For Tim Tebow, apparently, being a good Christian doesn't always mean turning the other cheek. The New York Jets quarterback is training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California.
Photos were released on Thursday morning of the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner training in Torrance with Ryron and Ralek Gracie, along with UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub. Schaub, a former college football player in his own right - a fullback at the University of Colorado who went on to play with the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League - is coming off of back to back knockout losses against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell, but has an 8-3 record overall in the UFC with wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Cro Cop.
The Gracie family helped build the UFC, with Royce Gracie (pronounced "Hoyce," as the leading R is silent in Portuguese) winning three of the early UFC tournaments, often defeating much larger men to do so. Renzo Gracie's academy in New York is frequented by a number of the modern UFC's top fighters, including welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, while Cesar Gracie's students in Pleasant Hill, California include UFC lightweight contender Nate Diaz, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields and Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.
Ryron and Ralek are Royce's nephews - the sons of his brother Rorion - and head instructors at the Gracie Academy in Torrance. They seemed quite fond of their newest student, as Ryron tweeted: "Your athleticism/intelligence makes teaching Jiu jitsu even easier."
Tebow isn't the first Jets player to study MMA techniques. When Jets linebacker Calvin Pace was suspended for the first four games of the 2009 season, he spent the time training in MMA with five-time UFC champion Randy Couture. While Couture's nickname - "the Natural" - made for an interesting counterpoint with Pace's suspension for performance enhancing drugs, the fact that Pace recorded a career-best eight sacks upon his return made it hard to argue with the results.
Of course, with Tebow backing up Mark Sanchez in New York after a successful season as a starter in Denver, it's unlikely that Tebow will post any career highs in his first season as a Jet. Still, when the season begins, Tebow figures to be ready to come out fighting.
