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Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Ralph Gracie under investigation for felony battery
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend might be in hot water with the law.
Ralph Gracie, a longtime MMA fighter, jiu-jitsu practitioner and coach, is under investigation for felony battery stemming from an incident involving fellow coach Flavio Almeida at the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship in Anaheim, Calif., last weekend, according to Anaheim Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Daron Wyatt.
A report was taken and the investigation is ongoing, Wyatt stated. The situation, which took place at Anaheim Convention Center, has not yet been presented to the district attorney for any filing of criminal charges, he said.
A video surfaced this week seemingly showing Gracie land an elbow to Almeida’s face during a discussion while both men were looking in the direction of grapplers on the mats. It’s difficult to tell from the video what transpired before or after the apparent attack.
Ralph Gracie did not respond a request for comments.
Almeida, the brother of top MMA coach Ricardo Almeida, is an executive with Gracie Barra. The organization released a statement this week on social media about the incident.
“As you may know, while coaching at the World No-Gi Championships, Flavio was viciously attacked,” the statement read. “The attack was completely by surprise, was unprovoked and did not allow Flavio a chance to protect himself. It was clear that the attack was meant to hurt Flavio personally, and also to intimidate Gracie Barra. The police are involved and are investigating. Flavio’s doctors have advised him to take time to rest with this family and recover from his injuries under their care, and to resume work when he is able. We very much appreciate your concern. We will address this situation further when the time is right.”
Ricardo Almeida, who coaches the likes of Frankie Edgar, Eddie Alvarez and others, wrote on Instagram that his brother is currently “under medical care.”
“Once in a lifetime something happens that make you question the very foundation of what you believe in.” Almeida wrote. “ ... I feel confused, betrayed and powerless. Thanks to everyone who reached out asking about my brother Flavio, he is recovering under medical care.”
https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/12...lph-gracie-under-investigation-felony-battery
Update------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the wake of video evidence of Ralph Gracie and Flavio Almeida’s off-the-mats fight at the 2018 Worlds No-Gi Championship at the Anaheim Convention Center last weekend, the IBJJF has released a statement. While it doesn’t specifically name Gracie–the aggressor in the personal quarrel turned violent–it seems to clearly state the black belt and BJJ legend is suspended indefinitely from all federation events.
Here’s the full statement:
Traditionally, IBJJF policy mandates that any disciplinary actions are dealt with internally between the Federation and the affected parties. Likewise, any sanctions that ultimately may be imposed are not publicly announced by the Federation. However, given the nature of the alleged incident at the 2018 World No-Gi Championships, the Federation is compelled to take immediate action as follows:
The alleged perpetrators have been immediately and indefinitely suspended from any and all IBJJF sanctioned events. Said suspension includes attending, competing, coaching or in any way participating in IBJJF events. Once our investigation has been completed and a final decision reached, we will update you accordingly. In the meantime, we assure you that the alleged conduct will not be tolerated under any circumstance.
https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/ibjjf-announces-suspension-of-ralph-gracie-after-worlds-assault/
Cause of Dispute
Gracie Barra has publicly responded to reports of an altercation between Flavio Almeida, A Gracie Family member, and an unidentified student at this weekend’s IBJJF World’s No-Gi Championships. Anecdotal reports this weekend detailed a verbal disagreement which turned violent, with Gracie allegedly hip throwing Almeida before kicking him while downed, then slapping him again as GB students helped Almeida to his feet. Similar reports suggested Almeida lost teeth in the fight, and witnesses reported Gracie was seen been questioned by police outside the event.
. . .
Almeida was allegedly on crutches at the time of the attack, which has been suggested as part of an ongoing feud about gym territories in the San Francisco area.
https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/gracie-barra-responds-to-no-gi-worlds-assault/
Gracie's Lawyer Speaks
“I reviewed the video and I had an opportunity to discuss the incident with Ralph Gracie. Ralph would like to tell his side of the story about events leading up to the altercation. However, I strongly advised him to say nothing. I cannot disclose too many details about Ralph’s side of the story given attorney-client considerations. However, I can say that the video does not capture the full spectrum of words and actions leading up to the incident. To view the video within the full context, it is easy to conclude that altercation should be characterized as mutual combat."
https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/ralph...nt-responding-to-altercation-at-no-gi-worlds/
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