Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu

by Rickson Gracie

A masterwork from the world's greatest Jiu Jitsu fighter and  New York Times  Bestselling author of  Breathe  Rickson Gracie—an inspiring and practical book about the physical and spiritual art of combat.

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction, Sports, Psychology, Health, Self Help, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

71%

I mean, this is an enjoyable book. It has a lot of good core concepts to it, philosophy. One of the beautiful things about being a martial artist is it teaches you so many self-disciplines, like, uh, what's it called? Stoicism. It teaches you stoicism, mindfulness, and these are powerful tools that can help you in life. That's why when Rick, well, when Grayson ends up teaching you about the jujitsu and using the concepts and philosophy in life, it is a nice, powerful thing that you can apply to general aspects. And that's the thing. Multi-disciplines, okay? When you're engaging in things that are mindful, you're able to experience, feel life better. You're able to expand yourself, grow. And it's not about immediate gains. You're not going to immediately go out there and get a black belt. You're not going to be like, yeah, I'm going to kick this guy's ass. It's a situation where you invest in yourself and make long-term gains. And that's the biggest thing you can invest into is yourself.

[Enrico Leta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um pouco repetitivo do 1o, mas incrível como esta lidando com Parkinson.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite similar to Gracie's first book (Breathe: A Life In Flow), which was, mark my words, amazing. Both books provide great insight to the life of one of the most talented Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the last century. Was really cool to read about his experience on the Vale Tudo and Jiu-Jitsu scene in the '90 and 2000's.

Overall:
4.9/5

[Cody Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very similar to his first book Breathe

[Tim Etherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invaluable insights from a modern-day legend of martial arts.

Every modern martial artist or fight fan is familiar with the Gracie family. After Rickson’s father created a modified form of Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Rickson and the rest of the Gracie clan (there were a lot of them) brought their creation — originally called Gracie Jiu Jitsu, now known as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — to the United States.

Rickson has many stories to tell, and the book reads both as an autobiography and as a sort of bible for the modern martial artist. With strong themes of stoicism and bushido, I’m stoked to have this book as part of my collection.

Being a Jiu Jitsu practitioner myself, I’m all too familiar with the idea of trying to find comfort in darkness. But after reading this, I feel like my BJJ needs a serious tune-up. It’s easy to fall in love with the sport and forget about the original reason I sought out BJJ: self-defence. This book is packed with nuggets of knowledge, and I know I’ll be returning to it in the future whenever I need inspiration.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book because of my husband’s close link to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He vigorously trained for a decade and I saw the blood and sweat that went into each practice. He often spoke of the Gracie family and their direct contribution to bringing bjj to the US.

This book can and should be read by everyone because the principles of bjj can be applied to everyone’s life.
In today’s high tech world, people are disconnected from other people and from their own bodies. The high speed and expectation for high reward have only brought on anxiety, frustration and depression, along with other mental health ailments.

Rickson Gracie was so in tune with his body that just by breathing he could raise and lower his heart rate.
He mastered not only chokes and sweeps but finding “comfort in hell.” First step was acceptance. Whenever he was pinned down and trapped by an opponent he didn’t try to escape, instead he used his energy to accept and endure until an opportunity presented itself for an escape.
He relied on acceptance, faith, hope and patience to keep his fear in check.

So many times in life, when we encounter a difficulty, a tragedy, etc., we want it to stop right away. We don’t sit in the challenge, we don’t sit with uncomfortable feelings. We want to medicate or distract. But what if we did? What if we accepted reality for what it is at the moment, endure the agony and then look for solutions?

There is also the fear of failure but Gracie lives by his teacher’s wise words: All athletes fail; what separates the greatest from the great is their ability to recover from failure.

Rickson Gracie sees aggression as a sign of great insecurity, and insecurity stems from ego, fear and anger. He would apologize first in order to diffuse a situation vs looking for a fight. Defeating an adversary is not as important to him as is keeping his own inner peace.

Rickson Gracie was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he saw it as a gift from God to see what he is going to do with it.

There is a lot of wisdom in the art of jiu jitsu whether you are trying to perfect MMA, singing, playing tennis or just getting through life.

[Rodrigo Polacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leitura finalizada: Conforto na Escuridão, de Rickson Gracie... 4/5 ⭐️

Terminei Conforto na Escuridão e saí com a sensação de que o livro vai muito além de artes marciais. Rickson usa os princípios do jiu-jitsu... presença, estratégia, respiração, aceitar a força do outro sem perder a própria base... como uma metáfora poderosa para a vida.

O ponto alto, para mim, é como ele trata a luta contra o Parkinson. Sem vitimismo, sem excesso de drama, apenas a serenidade de quem entende que todas as batalhas começam dentro. A disciplina física vira disciplina emocional. A vulnerabilidade vira força. A humildade vira método.

