Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Network

It's quite remarkable every time a student from the Gracie Barra school of Brazilian jiu-jitsu receives a black belt.

Much more extraordinary is when one of those students is 78 years old.

Gene Pace was honored with his black belt on Thursday night throughout a ceremony following his typical twice-weekly class and sparring session in the Costa Mesa studio.

Over 100 of Pace's buddies and supporters attended to witness his milestone.

"It was overwhelming. And last night..." Pace began having a pause, then laughed. "Well, it was somewhat emotional."

The Whittier resident has been coaching under the Costa Mesa school's founder and instructor, Mike Buckels, for over 15 years.

"He's Mr. Consistency. He under no circumstances misses a class, not ever," said Buckels, who holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu, too as kru in Muay Thai kickboxing.

In those 15 years, prior to Pace, Buckels had only awarded one particular other jiu-jitsu black belt, and it was to another teacher.

"The most effective way to summarize Gene is the fact that he just carries out everything you teach him to perform," Buckels said. "If you show him a move, he will go after that move."

Despite the fact that Buckels admits that he is cautious whom he pairs with Pace, being a more mature student Pace just isn't one to take too lightly.

"Gene can still pick me up - and I'm a 180-pound man - and toss me to the ground," Buckels said. "He practices with people as much as 55 years younger than him."

Pace fell into the Brazilian martial art right after registering for a martial arts course to keep fit - and to humour his grandkids.

"I thought to myself, 'Well, OK, they can't kill me, and besides, maybe I'll learn something,'" Pace said, with laughter.

"Once I got started, I had to think, 'Do you just walk away [and] embarrass your grandkids?'" Pace carried on. "Nah, you can't be disrespectful like that. And everyone just stuck with it."

Pace's fascination with martial arts moved to jiu-jitsu after meeting Buckles and preferring his form of training.

A large amount of that style resonated with Pace's finish-what-you-start mindset.

"The things learn you here are discipline and techniques, which you apply to situations, but you never walk around like a peacock," Pace said. "But, as Mike says, if someone won't back down, you finish it."