Latest news with #Iturralde
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
US jiu-jitsu student awarded $56 million after being paralysed by black-belt instructor
A US jiu-jitsu student who was left paralysed from the neck down after a sparring session with his black-belt instructor has been awarded more than $56 million in damages, according to a report by the New York Post. (Also read: Paralysed woman in China exposes husband who fled with ₹3.5 crore after abusing and deceiving her) The incident occurred in 2018 at the Del Mar Jiu Jitsu Club in San Diego, where then-30-year-old Jack Greener, a beginner white belt, was sparring with his instructor, Francisco Iturralde, a 33-year-old second-degree black belt known by the nickname 'Sinistro'. Greener's injuries were the result of a manoeuvre during the training session, which video footage later showed caused his neck to twist unnaturally. He was on all fours when Iturralde flipped him forward, forcing him face-down and compressing his neck. 'The black belt instructor did a technique that placed his entire body weight on Greener's neck, causing him to instantly fall limp and lose all function of his limbs,' explained Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rener Gracie, who testified as an expert witness during the case. The impact crushed Greener's cervical vertebrae, rendering him a quadriplegic. He was hospitalised for months, suffering several strokes as a result of the trauma — all just weeks before he was scheduled to graduate from university. Greener filed a lawsuit against the jiu-jitsu studio, holding both the facility and Iturralde — who gained fame for his 'dynamic, aggressive grappling style' — responsible for the life-altering injury. As per the outlet, in 2023, a San Diego jury awarded Greener $46 million. The studio appealed the verdict, taking the case to the California Supreme Court, which this week declined to overturn the decision. A state appellate panel had previously affirmed the judgment late last year. With post-judgment interest, the total compensation has now surpassed $56 million, Greener's legal team confirmed. 'The final appellate court's ruling cements a critical legal victory not only for our client, but also for injured athletes across California by reaffirming that sports instructors and facilities may be held accountable when they unreasonably increase risks beyond those inherent in the sport,' said Rahul Ravipudi, one of Greener's attorneys. (Also read: Indian-origin student Bandna Bhatti paralysed after tragic fall at UC Berkeley: 'She faces a difficult…') Now a motivational speaker and mountain climber, Greener continues to inspire others while raising awareness about safety and accountability in sports training.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Horror moment jiu-jitsu student left PARALYZED from neck down after being slammed by instructor ‘Sinistro'
THIS is the horror moment a jiu-jitsu student was left paralysed from the neck down after being slammed by his black belt instructor. Jack Greener, a beginner white belt, was seen receiving horrific injuries after his instructor put on a move that struck his neck. 4 4 Footage shows Greener pitting against his instructor, dubbed "Sinistro", inside a training facility. The beginner was on all fours when his instructor flipped him forward before twisting his head and neck. Greener immediately lost control over his body and fell to the ground. He was rushed to the hospital - just days before he was supposed to graduate from college in 2018. The horrific accident crushed his cervical vertebrae, effectively paralysing his entire body below the neck. Greener was forced to spend months in the hospital, recovering from multiple strokes as a result of his injuries, according to the New York Post. He then sued Del Mar Jiu Jitsu club in San Diego for the injuries and blamed his instructor, Iturralde, for his 'dynamic, aggressive grappling style". Greener, now a mountain climber and a popular motivational speaker, was first awarded $56 million by a San Diego jury in 2023. Rahul Ravipudi, one of Greener's attorneys, said: "[The judgement] cements a critical legal victory not only for our client, but also for injured athletes across California by reaffirming that sports instructors and facilities may be held accountable when they unreasonably increase risks beyond those inherent in the sport." BJJ legend Rener Gracie, who was called as an expert witness in the case, said: "The black belt instructor did a technique that placed his entire body weight on Greener's neck, causing him to instantly fall limp and lose all function of his limbs." It comes after a champion martial artist tragically died after a horrific collapse in the ring. Mohit Sharma, 21, was fighting in the second round of a university wushu tournament on Monday in India. People immediately rushed to provide assistance, and medics were called. Sharma, though, could not be revived after a reported suspected heart attack. According to the Indian Express, he was taken to the on-site medical centre then transported to a district hospital. But the young boxer sadly passed away as he was declared dead on arrival at Kharar Government hospital on Monday evening, it was later confirmed. Meanwhile, a mixed martial arts fighter died days after collapsing during a training session. 4 Zach Doran was sparring at his local gym when his heart suddenly stopped. The 18-year-old spent 10 days in a coma before his parents Jason and Tami made the "tough" decision to turn his life support machine off. "He literally fought to his death," his dad, a teacher and American football coach, said. "He was doing a sparring session and during round seven or eight, he just collapsed. "They had thought that he had taken a kick to the chest or a blow to the head, but someone was recording his bouts and it was none of that. "You could tell he was getting tired and just folded over." The "super healthy" teenager, who had been an MMA fighter for two and a half years and was captain of his Varsity American football team, had no underlying health conditions. But his girlfriend Libby Gilmore, 18, believes energy drinks contributed to Zack's "shock" passing. The sportsman reportedly "always had one" before going to the gym or an MMA session, as well as a "pre-workout" - a supplement designed to enhance energy.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Jiu-Jitsu Student Who Was Paralyzed from Neck Down by Black-Belt Instructor Awarded $56 Million in Court
Jack Greener was left paralyzed from the neck down by his jiu-jitsu instructor in 2018 He was awarded $56 million in court after the jiu-jitsu studio appealed a 2023 verdict Greener's cervical vertebrae was crushed when his instructor placed his full body weight on himA California man has been awarded $56 million after he was left paralyzed from the neck down by his jiu-jitsu instructor. Jack Greener suffered the life-changing spinal cord injury at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in 2018 when he sought out the help of instructor Francisco Iturralde, a second-degree black belt also known as "Sinistro." Then a 23-year-old beginner white belt, Greener was sparring with Iturralde, 33, when his cervical vertebrae was crushed, according to NBC and CBS. Greener's injury happened when the instructor placed his full body weight on the student, ultimately rendering him quadriplegic, per CBS. He spent several months in the hospital and reportedly suffered multiple strokes during treatment, his attorneys told the outlet. A 2023 trial that lasted weeks awarded Greener, now 30, $46,475,112.33 in damages. The defendants appealed, but the California Supreme Court declined to overturn the verdict on Tuesday, June 3 and the amount now exceeds $56 million after post-judgment interest. At the time, Greener was set to graduate from college just weeks after the injury and was pursuing a career as a professional surf instructor, his attorneys told CBS. In a video shared on YouTube in 2022, Greener recalled the incident. "When it occured, the first thought that came to mind was, 'I'm going to be okay,' and then the second thought was, 'Oh s---, I can't move.' " Iturralde, who began practicing jiu-jitsu at 13, is known for his "dynamic, aggressive grappling style," according to his Digitsu biography. His style "earned him the nickname 'Sinistro,' meaning 'Sinister,' " his bio reads. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to NBC, the jury determined Iturralde's actions "unreasonably increased the risks" to his student "beyond those inherent in Brazilian jiu-jitsu" and that instructors may be held liable for "negligent conduct." Rahul Ravipudi, one of Greener's attorneys, praised the final ruling in a statement to NBC and said it "cements a critical legal victory not only for our client, but also for injured athletes across California by reaffirming that sports instructors and facilities may be held accountable when they unreasonably increase risks beyond those inherent in the sport." Read the original article on People
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
US Jiu-Jitsu Student Awarded Rs 466 Crore After Instructor's Move Leaves Him Paralysed
In a landmark case, 30-year-old Jack Greener was awarded over $56 million (Rs 466 crore) after a 2018 jiu-jitsu sparring session left him paralyzed, according to New York Post. As a beginner white belt at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club in San Diego, Greener was paired with instructor Francisco "Sinistro" Iturralde. During the session, Iturralde executed a manoeuvre that placed his full body weight on Greener's neck, crushing his cervical vertebrae and rendering him quadriplegic. The incident occurred just weeks before Greener's college graduation. He underwent multiple surgeries and suffered strokes during his hospitalisation. Initially awarded 46 million in 2023, the total compensation rose with post-judgement interest. The California Supreme Court upheld the verdict, emphasizing that instructors can be held liable when they increase risks beyond those inherent in the sport. Greener has since become a motivational speaker and mountain climber, advocating for athlete safety and accountability in sports training. "The black belt instructor did a technique that placed his entire body weight on Greener's neck, causing him to instantly fall limp and lose all function of his limbs," BJJ legend Rener Gracie, who was called as an expert witness in the case, told The NY Post. Greener was hospitalized for several months, suffering multiple strokes as a result of his injuries - which came just weeks before he was due to graduate from college, his attorneys said. He sued the Del Mar Jiu Jitsu club in San Diego for the injuries he blamed on Iturralde, who earned the nickname "Sinistro", or "Sinister", for his "dynamic, aggressive grappling style", according to his bio on a site selling online instructionals.
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- General
- Time Magazine
María José Iturralde
The destruction of the Amazon rainforest often perplexes outsiders, who might attribute it solely to corporate greed. But for many forest inhabitants, there are often 'literally no other alternatives to make money' but by clearing land for cash crops, says María José Iturralde, executive director of Fundación Pachaysana, an Ecuadorian nonprofit that partners with Indigenous communities to restore the rainforest. Iturralde is flipping that script. In 2019, Fundación Pachaysana launched its Humans for Abundance program, a radical intervention that involves paying locals to become stewards and restorers of their ancestral lands. Today, 12 families receive monthly paychecks to collectively revitalize 370 acres of what was once farmland and protect another 740 acres of pristine forest. For Iturralde, the mission is personal. Her grandfather, the former president of Ecuador, signed a resolution while he was in power that absolved Texaco, a U.S. oil company, from responsibility for dumping billions of gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest, contaminating an estimated two million acres. Iturralde says. 'I feel like my own grandfather is righting the wrongs through me.' Through the foundation, Iturralde, a former teacher, also operates the Forest School, which teaches local children Indigenous knowledge and promotes the ecological value of the Amazon, cultivating the next generation of restorers.