Rickson mostra que domínio técnico não vale nada sem domínio interno. E que encontrar “conforto na escuridão” é, no fundo, aprender a respirar no meio do caos
... na luta, na doença ou no dia a dia.

É um livro simples, direto e cheio de profundidade silenciosa. Vale a leitura.

[Matthew Gibb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides great insight into an aging beast of a fighter and how to form a warrior's mindset and use it to face whatever life throws at you with courage and fortitude. Rickson regales a reader with tales of tough fights against King Zulu in Brazil and Vale Tudo victory in Japan. A humble and determined warrior gets older and even after declining an offer of 5mil to fight Sakuraba in Japan Rickson continues to teach Jujitsu as he battles with Parkinson's Syndrome. His 2nd. wife has been a faithful companion and has also restored his passion for life.The overcoming 3 years of depression after his promising son's death by connecting with blue jays in his yard was absolutely inspiring. This man is the lion he once visualized himself to be,but even lions age and his pragmatic way of accepting the limitations Parkinson's will put on his life is truly inspiring.

[Martin Madridejos]

Parecido a Breathe, pero con un toque más conceptual. Siempre es interesante leer a Rickson Gracie, un samurái moderno.

"Ya no soy un peleador profesional y solo soy una fracción de lo que fui, pero mi poder invisible trasciende mi físico y siempre será parte de mí. A medida que la edad, las lesiones y la enfermedad han alcanzado mi cuerpo, he comprendido que el Jiu Jitsu es mucho más que pelear; es una metáfora de la vida. Hoy en día, lo que más me interesa es enseñar los principios básicos del Jiu Jitsu a la gente común"

[Chuck Kechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book, with insight into Rickson Gracie’s past, major battles, and training philosophy, as well as his plan of action on how he’s facing his newest challenge, Parkinson’s.

To my mind, this is a better, maybe even deeper look into what makes Mr. Gracie tick, than his last book Breathe.

Highly recommended for his fans, martial artists, and anyone interested in a philosophy of action for living the best life possible.

[Ala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Maguire presents a captivating journey into the world of one of the legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As someone who first encountered BJJ through the early UFC events, this book ignited a passion for the sport.

Gracie’s insights into technique, mindset, and philosophy are invaluable, even for those who may not be naturally gifted. It’s a testament to the power of dedication and the beauty of the martial arts.

[Micah Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent follow up on Breathe. An excellent auto-biography and guide to how jiu-jitsu can be more than just a martial art but a way to learn about ourselves and engage more fully with life.
Recommended!

[Trish Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this book looked at every aspect of jiujitsu from competition to how the sport can provide tools for succeeding in life. Gracie, while being an incredible fighter, has a wholistic view of life and changed my own perspective on the practice and my own jiujitsu journey.

[kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

comfort in the darkness

Great read and very inspiring. Reading the story from one the legends of Jiu Jitsu and the application to everyday life and challenges can bring hope and peace to many. A must read for everyone!

[Ron Frampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book by Rickson Gracie a dominant figure in Jiu Jitsu with his serenity and spiritual approach to combat.

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know anything about Jiu Jitsu but I learned a lot about it from this very interesting book. The book has great illustrations. I would recommend this book.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Master with another insightful work.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like a collection of essays and anecdotes. Some sections are quite good, some are a bit rambling. Breathe seems more congruent from memory.

Good for fans but not life changing.

[Liam MacCosham · Rating 2 out of 5]

basically a shorter version of his first book.. not sure why i read this.

[Daniel Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly a retelling of Rickson's first book, but it was so good it's worth the re-read. There is some new content however its limited.

[Rodrigo Leão · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to the previous book.

[Hoss Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, regardless of whether you have ever trained jiu-jitsu. I pray that one day Master Rickson will be the first person to defeat Parkinson's disease.

[Aaron York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some items here were recovered from Breathe. The last few chapters were the best part & talking about the path of prior opponents long after. Enjoyable overall.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight from a true martial arts legend!

[Joe Sullens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened via Audible.

Fantastic. Didn't enjoy as much as Breathe but a real legend and a great look into the life as a Gracie.

[Rob Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true warrior's story.

[Jason Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 23 of 2025

This book was ok. Good not great.
I liked “Breathe” better….
Was actually thinking when reading it, this could have been combined with Breathe for a big, complete book.

[Sir Nicho · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just a rehash of his first book.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

While interesting, it does not add too much on top of "Breathe".

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5ths of the way through and it's just Breathe: A life in flow - abridged.
It covers very little new things that weren't in Breathe, and they could have been included in a new edition of Breathe.