Rigan Machado knowingly promotes convicted rapist to BJJ black belt

[Dr. Gonzo]

Still there on LinkedIn...

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsaucido

Look under "Education" for the Brown Belt intstructor line item

BUT then also look under "Certifications" for the Rigan Machado Black Belt mention again.

It is still up there.

I pulled a date stamped PDF copy.

The thread / Bullshido error message is saying my JPEG copy is too big to upload, even though it is less than 200K.

[Pship Destroyer]

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.

[Pship Destroyer]

Here's the flaw in your whole line of reasoning, by the way. At this stage you're tripling down on Machado's piece of paper vs a mountain of evidence. Let's re-examine your nubile statement:

Am I correct in thinking that I just read a signed statement from Rigan Machado on Georgette's blog site affirming that Rigan did not promote Saucido to black belt?
If so, case closed, unless further evidence presents

Unless further evidence presents? You are displaying conspiracy theorist logic: ignoring the existence of facts, evidence, or potentially emergent evidence that don't fit your confirmation bias (or as IIF said, "pretzel logic"). The "pretzel logic" is your own built-in defense mechanism. You're in casual denial of validated information that you are jumping through hoops to discredit through logic what can be seen plainly in open view, like this shit, or the fact that a BJJ Black belt named Paul Saucido has recently been training Hollywood stuntmen at Machado's school in Beverly Hills. The only possible explanations are that Machado is either complicit, or royally ignorant of what goes on in his school (especially since pictures were posted to Facebook of Paul training celebs there, with a black belt on, AFTER 2014).

[Pship Destroyer]

Because there was no on the record witness,
whose name was published,
and who gave the direct quote that they saw Rigan promote Saucido to BJJ black belt with their own eyes.
There was no picture nor video of Rigan promoting Saucido to BJJ black belt,
There was no signed certificate from Rigan to Saucido showing promotion to BJJ black belt.
There was no organization recognition, because while you cannot get certified as a Coach (or in IBJJF parlance a certificate holding certified black belt) without a background check,
you can still get a competitor's card that documents a BJJ black belt rank without a background check from several different recognized BJJ organizations, including the IBJJF,
so long as you can document your training and competition record, and someone of the right BJJ black belt rank certifies that they sign off on your BJJ black belt rank.
Saucido had none of these things, that are all the customary required evidence that one needs to have to prove that someone really did promote you to black belt in BJJ.
And the investigation team also had none of these things before they made a statement across several different news outlets and blog sites that stated "Rigan promoted Saucido to BJJ black belt", not simply that "Saucido has claimed that Rigan promoted him to BJJ black belt".

Oh I see now. You said "That is not evidence preserving and seems to serve no investigative purpose." and also claimed that simply seeing that Machado printed out some bullshit on a piece of paper and SIGNED it meant "investigation over" (who witnessed his signature?). This is how everyone can tell you don't know how investigations actually work.

Investigations uncover facts and evidence. They don't begin and end with what you already know. You have to dig further than the surface. That's why it's silly that you'd look at that little note he printed out and signed as some sort of "evidence" and claimed "We're done".

We are soooo not done. Let's examine some simple facts, connect them, and make a conclusion along with evidence trail that would make a prosecutor's day.

Fact #1: Saucido has been recorded wearing a black belt at his own school, and at Machado's, after 2014.

Fact #2: Saucido's public website bio, and his LinkedIn profile, claimed Machado awarded a black belt in 2014. This aligns with Fact #1, where Saucido was seen wearing it in Machado's school while training celebrities.

Fact #3: there is at least one claim, by a relatively credible source, that one of Machado's senior students (currently anonymous, but possibly not forever) confirmed our theory (along with all the other direct and circumstantial evidence). This aligns with both Facts #1 and #2.

Logical conclusion: Machado's signed "statement" is a false one.

You would have found no objection from me regarding the situation if the investigators' statement across the major blog sites was:
"Rigan Machado continued to have ties with Paul Saucido after Saucido's sexual assault conviction despite telling the Public that he would sever all ties,
Saucido claims Rigan promoted him to BJJ Black Belt, and Rigan Machado again denies this claim, and promises again to have no more ties with Saucido. Saucido can produce no proof that Rigan promoted Saucido to black belt in BJJ."
Because presenting the claims and headlines this way would have been reasonably backed up by the evidence that was published along side of the claims.

This is your problem: putting the burden of the claim on Saucido, and ignoring all the other evidence. Without all the pictures and timelines available to us, your narrative might hold up.

There is PLENTY of verbal, digital, and audiovisual evidence supporting the conclusion that Rigan not only promoted Saucido to black belt in 2014, but had been actively maintaining a two-way relationship: Machado helping Saucido grow Zen Fit's business by awarding him a BB, and using Saucido for training Hollywood big shots at Machado's gym AFTER "ties were cut".

New research question: is there a financial motivation here we don't know about? And yes, I mean both legal and potentially illegal motivations. