Francisco Iturralde is the instructor involved in the infamous $56 million BJJ lawsuit, and he has now decided to share his side of the story. It was one of the biggest Jiu-Jitsu stories of 2023, both because of the horrific nature of the injury that his student Jack Greener suffered and the huge amount of money awarded to him. Obviously Iturralde wasn’t able to speak about it too much while the case was ongoing, but now that it has come to an end he can share his thoughts with the public. In fact, the community was relying solely on court statements until video footage of the incident was leaked.
Iturralde started out by sharing his background, giving an overview of who he is before moving on to the tragic accident with Greener:
“My name is Francisco Iturralde. I’ve been practicing Jiu-Jitsu since I was seven years old. Now I am 33. Currently, I am an instructor, business owner of a Jiu-Jitsu academy, husband, father, and friend to over a hundred of my students and leader to affiliated gyms in Mexico and Texas besides my academy in California.”
“I grew up training under my brothers and my professor in my hometown city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. At the age of 19, I was an excellence in the sport as I achieved five world championships in my color belts. By the time I was 19, I was offered a job position teaching in New York City under Professor Fabio Clemente, who was the first ever Jiu-Jitsu teacher and business owner or academy owner in the city of New York. After being with him for a few years, I ended up moving to California, training under Professor (Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles), where I sharpened my skills and made it to be one of the top five lightweight competitors of my generation.”
“It was a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and all of my experiences then helped me become the instructor and the person I am now. After living in Los Angeles and training under Master Cobrinha and his team, achieving many medals and titles, I decided to take a break from competition and focus on my true passion, which is teaching. Not just teaching competitors or kids who want to excel in Jiu-Jitsu the way I did, but actually teaching parents, families, and people who just need to de-stress and have fun with the art of Jiu-Jitsu.”
“I grew up training in a family environment with my friends and siblings all around me on the mats. So when I started teaching full-time, I wanted to replicate this camaraderie that I was brought up training with and give people a fun environment free of ego and a place where they can be safe, train, have fun with Jiu-Jitsu, and enjoy the art. That’s when I moved to San Diego and took a job at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu, where I taught classes for three years.”
“During the end of my time teaching there, in December of 2017, one of the worst tragedies I’ve experienced in my life happened.”
After sharing his background, Francisco Iturralde went on to discuss the tragic BJJ accident that led to the lawsuit and the early reporting of it. One of the main things that he sought to correct was Greener’s characterisation as a beginner in the sport. While he was a white belt in BJJ, Iturralde argues that his wrestling background meant that he was not new to grappling in general:
“Jack (Greener) was an incredible athlete. He had over a decade of wrestling experience and about four years of Jiu-Jitsu experience. He medaled in many tournaments, winning his weight and absolute divisions, also showing extreme skill and an aggressive style when competing. Jack’s style and technique showed that he was a lot more skillful than any average white belt he competed against. His vast experience in wrestling made him a very skilful grappler and way beyond the level of an average white belt.”
“While we were practicing Jiu-Jitsu, my student Jack and I were in a sparring session. I was attempting a back take, and Jack attempted a Granby Roll, which is a wrestling move to escape the back take. As a result of the exchange of techniques, a tragic accident happened and he hurt his cervical spine.”
“Though he went through a really difficult time initially, thanks to God, he recovered and is now a proof of a miracle and an inspiration for everyone who has gone through such an injury. He is climbing mountains, racing bicycles, and continues to inspire all who have ever been injured doing Jiu-Jitsu or any other combat sport.”
“There is video footage of the incident that anyone can watch to see for themselves what happened. What is being said publicly is mostly assumptions from media and sensationalist websites trying to clickbait and make this accident look like an intentional, freak, or malicious event. It was actually a tragic freak accident — any grappler or fighter’s worst nightmare. I do not believe anyone would do this on purpose, especially not someone who trains Jiu-Jitsu and knows the importance of camaraderie and love for training partners.”
Francisco Iturralde then went on to explain what happened after the incident and during the lawsuit itself, including how it effected him as a BJJ coach and competitor himself:
“Following the accident, I was forbidden to talk or have any contact with my student Jack. This goes against my nature. Usually, when any of my students gets bumped or hurt, I truly care about them, follow up with them the same day and the next day to make sure they’re okay, and do everything I can to help them with their injuries. I’ve been on the receiving end of injuries myself, and my training partners have always been amazing to me whenever I got hurt. That’s the least expected whenever you get hurt at Jiu-Jitsu — friends and partners check on you, take you to the hospital, and make sure you’re fine and will be helped if you need anything at all.”
“Right after the injury, I was forced by my employer to stay at the gym and continue teaching classes. I was a nervous wreck. I was scared of teaching. I was scared of sparring. I didn’t even know if I could continue training Jiu-Jitsu. I couldn’t believe that the art I loved so much could, in a split second, cause something so tragic. It broke my heart. I thought I was never going to be able to teach, train, or compete in Jiu-Jitsu again. I was truly traumatized.”
“Soon after, I had to quit my job as an instructor at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu. I just couldn’t teach; I felt sick every time I stepped on the mats. This was 100% trauma inflicted by the accident and how powerful the impact was on my psyche. Since I was forbidden to reach out and talk to Jack — because we were informed that a lawsuit was going to be filed, and communications were restricted to lawyers — I had to accept and do as they instructed. If I didn’t, I would have been left alone in the legal battle and completely liable.”
“I purchased a book called “Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind”, hoping to somehow help Jack find peace in his mind during this tragic time. But my employer interfere in the delivery the book, it was not allowed. The insurance company lawyers forbade me from any contact with Jack or his family, as they were handling the defense. I had no choice but to follow orders and move on with my life.”
“Thanks to Clark Gracie, who convinced me to keep teaching, I was able to find some hope. If it wasn’t for him, I might have quit Jiu-Jitsu completely. Clark opened the doors of his studio, trusted me, and gave me classes to teach. I taught there for three years before opening my own studio, continuing my mission with my students.”
“The trial was not justice. I find it ironic that justice and law are not the same. Plaintiff lawyers tried to prove I was reckless, pushing Jack beyond his limits. They manipulated evidence and prevented us from showing Jack’s wrestling expertise, his prior tournament experience, and other signs of his skill. Despite being a white belt, Jack was a highly skilled grappler with great technique and physicality.”
“Because the lawsuit was for a large sum, I’m sure many were interested in profiting from it — judges, lawyers, and others. The insurance company left me thinking that if they lost, I would be liable for the full amount. So I was forced to stay quiet and say only what they allowed.”
“During the trial, plaintiff lawyers lied about me, suggesting my nickname implied recklessness and danger. They fabricated claims that this wasn’t the only lawsuit against me, which is false. Injuries have happened over my years in Jiu-Jitsu, as with anyone, but we always checked on each other and helped each other recover. Lawyers painted me as a terrible human being, which is not true. I am a caring instructor and father, I have been a vegetarian for over ten years and can not imagine harming any living bean; I’ve never done anything violent in my life. To me, Jiu-Jitsu is a sport and a lifestyle — not fighting. It is about bonds and community.”
“Because of objections and trial procedures I did not understand, I was unable to defend myself fully. The trial was set up so I would be found liable. Not only I, but also the studio and insurance company were ordered to pay $52 million to the plaintiff.”
In his closing statement, Iturralde also shared how the incident continues to effect him today:
“Thank you for taking the time to hear my side of the story. In the last year or so, I have been the victim of constant harassment — internet trolls messaging me, people calling my phone and leaving threatening messages, wishing me the worst, and saying they will make me pay for what happened. I hope that those who took the time to search my personal information and contact me with ill wishes will also take the time to read this statement and understand the other side of the story.”
“I believe many have fallen for clickbait that is wrongfully and sensationally simplistic, designed just to get more views or attention. But the truth is different. This is the truth, told by the person who lived it. I love you all, Jiu-Jitsu community. Jiu-Jitsu has given me the greatest purpose in my life, and I will keep giving back to this art until my last breath.”
Francisco Iturralde also shared his full statement on the BJJ lawsuit in a post to his official Instagram account:
