Ralph Gracie facts for kids

Ralph Gracie, born on May 25, 1971, is a retired professional mixed martial artist and a high-ranking jiu-jitsu black belt. He is a well-known member of the famous Gracie family, who are very important in the world of jiu-jitsu. Ralph is the son of Robson Gracie and has many brothers and sisters, including Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and the late Ryan Gracie.

Early Life and Training

Ralph Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like many in the Gracie family, he started 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 a famous jiu-jitsu school called Gracie Barra, Ralph was a strong competitor. He won many local tournaments for his team. In the 1990s, he moved to the United States. His cousin, Cesar Gracie, invited him to come and teach there.

His Mixed Martial Arts Career

Ralph Gracie started his professional fighting career in America in 1995. He fought in events called Battlecade Extreme Fighting. Ralph quickly won fights against Makoto Muraoka, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi. His longest fight lasted only about one and a half minutes!

Ralph was known for his very active and strong fighting style. This was different from some other Gracie fighters who were more patient. Because of his intense style, people started calling him "The Pitbull".

In 2003, Ralph returned to fighting after some time away. He won a fight against Dokonjonosuke Mishima. The next year, he had a quick loss to Takanori Gomi. This was Ralph Gracie's last professional MMA fight.

When he retired, Ralph Gracie had a record of six wins and only one loss in official fights. 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 mostly in California, but also in Florida. They teach 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 school is the biggest. Many talented instructors teach at these schools.

Ralph Gracie also taught some very famous fighters. One of them was B.J. Penn, who became a champion in the UFC. Ralph also taught other important black belts, like Kurt Osiander.

In 2016, a Ralph Gracie school opened in Port Orange, Florida. More recently, in 2021, Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu shared a public message about an issue at one of its partner gyms.

Championships and Achievements

Ralph Gracie achieved several important wins during his fighting career:

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

An Event at a Championship

In December 2018, an unfortunate event happened involving Ralph Gracie and another martial artist, Flavio Almeida. This took place at the 2018 World No-Gi Championships in Anaheim, California. The two had a disagreement.

After this event, Ralph Gracie faced legal steps. He later accepted responsibility for his actions. He was given a sentence that included time in jail, a fine, and anger management classes. He expressed regret for what happened.

As a result of this incident, Ralph Gracie received a lifetime ban from the IBJJF. This is the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization in the world. This means he cannot compete, coach, or take part in any IBJJF events ever again.

Mixed Martial Arts Record