Rigan Machado knowingly promotes convicted rapist to BJJ black belt

[Crafty Dog]

Thanks for the effort Pship Destroyer.

It is all kind of hard to square with the Rigan I know.

[Pship Destroyer]

2012 is right (although that makes Paul Saucido's LinkedIn claim that he taught there as a brown belt from 2010-2012 dubious...).

Machado and Wheeler are definitely business partners of some sort:

http://www.jiujitsuforums.com/discus...ol-in-bev-hill
https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comment...ma_instructor/

I just found and then lost a thread on Sherdog that I could have sworn claimed Rigan was brought onboard as the BJJ instructor for the school by Wheeler, and not the other way around.

It'd be really interesting to find out which is the chicken and which is the egg.

[Michael Tzadok]

Facebook doesn't tell the whole story...remember how "fake news" came to be a thing?

You said very early on in the thread "Martin Wheeler teaches out of Rigan Machado's club, and while I do not have details on exactly how those finances work, what is clear is that Rigan Machado benefits financially from Martin Wheeler's presence and success. So when Rigan is promoting Martin Wheeler and making unverifiable claims about his ability to hang with MMA heavy weights in fights because of his superior Systema(I try not to laugh as I write that, but Rigan said it), people are going to call BS."

I don't think that is necessarily true, the part about "Wheeler teaches out of Rigan's club".

I think Wheeler may actually own the business/property, or at least co-own it. According to this he's suggesting he does, and that the Academy "houses" Machado as its in-house BJJ instructor.

http://wheelersystema.com/1882/the-a...-beverly-hills


This 2016 seminar flyer says he does: http://www.ncsystema.com/events/2016...port-to-street


Martin Wheeler's own bio says it's "his training facility": http://wheelersystema.com/martial-ar...ial-artist-bio


There are quite a few more articles and forum posts out there suggesting Martin Wheeler has significant ownership of the Academy.

IF Martin Wheeler actually own/co-own the facility, if they are actually business partners, that makes all of this fit nicely together...Machado promotes the Systema because he has a vested financial interest in it. The "sparring free" celebrity BJJ as well as Systema is all designed as a money-making system intended to get the best of all worlds in the door:

1 - the legit BJJ crowd
2 - the non-sparring BJJ celebrities who will pay top dollar for "Flow-Jutsu"
3 - the Systema seekers who want teh deadly...
4 - in one of the richest zip codes in America....
...
.....
PROFIT!

Same claims are made about Rigan, from Wiki

Rigan Machado currently teaches at his school, "The Academy Beverly Hills", located in Beverly Hills, California.

So while ownership is unclear. Everything I can find shows that "The Academy" opened in 2012. If you can find something else please feel free.

[Pship Destroyer]

I am a long time friend of Rigan (a student since 1990) and at one point was a brown belt under him (due to injuries and age I no longer feel worthy). Could someone please summarize the situation here so I do not have to read 22 pages?

Thank you,
Marc Denny

The original question:
Black Belt Promotion Of Sex Offender Paul Saucido – Who Is Responsible?
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/black-...-sex-offender/

The response:
Machados Issue Statement regarding Rigan Machado, Rigan Denies Promotion Of Sex Offender Saucido
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/machad...ender-saucido/

The counter-response:
Photo Evidence Disproves Rigan Machado’s Statement, Saucido Taught For Him At Flagship Academy
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/photo-...gship-academy/

There are two competing theories:

- Rigan Machado is completely unaware that his ex-student brown belt Paul Saucido, a registered sex offender, is teaching as a Machado BJJ BB in Austin, TX. Rigan claims to have cut ties with Saucido in 2013, and claimed it again four days ago. So far, there's no direct evidence of Rigan awarding the black belt to Paul, but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that he did. The trouble with this theory is Machado has not addressed the photographic or social media evidence that suggests he has kept in touch with Paul Saucido. Paul Saucido's social media presence specifically claims he was given the BB by Rigan.

OR...

