They’re not going to kill me, and I might just learn something new.’ Once I got started, I thought, “Am I going to give up and embarrass my grandkids? No way, I’m not going to disrespect them like that. And everyone kept training,” recalls the burly granddad.

Pace’s finish-what-you-started attitude was key in making it to black belt.

Now how about you, dear reader, have you been finishing what you start? Or is there some Jiu-Jitsu missing from the way you see things?

Comment below on what the main thing you learned from Gene Pace is and if there’s someone with a similar story at your Jiu-Jitsu school.