Henry Akins is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rickson Gracie and a former instructor at Rickson’s academy in California, US. Often regarded as one of the best black belts produced by the legendary Gracie, Akins’ views on the “fundamentals” of jiu jitsu and his style of coaching are revered by many in the grappling community. Henry Akins is also well known for having a more traditional stance on martial arts, not being a fan of the sport aspect of jiu jitsu, comparing it to Tae Kwon Do, as in to explain a diluted sporting format of the original martial art.