Rigan Machado knowingly promotes convicted rapist to BJJ black belt

[Raycetpfl]

.

I remember when people were giving Rigan all kinds of crap about blessing Paulson's promotion of Josh Barnett to black belt in BJJ.

With or without a Gi, Barnett has things that he can teach at the BJJ black belt level in grappling.

And Barnett has proved himself in real top level competition.

Nobody gave him shit for that,Except morons maybe. He meets all the ibjjf qualifications. Josh then went and won No-Gi worlds.
Josh has been training under a bjj black belts for a really long time.
Also that belt was given by Erik Paulson,Jean-Jacques did approve the promotion and rightfully so.

I always laugh when Josh says he's a catch wrestler. He fights like a jiu-jitsu fighter. Position before submission and such. Takedown>mount>submit, that's Bjj. I really like his style.
The Japanese catch guys just dive for shit historically.

[BackFistMonkey]

The OP has updated her blog post on her blog, as Monkey pointed out in the post above.

BJJEE, a fairly reputable BJJ news site has also started covering the situation:
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/black-...-sex-offender/

It would appear that even though Rigan said he broke off all contact and association, that wasn't true, as he still hung out with the guy and taught semminars at his school. BJJEE also seems to indicate that Carlos Machado also hasn't broken off his relationship and contact.

Also they dug up this interesting piece of FB

I was impressed by Georgette's blog post. It shows a very clear manipulation of public perception by Rigan. It appears he thought a little wave of the hand and some lip service would fool people into thinking there would be no further interactions or support.

Watching this unfold is like watching our (USA) current political situation. Rigan is supposed to make a statement later today. I can't wait to read it.

On the other hand ... Georgette could have gone through and edited like 10 photos with facebook timestamps and done some serious social hacking all the while time traveling just to pick a fight with a serious player in the BJJ world like the Machado family. I wouldn't put anything past her she did willingly move to Texas.

[Devil]

Where is there any proof that Rigan Machado supports rapists?

The only proof I have seen is a post from Rigan Machado disassociating himself with Saucide after the rape incident.

Take a look at Georgette's blog post again. There are screen shots of Rigan on Facebook saying that he wasn't going to have shit to do with this dude anymore. Then more screen shots from a year later of him with the guy.

[Devil]

There is footage in this clip of Mr. Wheeler doing what look to me like Aikido style off balance exercises, footage of him flow rolling, andfootage of him doing some things that I assume are Systema, because they look a bit strange to me.

Now, for me to make an opinion on the worth of the exercises that he is presenting, I would have to go train with him, and see what he is talking and in what context.

I did not necessarily see him doing woo-woo or psychic knock outs or anything like that.

If you guys hate Systema, OK. I watched the clip, but I am still not familiar with Systema, because I have never trained with anybody who is a qualified Systema instructor, and I am a hands on kind of researcher.

For some reason Rigan thought it would be good cross training for his students to get some time with this guy, and what Rigan recommends his students cross train in does not negatively affect me.

I have a colleague who is older than me, and has good Judo tai sabaki. He also cross trains in Aikido,
and all manner of very soft arts and he also talks about the Hatsumi guy.
I send Judo people to take a class with him routinely because his tai sabaki is very practiced, especially compared to mine.
I am not sending them there because I am particularly a fan of Hatsumi or all of the other things the guy has in his head.
But, I do like my Judo students to get his perspective on Judo tai sabaki,
because I think he has practiced it north of 10,000 times, and it is very smooth,
and it seems to be positionally in alignment with the black and white footage of the old time Kodokan guys I see practicing.
So, because it is a different perspective than mine, and I think has some goodness to offer,
I encourage my Judo students to take some Judo classes from him to get his perspective on movement and practice, because it is much more old timey textbook Kodokan Judo than mine own Judo tends to be.
I also think the gentleman and his class is seriously lacking in his ground work practice (which he would probably admit), and we disagree on as many things as we agree on.
But, sometimes people have good things in specific areas to offer despite being not perfect or even sub-optimal in other areas.

So context and details in "endorsements" or evaluating endorsements other people make are key to understanding what is really being endorsed, why, and in what context.

What good are all those years you spent learning if you can't look at that video and discern that it is complete bullshit? Because, let me help you....it's complete bullshit. You know it and I know it. Get off the fence and stop being willfully ignorant. Either you're being intellectually dishonest or you've trained all those years and still lack the ability to distinguish good training from bad.

[Raycetpfl]

The OP has updated her blog post on her blog, as Monkey pointed out in the post above.

BJJEE, a fairly reputable BJJ news site has also started covering the situation:
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/black-...-sex-offender/

It would appear that even though Rigan said he broke off all contact and association, that wasn't true, as he still hung out with the guy and taught semminars at his school. BJJEE also seems to indicate that Carlos Machado also hasn't broken off his relationship and contact.

Also they dug up this interesting piece of FB

Great article by them. I really like their site.

[Dr. Gonzo]

If Demian Maia ever starts promoting people to purple belt who don't even roll, it will be janky as fuck and I'll say so. Just like it's janky as fuck when Rigan does it. You're acting like skill and respectable behavior go hand-in-hand. That is not necessarily true. You can be shady as fuck and still be able to kick people's asses.

I don't know how much or how little rolling or what kind of rolling the people Rigan promotes to purple do though in his celebrity program.

I have never trained with these people personally from a Machado school that fit that description.

I do know several fairly tough Machados black belts though.

And I have in fact competed personally against Machados students.

That is my last known good hands on information.

So, I treat those accusations as hearsay and without proper context to really form an opinion until I get hands on data myself to bonafide that accusation that contradicts my prior hands on data with Machados students or Rigan Machado.

And I am sad to say that I do indeed know many people that know how to grapple, can teach the techniques of grappling, but should not be in teaching roles because of character, integrity, violence or sexual inhibition control reasons.

And sadly, I find that people with these character flaws are just as likely to be male or female, to come from any ethnicity, to have claimed religious status or to be atheists.

Nature's predators often are very skilled at hiding the danger they represent from their prey until they strike.

[Devil]

I went and watched the video that some people on this board are complaining about where Rigan Machado endorsed the Systema instructor.

So, if I understand this right,

Rigan said he brought a Systema instructor to a heavy weight grappling seminar with UFC level competitors,

at the Systema guy's request and a recommendation from a mutual friend.

Rigan said that he was impressed by the Systema guy's ability to survive that training,

was impressed with the guy's breathing and calm,

and Rigan said that he recommends to 70% of his students to consider cross training

with that guy because he thinks there are things that they can learn from him.

And this is what you guys have your underwear knotted over?

In the early nineties they sent us all to cross train in either yoga or animal gymnastica or both,

and the best Jiu-Jitsu fighters, the really top level guys, were all doing this special breathing training

with a "breathing master" that Rickson liked.

You guys miss the point.

Jiu-Jitsu, at the highest levels, and especially the Brazilians,

have always been fascinated by coaches that can teach the athletes to breathe better, move better, think better, especially when they come from outside Jiu-Jitsu,

if for no other reason, than they know, that they themselves (the Jiu-Jitsu coaches) can teach the Jiu-Jitsu approach to those things very well.

The hate some people have for Systema on this board I think blinds people to the larger context I think to what Rigan was and was not saying in that video.

I have never trained in Systema. That is not an art I personally know or promote.

But, I cross trained in yoga in the early nineties like many Jiu-Jitsu competitors did.

Yoga has never been "my thing".

But, you try different things to widen your perspective in addition to all the drilling in your actual sport.

Sure, sure. Maybe Rigan is just a super open-minded jiu jitsu hipster. Alternatively, he could just be a fucking wanker.

[Devil]

But, if 20 years from now people starting jawing this or that about Demian Maia,

especially if they did not get to see him when he was still near his prime,

and especially if he has still been training, coaching, and learning all this time,

then I and many of the people on this board would be like,

look, this guy is a bad ass, bad ass flows through his veins,

and regardless of what he says that you do not agree with,

this guy has more layers of his experience in Jiu-Jitsu than an onion has layers.

If Demian Maia ever starts promoting people to purple belt who don't even roll, it will be janky as fuck and I'll say so. Just like it's janky as fuck when Rigan does it. You're acting like skill and respectable behavior go hand-in-hand. That is not necessarily true. You can be shady as fuck and still be able to kick people's asses.

[Michael Tzadok]

The OP has updated her blog post on her blog, as Monkey pointed out in the post above.

BJJEE, a fairly reputable BJJ news site has also started covering the situation:
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/black-...-sex-offender/

It would appear that even though Rigan said he broke off all contact and association, that wasn't true, as he still hung out with the guy and taught semminars at his school. BJJEE also seems to indicate that Carlos Machado also hasn't broken off his relationship and contact.

Also they dug up this interesting piece of FB

[BackFistMonkey]

OP's link doesn't work.

I just found a version of the OP up on Georgettes Blog. http://georgetteoden.blogspot.com/20...y-promote.html
Has anyone received any responses from their queries?

[Dr. Gonzo]

You are too emotionally fuelled and thus your posts are flying in every direction.

You obviously have not noticed that 90% of my posts are long winded and ramble on and off topic.

I come on this site when I being forced to wait for something, to kill time.

My writing long posts or my disagreeing with your opinion or even many opinions on Bullshido about this or any other matter is not a sign that I am emotional about the topic under discussion.

Rather, it is my custom to write long posts on this board, and I probably just disagree with you because I disagree with you in most cases.

Here are the facts:

An admin of this site has stated that despite Rigan's post in 2013 disassociating himself with a convicted sex offender the convicted sex offender is still claiming association to Rigan.

Since the original post by Rigan in 2013 the Admin from this site has claimed that Rigan has has promoted said convicted sex offender to black belt.

I don't think that was actually Georgette's claim.

Georgette documented that the Saucido claimed that Rigan promoted Saucido to black belt.

And without proof that Rigan promoted Saucido to Rigan, Saucido's claim is unsubstantiated.

Did anybody else get de ja vous when reading Wah wah wah kids in basements wah wah wah but hes a nice guy wah wah wah hes a great martial artist you are all jealous failures at life wah ?

I don't believe that Rigan Machado and I have ever been introduced,
although we have certainly been at some of the same events,
and I have enjoyed watching him compete and watching the Machado students compete,
and I have enjoyed competing against the Machado students.

I have no idea of whether Rigan is a "nice guy" as you put it or not.

But, you are right, I do assert that Rigan Machado is a real and great Martial Artist / Combat Sport Athlete / Jiu-Jitsu master.

So, if I had to pick who I would want in my grappling room or my Pro tournament (whether as a coach, a competitor, or a commentator),
from either my pick of the litter from my fellow Bullshido posters or Rigan Machado,
then I am picking Rigan Machado 1,000 times out of 1,000 times.

I have nothing against you,
and there are a half dozen or so posters on Bullshido who make posts that I find insightful on this or that topic,
usually in their own areas of long and real expertise.

But, I am a Jiu-Jitsu guy,
and Rigan Machado is an incredible repository of Jiu-Jitsu,
who has had a long high level competitive career that I have enjoyed following,
and have enjoyed getting to compete against some of the Machado students.
And Rigan Machado has continued training and coaching some very tough guys in some very tough rooms,
regardless of whether or not he also gives private lessons to celebrities or has a special program for celebrities.

So, for me, that's that.

I certainly hope that Rigan did not promote the Saucido to black belt.
But, unless proof is presented that Rigan did promote Saucido to black belt,
then it is just another unsubstantiated Internet claim,
by someone that already has a troubled past.

[PDA]

Where is there any proof that Rigan Machado supports rapists?

The only proof I have seen is a post from Rigan Machado disassociating himself with Saucide after the rape incident.