- Rigan Machado may have promoted Paul Saucido to BJJ BB in November 2014, and Rigan appears to have been photographed with him and possibly invited him to train celebrities between 2014 and 2017 at The Academy in Beverly Hills, CA. There is significant evidence to support this: the most significant may be an anonymous senior Machado BB who has not yet been named, but was reported in MMAUnderground. Paul Saucido has also posted pictures of himself teaching classes for famous Hollywood personalities and stunt men at Rigan's school, possibly as recently as 2016, if the dates on the photos are actually correct.

This situation would easily resolve for Rigan if he tells the truth about all the photos BJJEE has collected, especially all the ones suggesting Paul Saucido has been active at The Academy.

Paul Saucido is a whole different enchilada. I really hope the Austin PD is aware he is coaching minors, given he's on a sex registry for rape until 2022. Did I say rape? I meant "INDECENT EXPOSURE x 2"
https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/Se...D_IDN=12321661

[Pship Destroyer]

Facebook doesn't tell the whole story...remember how "fake news" came to be a thing?

You said very early on in the thread "Martin Wheeler teaches out of Rigan Machado's club, and while I do not have details on exactly how those finances work, what is clear is that Rigan Machado benefits financially from Martin Wheeler's presence and success. So when Rigan is promoting Martin Wheeler and making unverifiable claims about his ability to hang with MMA heavy weights in fights because of his superior Systema(I try not to laugh as I write that, but Rigan said it), people are going to call BS."

I don't think that is necessarily true, the part about "Wheeler teaches out of Rigan's club".

I think Wheeler may actually own the business/property, or at least co-own it. According to this he's suggesting he does, and that the Academy "houses" Machado as its in-house BJJ instructor.

http://wheelersystema.com/1882/the-a...-beverly-hills


This 2016 seminar flyer says he does: http://www.ncsystema.com/events/2016...port-to-street

Martin draws upon decades of experience in a wide range of sport and street arts - including judo, kenpo, jiu jitsu, and MMA. He currently owns and teaches at The Academy, Beverly Hills, along with BJJ legend Rigan Machado. In seminars, he teaches his highly effective combat solutions to civilians, SWAT and Special Operations Units around the globe.

Martin Wheeler's own bio says it's "his training facility": http://wheelersystema.com/martial-ar...ial-artist-bio

After over a decade of training in Systema Martin now teaches his highly effective combat solutions from his training facility at The Academy Beverly Hills.

There are quite a few more articles and forum posts out there suggesting Martin Wheeler has significant ownership of the Academy.

IF Martin Wheeler actually own/co-own the facility, if they are actually business partners, that makes all of this fit nicely together...Machado promotes the Systema because he has a vested financial interest in it. The "sparring free" celebrity BJJ as well as Systema is all designed as a money-making system intended to get the best of all worlds in the door:

1 - the legit BJJ crowd
2 - the non-sparring BJJ celebrities who will pay top dollar for "Flow-Jutsu"
3 - the Systema seekers who want teh deadly...
4 - in one of the richest zip codes in America....
...
.....
PROFIT!

[Crafty Dog]

I am a long time friend of Rigan (a student since 1990) and at one point was a brown belt under him (due to injuries and age I no longer feel worthy). Could someone please summarize the situation here so I do not have to read 22 pages?

Thank you,
Marc Denny

[Michael Tzadok]

I concur Rabbit.

What was the Open date of The Academy in 90210? Think you could hop around the interwebs and scare that up?

According to their Facebook, June 2012.

[ChenPengFi]

I have a serious issue with liars and having a sex offender teaching and I am surprised you don't have an issue with it.

"That people have an issue with it" is not an issue with me, ie I agree.

I think Saucido should be barred from teaching in any capacity.

[Mr.Miyagi]

I wonder if it is possible that one of Rigan's subordinate black belts,
who was perhaps a long time friend of Paul's,
promoted Paul to black belt without asking Rigan first,
thus leaving Rigan with a situation.
Especially if the black belt who promoted Paul may not really have had the correct black belt rank to promote Paul,
thus leaving Rigan as the head of the network with a double situation.
This I have seen happen before...
And perhaps, Rigan was not informed for a while, if at all,
because the two friends kept it their little secret when outside their own training rooms,
like two school yard girls keeping it their BFF secret,
Until it got back to Rigan and he had to decide whether to censure the other guy for it or not or just let it go as a matter of what is done is done, don't do it again.

