Rigan Machado knowingly promotes convicted rapist to BJJ black belt

[It is Fake]

Quote where anyone said that.

Quote where any one said presumption of innocence is wrong.
Do not play this word game MT.

[It is Fake]

Appeals to authority when expertise and credentials in an area are present and valid are not a fallacy.

They are when you argue a BJJ expert carries weight in a striking based and bladed system. No, Vale Tudo and BJJ do not cover Systema. So yes, it is a fallacy.

[ChenPengFi]

Quote where any one said presumption of innocence is wrong.
Do not play this word game MT.

I never made that claim, but that's a direct quote.

[Dr. Gonzo]

They are when you argue a BJJ expert carries weight in a striking based and bladed system. No, Vale Tudo and BJJ do not cover Systema. So yes, it is a fallacy.

Rigan recommended the Systema instructor based on the instructor's "calm mind and breathing technique".
How is it different from a Coach recommending his or her athletes consider attending a meditation or tai chi class to have time focusing on the practice of breathing and mental calm?
Again, I am neither endorsing nor criticizing Systema as Systema is not my thing and neither is tai chi for that matter.
But a Coach can recommend activities outside the core at their discretion, if they believe chasing a chicken might be instructive or get somebody past a mental barrier.

[ChenPengFi]

I recall when we used to scrutinize certificates for forgery, now we are saying "I don't care what the instructor said, he obviously awarded him a BB becos' facebook!"

[Michael Tzadok]

2. How did I find out about this? Students from the Rigan mothership in LA called me after Thanksgiving 2014 complaining that Paul Saucido was teaching class for Rigan in his absence, wearing a new black belt, proclaiming that he was promoted by Rigan. I started following up on this story then (which is why I have some very old screen grabs which I have sat on all this time.) None of them were willing to go on record even as an anonymous source. I never burn a source or betray a confidence. I tried everything I could think of to get evidence. It is EXTREMELY hinky that there are no photos of the promotion and belt tying. I went to every Machado affiliate website I could find and looked with a magnifying glass at every promotion picture from that timeframe onwards and I could never find Paul. People who are not in the jiu jitsu community went to Paul's academy and chatted him up and he dodged every question about where the black belt came from or how long he had it. Eventually I gave up-- and credit is due to Paul's rape survivor who alerted me to the fact that his website, in December 2016, was proclaiming he was a Rigan purple/brown/black belt. (I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and had surgeries in September November and December, so this kind of slipped by the wayside until now when I finally got off my ass and posted the results.) Of course I asked Rigan and Carlos and Paul for comment when I posted the story. I didn't ask in advance because I did not want the evidence to disappear (yes, I had screen grabs of Paul's site but I wanted others to go see it live for themselves.)

Then from the newest BJJEE article

However new evidence we’ve uncovered reveals the two haven’t had a clean break that Machado writes about in this post – in fact Saucido actually taught at Rigan Machado’s beverly hills bjj academy training center.

It's an appearance of impropriety at the very least.

The above quoted bits in addition to the pics. I'm sorry but someone you have publicly disavowed doesn't just walk into your dojo wearing a black belt and get three of your other black belts to line up beside him for a nice group picture. They don't continue to host seminars at the guy's place. You yourself don't do seminars at the guy's place...

Oh yeah and there is all this other photographic evidence that comes with a Facebook timeline and ever changing facial hair that seems to indicate an on going relationship, but it is secondary to the above.

[It is Fake]

Rigan recommended the instructor based on the instructors calm mind and breathing technique.
How is it different from a Coach recommending his or her athletes consider attending a meditation or tai chi class to have time focusing on the practice of breathing and mental calm?

You are kidding right? No, not the same. Keep trying though because maybe someone else will help you understand why this examples is incorrect.

[Michael Tzadok]

I recall when we used to scrutinize certificates for forgery, now we are saying "I don't care what the instructor said, he obviously awarded him a BB becos' facebook!"

Nope, I haven't said that Saucido was promoted by Rigan. I say that Rigan hasn't been honest in regards to his ongoing relationship with Saucido and therefore his denial of promotion cannot in and of itself be believed.

If Rigan came out and said that he changed his mind and thought that by continuing his relationship with Saucido he could help the guy reform, that he(Rigan) doesn't know where Paul got his black belt from but he didn't promote him himself... Then I would shrug my shoulders and and say, OK, we need to figure out how Saucido got a black belt.

However, because the evidence seems very strongly to indicate that Rigan did not break of contact with Saucido, then I do not believe that we can take Rigan's word that he didn't give Saucido the Black Belt and thus remains a suspect.