And the claim that Rigan is bastardizing anything for profit is a base insult.

I remember when people were giving Rigan all kinds of crap about blessing Paulson's promotion of Josh Barnett to black belt in BJJ.

With or without a Gi, Barnett has things that he can teach at the BJJ black belt level in grappling.

And Barnett has proved himself in real top level competition.

Rigan said nice things about his student Ashton Kuscher. Big deal, so an instructor said a nice thing about his student.

Rigan said he designed a drill and flow roll program for celebrities who could not risk losing multi-million dollar paydays by getting injured and missing movie filmings.
So, if the choice those celebrities have to make is between not training or training without hard rolling, you would say it is better for them to not train?
And you really think those celebrities will never improve after years of drilling and flow rolling, and probably really rolling with Rigan and Rigan's black belts who have the skill to minimize accidental injury that a lower belt would not during a real roll...?

What is this, some kind of class warrior bullshit?

So Rigan's clients have money? What, are you jealous of that?

Put Rigan in a room with anybody, and I mean anybody, and he will be able to provide grappling coaching value.

Whether it is a UFC fighter, a celebrity actor, a disabled person, or a current World Champion BJJ black belt.

And that is what I pay the most attention to, to be honest.

You are too emotionally fuelled and thus your posts are flying in every direction.

Here are the facts:

An admin of this site has stated that despite Rigan's post in 2013 disassociating himself with a convicted sex offender the convicted sex offender is still claiming association to Rigan.

Since the original post by Rigan in 2013 the Admin from this site has claimed that Rigan has has promoted said convicted sex offender to black belt.

People have expressed other opinions on various aspects of Rigan's activities in an attempt to establish and explore his character in light of the above HOWEVER one must not get too consumed with this and perhaps more energy could be spent investigating the OP.

Did anybody else get de ja vous when reading Wah wah wah kids in basements wah wah wah but hes a nice guy wah wah wah hes a great martial artist you are all jealous failures at life wah ?

[Dr. Gonzo]

What are you defending here?

His martial arts ability ? which is not in question
or
His support for rapists?
or
His bastardization of his own stamp of approval for profit?

Where is there any proof that Rigan Machado supports rapists?

The only proof I have seen is a post from Rigan Machado disassociating himself with Saucide after the rape incident.

And the claim that Rigan is bastardizing anything for profit is a base insult.

I remember when people were giving Rigan all kinds of crap about blessing Paulson's promotion of Josh Barnett to black belt in BJJ.

With or without a Gi, Barnett has things that he can teach at the BJJ black belt level in grappling.

And Barnett has proved himself in real top level competition.

Rigan said nice things about his student Ashton Kuscher. Big deal, so an instructor said a nice thing about his student.

Rigan said he designed a drill and flow roll program for celebrities who could not risk losing multi-million dollar paydays by getting injured and missing movie filmings.
So, if the choice those celebrities have to make is between not training or training without hard rolling, you would say it is better for them to not train?
And you really think those celebrities will never improve after years of drilling and flow rolling, and probably really rolling with Rigan and Rigan's black belts who have the skill to minimize accidental injury that a lower belt would not during a real roll...?

What is this, some kind of class warrior bullshit?

So Rigan's clients have money? What, are you jealous of that?

Put Rigan in a room with anybody, and I mean anybody, and he will be able to provide grappling coaching value.

Whether it is a UFC fighter, a celebrity actor, a disabled person, or a current World Champion BJJ black belt.

And that is what I pay the most attention to, to be honest.

[Dr. Gonzo]

When someone I respect or have been told to respect because of their accomplishments or personal struggle tries to sell me System or Nimpo or yellow bamboo or religion or any other wooo or mysticism or occult or yoga or alternative medicine or alternative facts or alternative rapists or alt right politics for that matter, it always comes back to money. Money money money.

