--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm the first American black belt under…" description: "\"I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie.\" — Matt Serra" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg" --- # I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie. ![“I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie.” quote by Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg) > “I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie.” [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving a milestone in a demanding field showcases dedication, skill, and breaking barriers. **In simple terms:** Hard work can lead to historic achievements. Key Takeaway Pursue excellence despite obstacles. Themes achievement discipline breaking barriers martial arts Mood proud motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - training regimes - competitive sports - personal ambition Key Concepts sports psychology role modeling Questions to Reflect On - What does this achievement inspire in you? - How can you apply similar dedication elsewhere? A Different Perspective Success may create pressure to maintain high standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-black-2997021/) [Belt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belt/) [Belt Renzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belt-renzo-5868044/) [Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black belt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-belt/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gracie/) [Renzo Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renzo-gracie-2397107/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [I have a Gracie background and a Matt Serra background so I've always used jiu-jitsu but it takes a while to reach black belt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/i-have-a-gracie-background-and-a-matt-serra-background-so-i-ve-always/) [Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/) > [I'm a black belt and have been since 2000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-a-black-belt-and-have-been-since-2000/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [There's a teacher at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York named John Danaher. He's leading this whole group of fighters named the Danaher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/there-s-a-teacher-at-the-renzo-gracie-academy-in-new-york-named-john/) [Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/) > [I'm a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and 2nd degree in karate, and I'm a licensed bodyguard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katheryn-winnick/i-m-a-3rd-degree-black-belt-in-tae-kwon-do-and-2nd-degree-in-karate/) [Katheryn Winnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katheryn-winnick/) > [I was awarded a second-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu by Rigan Machado.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-barnett/i-was-awarded-a-second-degree-black-belt-in-jiu-jitsu-by-rigan-machado/) [Josh Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-barnett/) > [I'm not a black belt, but in MMA, the difference between a black belt and white belt is just a few elbows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-blaydes/i-m-not-a-black-belt-but-in-mma-the-difference-between-a-black-belt/) [Curtis Blaydes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-blaydes/) > [I started doing martial arts when I was about 7, and I got my second degree black belt when I was 19. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-vandervoort/i-started-doing-martial-arts-when-i-was-about-7-and-i-got-my-second/) [Laura Vandervoort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-vandervoort/) > [It's not the black belt that you wear on your waist. It's the black belt in your heart and knowing that you can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-canino/it-s-not-the-black-belt-that-you-wear-on-your-waist-it-s-the-black/) [Bonnie Canino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-canino/) > [My training in martial arts was kind of a crash course in how to look like a black belt. I know the moves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zabka/my-training-in-martial-arts-was-kind-of-a-crash-course-in-how-to-look/) [William Zabka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zabka/) > [I grew up doing martial arts, and I'm a second-degree black belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-vandervoort/i-grew-up-doing-martial-arts-and-i-m-a-second-degree-black-belt/) [Laura Vandervoort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-vandervoort/) > [I started taekwondo at 5 or 6 years old and did a bunch of kick-boxing later, too. Eventually I became a black belt and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jwoww/i-started-taekwondo-at-5-or-6-years-old-and-did-a-bunch-of-kick/) [JWoww](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jwoww/) > [By the time I was 17 years old, I already had my black belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/by-the-time-i-was-17-years-old-i-already-had-my-black-belt/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [I never wear a black belt with a black shoe. It's always the opposite: a brown shoe with a black belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-wooster/i-never-wear-a-black-belt-with-a-black-shoe-it-s-always-the-opposite/) [Nick Wooster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-wooster/) > [My martial arts came a lot from my uncle, who actually taught martial arts through the military. He was a black belt in tae…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tee/my-martial-arts-came-a-lot-from-my-uncle-who-actually-taught-martial/) [Brian Tee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tee/) > [Microsoft is still not a black belt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kutaragi/microsoft-is-still-not-a-black-belt/) [Ken Kutaragi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kutaragi/) ## More by Matt Serra > [There are no rules out in the street. And if you're a nice guy, you'll wake up in a hospital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/there-are-no-rules-out-in-the-street-and-if-you-re-a-nice-guy-you-ll/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [I've had a great career I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-ve-had-a-great-career-i-feel/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [It's a rarity in this sport that you really get a guy that's not a good person. I think we've found that in Matt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/it-s-a-rarity-in-this-sport-that-you-really-get-a-guy-that-s-not-a/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [The thing is this, this sport you deal with a lot of guys in this sport and most of them are cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/the-thing-is-this-this-sport-you-deal-with-a-lot-of-guys-in-this/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [What is a 'lucky punch?' Who do these people think I was trying to punch in the face if not Georges? Seriously - where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/what-is-a-lucky-punch-who-do-these-people-think-i-was-trying-to-punch/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [Georges has been running through top competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/georges-has-been-running-through-top-competition/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [Who's held down Gaethje and beat him up? Nobody. He's so powerful, cardio never seems to be a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/who-s-held-down-gaethje-and-beat-him-up-nobody-he-s-so-powerful/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [Whenever there's something you've done that everybody and their mother said you couldn't do, and it was like an impossible feat, of course, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/whenever-there-s-something-you-ve-done-that-everybody-and-their/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [Chris Weidman is a stud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/chris-weidman-is-a-stud/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [I don't gotta walk around like Mr. Macho Man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-don-t-gotta-walk-around-like-mr-macho-man/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [This game has such extreme highs and lows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/this-game-has-such-extreme-highs-and-lows/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [I always look at things in a positive light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-always-look-at-things-in-a-positive-light/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [If I beat Hughes they'll say he was done before our fight. There's always going to be those guys that play up the negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/if-i-beat-hughes-they-ll-say-he-was-done-before-our-fight-there-s/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [I'm not going to get a shot at the title and be timid, that's for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-not-going-to-get-a-shot-at-the-title-and-be-timid-that-s-for-sure/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) > [I'm always involved with training and the martial arts. It's not like I go to a desk job somewhere and then throw on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-always-involved-with-training-and-the-martial-arts-it-s-not-like/) [Matt Serra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) [Explore all 100 Matt Serra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Serra" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under-renzo-gracie/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under-renzo-gracie/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92e/matt-serra-6052_american_i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under_755384.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm the first American black belt under Renzo Gracie.” — Matt Serra", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Matt Serra", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-serra/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm the first American black belt...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under-renzo-gracie/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-serra/i-m-the-first-american-black-belt-under-renzo-gracie/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```