Ralph Gracie

Ralph Gracie
Born May 25, 1971
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil[1]
Other names The Pitbull
Nationality Brazil
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
Team Gracie Jiu Jitsu
Rank 4th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Mixed martial arts record
Total 7
Wins 6
By submission 5
By decision 1
Losses 1
By knockout 1
Website www.ralphgracie.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Ralph Gracie (the Pitbull;[2] born May 25, 1971) is a Brazilian martial artist who has competed in mixed martial arts.[3][4][5][6][7][8] He is the son of Robson Gracie and brother to Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie of the Gracie family.[9][9][10][11]

The Telegraph described him as "a legend in fighting circles."[12]

Mixed martial arts career

Ralph's 1995 American debut was featured in the short-lived Battlecade Extreme Fighting events.[12][13][14] Gracie won fights versus Makoto Murauko, Steve Nelson, and Ali Mihoubi, the longest of which lasted a minute and thirty-four seconds. In sharp contrast to the typical "passive" Gracie approach, Ralph's aggressive and often brutal approach earned him the nickname of "The Pitbull".[2][12][12][15][16][17][18][19]

In 2003, Ralph ended his absence from fighting to pit his skills against modern MMA fighters, earning a decision win over Dokonjonosuke Mishima.[20][21][22] The following year, he suffered a loss to Takanori Gomi, who stopped Gracie in six seconds with knee strikes to the head in what would be Gracie's last MMA fight.[12][23][24][25]

Upon retirement, Gracie held a record of six wins and one loss in sanctioned fights. He holds a fourth degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won several BJJ tournaments. Ralph also owns and operates a series of martial arts academies in California (specializing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and has been doing so for over a decade.

Academies

Ralph Gracie currently has four academies in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Mountain View, Berkeley, and Dublin) and two in Orange County (Anaheim and Chino Hills); the largest of these being the San Francisco Academy. Kurt Osiander, who has been studying under Ralph Gracie for 17 years, is currently head instructor at the San Francisco Academy.[26] Notable instructor, and 4th degree black belt, Luis Eduardo Fraga, has been head instructor at the Berkeley Academy since 2007.[27][28][29][30][31]

BJJ black belts from Ralph Gracie include: Sean Roberts, Dave Camarillo, Carlos "Sapao" Ban, Cameron Earle, Dave Clahan, Luke Stewart, Kurt Osiander, Brad Jackson, Crispim Alexander, Mikyo Riggs, Alan "Gumby" Marques (Heroes Martial Arts), Will Dias, Don Geddis, Greg Rivera, Justin "Machine" Holder, Misho Ceko. Gracie has also taught former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion, BJ Penn, when he first came to California from Hawaii.

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 6–1 Takanori Gomi KO (knees) PRIDE Bushido 3 May 23, 2004 1 0:06 Yokohama, Japan
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 6–0 Dokonjonosuke Mishima Decision (unanimous) PRIDE Bushido 1 October 5, 2003 2 5:00 Saitama, Japan
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 5–0 Steve Nelson Submission (armbar) Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 11 September 1, 1998 1 13:14 Amarillo, Texas, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4–0 Ali Mihoubi Submission (armbar) Extreme Fighting 3 October 18, 1996 1 1:34 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3–0 Steve Nelson Submission (strikes on the ground) Extreme Fighting 2 April 28, 1996 1 0:44 Montreal, Canada
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2–0 Makoto Muraoko Technical Submission (rear naked choke) Extreme Fighting 1 November 18, 1995 1 0:40 Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1–0 Geraldo Silva Submission (rear naked choke) Desafio – Gracie Vale Tudo January 1, 1992 1 1:25 Brazil

References

  1. ↑ "Ralph Gracie". Pridefc.com; PRIDEFC Official Website. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jake Rossen (September 2004). Gracies in Action. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ Black Belt. February 1999. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ John Patton (July 1997). Olympic Gold Medalists Impressive at Extreme Fighting Four. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  5. ↑ No Holds Barred; The Secret to the Brazilians Fighting Success. Black Belt. September 1997. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  6. ↑ Rodney Ley (September 1999). The Gracie Exterminator Speaks About Royce, Ralph, Renzo, and Rickson. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  7. ↑ Jay Dee "B.J." Penn, Dave Weintraub (2010). Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just an Accessory. HarperCollins. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ Keith Vargo (Feb 2004). Team Gracie Beats Japan at Pride's Bushido Show. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Andre Alex Lima (Apr 1997). Who's Who in Gracie Ju Jitsu. Black Belt. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  10. ↑ Jonathan Snowden, Kendall Shields (2008). The MMA Encyclopedia. ECW Press. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  11. ↑ The Ultimate Fighter; Another Cheap Imitation. Black Belt. Mar 1996. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Gareth A Davies (January 18, 2008). "BJ Penn set for Joe Stevenson UFC showdown". The Telegraph. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Chicago | Chicago Martial Arts: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Mixed Martial Arts". March 14, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  14. ↑ David M. Herzenhorn (November 19, 1995). "Barred in New York, 'Extreme Fighting' Moves On". New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Ralph Gracie". BJJ Heroes. January 21, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  16. ↑ Kristin Bender (April 11, 2006). "Jujitsu master stops violence via poise". The Oakland Tribune. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  17. ↑ "AMAZING GRACE". Contra Costa. November 27, 1995. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  18. ↑ "BJJ in Beaverton with the Pitbull Ralph Gracie". Tigard Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  19. ↑ "The Top 10 Gracies of All Time". Cagepotato. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  20. ↑ "-". Black Belt. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  21. ↑ -. Black Belt. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  22. ↑ "DUBLIN INSTRUCTOR CASHES IN". Contra Costa. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  23. ↑ Damon Martin (September 26, 2005). "Takanori Gomi: On Top Of The World". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  24. ↑ "East Meets West On Ultimate Fight Night 21 Conference Call – FIGHT!". fightmagazine.com. March 23, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Pride Bushido Volumes 1–5 DVD Review". Wrestling101.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Kurt Osiande -Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Gracie Academy". Kurtosiander.com. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Eduardo Fraga". Ralphgracieberkeley.com. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  28. ↑ Erich Kraus, Bret Aita (2002). Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition. ECW Press. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  29. ↑ Erich Krauss (2004). Warriors Of The Ultimate Fighting Championships. Citadel Press. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  30. ↑ Jerry Langton (2011). Fighter: The Unauthorized Biography of Georges St-Pierre, UFC Champion. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  31. ↑ Sam Sheridan (2010). The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game. Grove Press. Retrieved March 30, 2013.

External links