Remember Ralph Gracie? How can you forget him, he is one of the most intriguing characters in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu today. Actually, he has been like that for a long time. Hs has a brand of Jiu-Jitsu that’s exceedingly painful and brutal. That’s not to say that he is not a highly skilled and technical practitioner. However, during the last year, Ralph’s name has been at the forefront of things that are not something to behold. From his feud and “break up” with Kurt Osiander to the now-infamous Ralph Gracie Assault, we’ve witnessed a tough year for Renzo Gracie’s brother. That said, it seems things are going to get worse for him before they get better.
Ralph Gracie certainly has some things he’d like to put behind him. Imagining Kurt Osiander’s teaching anywhere else apart from Ralph’s was unthinkable for most people. After all, Kurt was a real student of his master – brutal, effective, and to the point, always rolling with loud metal music playing in the background. Still, it turned out that the two had a parting ow ways, and many people hold Ralph as the one responsible. The fact remains that Kurt has since formed his own academy, and took a good chunk of Ralph’s students with him. And then, just when things seemed to be settling down, the Ralph Gracie Assault incident took place.
The Ralph Gracie Assault Revisited
As far as the details of the Ralph Gracie assault go, we already covered it in-depth in a previous article at the time when it happened. However, we touched only briefly then on the possible fallout, and we’re here now reporting the latest news on the subject. However, before we move onto that, let’s recap a little.
At the IBJJF 2018 No-Gi Mundials which took place in California, Ralph Gracie had a “misunderstanding” with Gracie Barra standout Flavio Almeida. At the time, Flavio was coaching a student from the sidelines. After Ralph approaches they start to talk. Not long after, Ralph stroke Almeida with a brutal elbow, sending him crashing to the ground. However, that was not the end. Ralph proceeded to kick a downed Almeida several times before walking away. The attack happened so fast that nobody in the vicinity really had time to react.
After the fact, since there is video evidence of the incident, there was huge aftermath. Flavio Almeida, for one, ended up with two busted front teeth and several facial injuries. Ralph, on the other hand, was unscathed but brought about the rage of most of the BJJ community. The IBJJF, which is closely related to Flavio’s Gracie Barra team, outlawed Ralph Gracie banning him from any further participation in any of their events. Renzo, Ralph’s brother, of course, backed him publically, saying the GB si weak and they should show respect and keep their head down. You know, the usual. However, the man that kept somewhat silent was the actual victim of the Ralph Gracie assault – Flavio Almeida. However he did take legal action against Ralph., And now, it is time for the legal fallout.
Ralph Gracie Pleads Innocence
A few days ago, Ralph Gracie received charges for a felony from the grand jury in Orange County, CA. This was his second scheduled appearance in court, which he missed. Ralph, despite all the evidence to the contrary, claims he is innocent of the charges. Ralph never showed to his initial court date either, and only pleaded not guilty when he appeared in front of the Superior Court, denying all charges. However, the judge issued a $50.000 bail bond and a warrant for Ralph’s arrest. As of now, the latest information is that Ralph is in Brazil. His pre-trial will take place on November 19.
In light of the evidence against Ralph, the fact emerged that he was actually not alone at attacking Flavio. His student Lincoln Pereira also contributed to the infamous Ralph Gracie assault by kicking Flavio when he went down. Still, Ralph’s attorney claims the video evidence does not provide the full picture since there’s no way to hear what the two were discussing prior to the incident. Furthermore, the attorney claims that without context, the video can be characterized as “mutual combat”.
Expected Outcome And Consequences
The trouble for Ralph Gracie can actually be really serious if the verdict is that he is guilty. Since Ralph Gracie Assautlk has been characterized as “inflicting great bodily injury” he could end up spending up to seven years in prison. Not really an outcome Ralph is looking forward to. The Ralph Gracie assault was definitely not something he needed right after the Osiander fiasco.
Kurt Osiadner leaving Ralph’s gym only made things worse because he lost quite a lot of students. On that side, he lost one of the best coaches in the business. And it was in order to try and rebrand as more Gracie Barra-type of an academy. The reason behind this is most likely the fact that Ralph was trying to remain the only Grace Jiu-jitsu academy in the San Francisco area. And Almeida opening another GB gym in the nearby area did not go well with Ralph, who definitely has a no-nonsense approach to things. Hence the Ralph Gracie assault and all that ensued. Unfortunately for him, though, the video evidence certainly does not make his case. Nor do the photos of Almedia after the incident.
In Summary
For now, the facts that the video is really bad quality and has no sound is probably the only things that might help Ralph. In fact, the entire Ralph Gracie assault video capture is purely by accident. It actually happens while a match is going on. The footage in question is primarily of the match, and Ralph and Flavio are in the background. To be honest, the incident is not something anyone should approve of. however, it would be a real shame for ralph to spend a large chunk of time in prison. If it comes to that, the legendary Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy might actually not exist when he gets out. And that would be a huge shame.
LATEST UPDATE
Ralph Gracie was Sentenced to 6 Months in prison.
On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Ralph Gracie is sentenced to six months in prison and three years of probation for an assault on Flavio Almeida back in 2019. Also, he’s fined $50,000 and must attend anger-management classes.
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You can check the video out in its entirety