[It is Fake]

I told you to let it go. There are two issues being raised and he is hyper focused on one. The refutation of cut ties and the promotion. I haven't commented on the promotion, as many others did not, I don't like the cut ties issue. I know all about the issues with photos and time stamps, it's why I made a sarcastic comment earlier.

Now, if Cheng has a problem with the title cool, say so. He likes to troll, as do many of us, people into arguments. So, he is going to read way more into a post and become hyper focused on the "Bullshit to think he promoted the guy without proof." He's purposely ignoring how many people scoff at the cut ties issue.

[Michael Tzadok]

I told you to let it go. There are two issues being raised and he is hyper focused on one. The refutation of cut ties and the promotion. I haven't commented on the promotion, as many others did not, I don't like the cut ties issue. I know all about the issues with photos and time stamps, it's why I made a sarcastic comment earlier.

Now, if Cheng has a problem with the title cool, say so. He likes to troll, as do many of us, people into arguments. So, he is going to read way more into a post and become hyper focused on the "Bullshit to think he promoted the guy without proof." He's purposely ignoring how many people scoff at the cut ties issue.

Fair enough. Sound advice and reasoning.

[jitschix]

Appeals to authority when expertise and credentials in an area are present and valid are not a fallacy.

Rigan is an authority on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, and Vale Tudo type activities.

However, authority certainly does not equal infallability,
and I never claimed that Rigan was infallable in any area.

I merely claimed that Rigan's expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exceeds my own and exceeds the expertise of most low and mid level black belts in BJJ.

And that remains true.

And it remains wholly irrelevant to this conversation.

[Raycetpfl]

I recall when we used to scrutinize certificates for forgery, now we are saying "I don't care what the instructor said, he obviously awarded him a BB becos' facebook!"

Well because he is teaching at his main school in beverly hills wearing a black belt and posted the photos on Facebook. If a fake black belt/alleged kidnapper/convicted sexual predator is teaching at your school you got some explaining to do.
So kind of like the Systema, belts with no rolling, etc. We are forced to ask if this guy is of low moral fiber or just falls for anything and has dumb ideas? I know whichnone I think it is.
My teachers don't just let anyone teach and they run students names through to check if they are creeps.

[Pship Destroyer]

Saucido self-reported on his LinkedIn "Accomplishments" that he was awarded the black belt in November 2014 by Rigan Machado.

Saucido's Zen Fit bio page (which has now been completely deleted, probably along with his job) was up between at least November 16th 2016 - March 20th, 2017.

So, it's possible Saucido's Zen Fit bio page contained the questionable claim for at least 2.5 years, if what he recorded on his LinkedIn page is actually true. BJJEE reported "Previous to his promotion he was seen wearing a two stripe brown belt in November of 2014."



Here's a theory (unsub): Rigan Machado's public disavowal in 2013 was a PR lie, as is his March 20th written statement; Rigan continued to hang with, train, and informally promoted Saucido to black belt by the end of November 2014, but probably told him to keep it under wraps; Saucido being the dominant-rapey type decided he needed to post about it publicly on his professional network and bio, hoping the Internet forgot, but the Internet never forgets. Rigan Machado, having now been caught in a series of lies, felt the need to produce an affidavit that would not stand up in court, simply based on the photographs presented.

[Devil]

Saucido self-reported on his LinkedIn "Accomplishments" that he was awarded the black belt in November 2014 by Rigan Machado.

Saucido's Zen Fit bio page (which has now been completely deleted, probably along with his job) was up between at least November 16th 2016 - March 20th, 2017.

So, it's possible Saucido's Zen Fit bio page contained the questionable claim for at least 2.5 years, if what he recorded on his LinkedIn page is actually true. BJJEE reported "Previous to his promotion he was seen wearing a two stripe brown belt in November of 2014."



Here's a theory (unsub): Rigan Machado's public disavowal in 2013 was a PR lie, as is his March 20th written statement; Rigan continued to hang with, train, and informally promoted Saucido to black belt by the end of November 2014, but probably told him to keep it under wraps; Saucido being the dominant-rapey type decided he needed to post about it publicly on his professional network and bio, hoping the Internet forgot, but the Internet never forgets. Rigan Machado, having now been caught in a series of lies, felt the need to produce an affidavit that would not stand up in court, simply based on the photographs presented.

I agree with your assessment, Rabbit. Good work.

[Pship Destroyer]

Well because he is teaching at his main school in beverly hills

His bio has been completely scrubbed from their site, including the schedule...

Bullshido.net has seen this sort of "self-destruct mode" engaged before.

This is SOP for "your dirty shit just got exposed."