Ralph Gracie facts for kids

Ralph Gracie (born May 25, 1971) is a retired professional fighter and a high-ranking black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is part of the famous Gracie family, known for their contributions to martial arts. Ralph is the son of Robson Gracie and has many siblings, including Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie.

Ralph Gracie's Early Life

Ralph Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 25, 1971. Like many in the Gracie family, he began learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was very young. He trained a lot with his uncle, Carlos Gracie Jr.. His uncle gave him his black belt when Ralph was 21 years old.

In the early days of the Gracie Barra team, Ralph was a strong competitor. He won many local tournaments. In the 1990s, he moved to the United States. His cousin, Cesar Gracie, invited him to come.

Ralph Gracie's Fighting Career

Ralph Gracie started fighting professionally in the United States in 1995. He competed in events called Battlecade Extreme Fighting. Ralph won his first fights quickly. Some of his wins lasted less than two minutes.

Unlike some other Gracie fighters, Ralph was very aggressive. His intense style earned him the nickname "The Pitbull". He was known for his strong and direct approach in fights.

In 2003, Ralph Gracie returned to fighting after a break. He won a fight against Dokonjonosuke Mishima. The next year, he faced Takanori Gomi. Gomi defeated Gracie in just six seconds. This was Ralph Gracie's last professional fight.

After he retired, Ralph Gracie had a record of six wins and one loss. He holds a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also won several BJJ tournaments during his career.

Ralph Gracie's Academies

Ralph Gracie owns and runs several martial arts schools. These schools are mainly in California and Florida. They specialize in teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He has eight schools in Northern California. These are in cities like Berkeley, Richmond, and San Francisco. He also has two schools in Southern California. The San Francisco Academy is his largest school. Many talented instructors teach at these academies. For example, Luis Eduardo Fraga has been a head instructor since 2007.

Ralph Gracie has also taught famous fighters. One of his students was B.J. Penn, a former UFC champion. Other notable black belts also trained with Gracie, such as Kurt Osiander. In late 2016, a new Ralph Gracie academy opened in Port Orange, Florida.

In early 2021, Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu made a public statement. It was about an incident involving an instructor at one of their gyms. The statement addressed the instructor's behavior towards a parent.

Ralph Gracie's Achievements

Ralph Gracie achieved several important titles during his fighting career:

• Extreme Fighting Championship
  • EFC Lightweight Championship (He was the first and only champion)
  • 1995 EFC Lightweight Tournament Winner

Incident and Consequences

On December 15, 2018, an incident occurred involving Ralph Gracie and Flavio Almeida. Almeida is a 5-time World Champion and a director for Gracie Barra. The incident happened at the 2018 World No-Gi Championships in Anaheim.

After the incident, Ralph Gracie went to Brazil. An arrest warrant was issued for him in April 2019. He did not appear for several court dates. Gracie later pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, three years of probation, and a $50,000 fine. He also had to take anger management classes. He was released after serving three months of his sentence. Gracie stated that he felt "tremendous remorse" for his actions.

As a result of this incident, Ralph Gracie received a lifetime ban from the IBJJF. This is the largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organization in the world. The ban means he cannot compete, coach, or take part in any IBJJF event for the rest of his life.

Ralph Gracie's Mixed Martial Arts Record

Ralph Gracie's professional mixed martial arts record includes:

• 6 Wins (1 by knockout, 4 by submission, 1 by decision)
• 1 Loss (1 by knockout)

Here is a summary of his fights: