White belt student awarded $56M after being paralyzed by jiu-jitsu instructor

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A beginner jiu-jitsu student in California was awarded $56 million ($77 million CDN) after being paralyzed by his black belt instructor during a sparring session.

Jack Greener, 30, a white belt, had been sparring with Francisco Iturralde, 33, during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu session in Del Mar, California, when he suffered the devastating spinal cord injury, KNSD reported.

The incident took place on Nov. 29, 2018, at Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club, when the two men were paired up.

Iturralde, a second-degree black belt, put his entire weight on Greener in a position that crushed the student’s cervical vertebrae, rendering him a paraplegic.

Greener was hospitalized for several months and suffered multiple strokes among a series of other ailments, according to his attorneys.

The injured man was weeks away from graduating from college and was set to start a career as a professional surf instructor when he was paralyzed.

In 2023, a San Diego jury awarded him $46 million US, but with post-judgment interest, it now exceeds $56 million US.

The studio appealed the decision to the California Supreme Court, which declined to overturn the judgment this week.

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The verdict was also affirmed by a state appellate panel late last year, according to the outlet.

Greener sued the jiu-jitsu club for the injuries he suffered, blaming Iturralde, who is known on one website as “Sinistro,” or “Sinister,” for his “dynamic, aggressive grappling style,” according to the New York Post.

Greener has since rebounded and is now a mountain climber and motivational speaker.

Greener recalled the incident in a project called “Paralyzed to Peaks.”

“When it occurred, 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.’”