I get where you're coming from, but now we need to stop trying to make explanations/excuses for Rigan, he's got to defend himself with answers to the photos of Saudico being there, that should be fairly easy to do even with Facebook live video or anything else if he has issues translating that to writing, yeah?

E.g. "Saudico should not have been at the Academy, I did not endorse his presence there at all, I have failed to protect the integrity of the facility and his presence at the Academy and presence in photos of the Academy are not done with my support and were done without my knowledge or approval."

Or

"I fucked up, I've failed the community, my academy, and myself and...<further comments to show remorse and pathways back to some form of credibility>"

[BackFistMonkey]

Not cutting ties when he claimed he would is not something I have an issue with.
It looks bad at the very least.

I have a serious issue with liars and having a sex offender teaching and I am surprised you don't have an issue with it.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I wonder if it is possible that one of Rigan's subordinate black belts,
who was perhaps a long time friend of Paul's,
promoted Paul to black belt without asking Rigan first,
thus leaving Rigan with a situation.
Especially if the black belt who promoted Paul may not really have had the correct black belt rank to promote Paul,
thus leaving Rigan as the head of the network with a double situation.
This I have seen happen before...
And perhaps, Rigan was not informed for a while, if at all,
because the two friends kept it their little secret when outside their own training rooms,
like two school yard girls keeping it their BFF secret,
Until it got back to Rigan and he had to decide whether to censure the other guy for it or not or just let it go as a matter of what is done is done, don't do it again.

[Raycetpfl]

Facial hair tho'?

LOL...

Indeed. That mustache is also proof, in my mind, of the validity of the victims accusations against him beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[ChenPengFi]

Facial hair tho'?

LOL...

[ChenPengFi]

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.

I haven't caught up yet but yes, I see no "proof" Rigan promoted him to BB.
Everything I've seen up til now suggests the opposite; a denial by the instructor and the removal of the claim from the site.
In most other circumstances that would be the open/shut part.

Also, I've yet to see anyone say Rigan should just get a pass, for anything.
I don't know where people are getting that.

Not cutting ties when he claimed he would is not something I have an issue with.
It looks bad at the very least.

The burden of proof lies with Paul Saucido, as to where he got his BB from.

[Raycetpfl]

Why did Machado feel the need to prepare an "official" document with his signature? This screams guilt given the previous assertion that he was "cutting ties". An honest person with integrity would have told the truth, not re-iterated their last lie.

Criminals trying to make their own "Get Out of Jail" card is a common diversion tactic. Have you never watched "To Catch a Predator" with Chris Hansen? Every one of those pedophiles shows up with a note they wrote and signed themselves that CLEARLY proves they simply wanted to help, and did NOT drive all the way there with condoms, wine coolers, and sometimes duct tape just to have sex with a minor. No sir, they had the best of intentions.

When caught in a lie, people do one of two things. They tell the truth and ask for sympathy, or they lie more until there is a tangled web of deception, and still the root lie has not changed. The root lie in this case is that Machado did not cut ties. So, it's just as likely that he did award Saucido a black belt. Why not? Why would anybody give Machado the benefit of the doubt, having already been shown evidence he has been lying? It's the same logic the pedophiles used on TCAP: they don't actually think they're going to get caught, but that if they are, their story will be believed because they brought paperwork. CYA fail.

Machado's ego has probably convinced him his schools and students will believe what he writes and signs = the truth, nothing to see here. It's only a sex offender's word vs his...

Thankfully, people with no confirmation bias related to Machado (ie 99.999% of the people reading this) aren't fooled by parlor tricks.

I concur Rabbit.

What was the Open date of The Academy in 90210? Think you could hop around the interwebs and scare that up?