Giving Systema the benefit of the doubt when money is on the table is just silly. Does this one fellow happen to have the R34l Syst3m4? Is his breathing just so advanced that it is a game changer? I find that hard to believe. Maybe I am just hard headed or ignorant and this Martin Wheeler does have special abilities to train and teach breathing better than anyone else... and you can only get it from Rigan Machado's school. Or maybe it is yet another partnership set up to fleece students with more money than sense and skepticism and the same BS as other Systema classes.

Maybe I just don't have enough respect. Maybe I don't have blind loyalty. Maybe I am just paranoid. Maybe Rigan Machado is promoting bullshit with the distance learning, Systema, compliant training, and claims of his untested celebrity students prowess and skill.

There is footage in this clip of Mr. Wheeler doing what look to me like Aikido style off balance exercises, footage of him flow rolling, andfootage of him doing some things that I assume are Systema, because they look a bit strange to me.

Now, for me to make an opinion on the worth of the exercises that he is presenting, I would have to go train with him, and see what he is talking and in what context.

I did not necessarily see him doing woo-woo or psychic knock outs or anything like that.

If you guys hate Systema, OK. I watched the clip, but I am still not familiar with Systema, because I have never trained with anybody who is a qualified Systema instructor, and I am a hands on kind of researcher.

For some reason Rigan thought it would be good cross training for his students to get some time with this guy, and what Rigan recommends his students cross train in does not negatively affect me.

I have a colleague who is older than me, and has good Judo tai sabaki. He also cross trains in Aikido,
and all manner of very soft arts and he also talks about the Hatsumi guy.
I send Judo people to take a class with him routinely because his tai sabaki is very practiced, especially compared to mine.
I am not sending them there because I am particularly a fan of Hatsumi or all of the other things the guy has in his head.
But, I do like my Judo students to get his perspective on Judo tai sabaki,
because I think he has practiced it north of 10,000 times, and it is very smooth,
and it seems to be positionally in alignment with the black and white footage of the old time Kodokan guys I see practicing.
So, because it is a different perspective than mine, and I think has some goodness to offer,
I encourage my Judo students to take some Judo classes from him to get his perspective on movement and practice, because it is much more old timey textbook Kodokan Judo than mine own Judo tends to be.
I also think the gentleman and his class is seriously lacking in his ground work practice (which he would probably admit), and we disagree on as many things as we agree on.
But, sometimes people have good things in specific areas to offer despite being not perfect or even sub-optimal in other areas.

So context and details in "endorsements" or evaluating endorsements other people make are key to understanding what is really being endorsed, why, and in what context.

[PDA]

It is not so much that I am loyal to Rigan, or really feel the need to defend him for his sake.

He certainly does not need any defense from the likes of us, chatting on an online forum, which is an activity that is a step away from living in Mom's basement.

But rather, it is that I believe that if I were to add up all of the grappling knowledge of all the people on Bullshido, Rigan would know more, and what he knows would be worth more.

Also, you will notice a mega-meta-pattern to my posts when it comes to real fighters in general.

There is a HUGE difference between people who fight for purses, and those that compete and train as enthusiast hobbyists.

The hobbyists do gain the ability to talk about fighting, but they really don't understand what it is like to be a fighter or a retired fighter.

So, when Jordan was on here and he would say some strange sound things, having been around fighters, what I am here to tell you is that fighters often do say strange sound things as they get older.

When fighters, real fighters, are part of your circle, you get pretty used to them saying some interesting things, and you really rather celebrate if their health is largely intact after years of paying the man with their bodies.

So, I know who is Rigan is, I know he knows more about martial arts than most people, including most BJJ black belts, and when I hear people on an online forum run their mouths about him, or if I heard people run their mouth about Demian Maia or Eric Paulson, then I often comment.

But, none of those guys need me to comment on their behalf because people on an online forum are passing their time, tapping away about unsubstantiated rumors.

Rigan Machado is one of the greatest there ever was in Jiu-Jitsu, particularly in his generation.

Bark and type all you want.

What are you defending here?

His martial arts ability ? which is not in question
or
His support for rapists?
or
His bastardization of his own stamp of approval for profit?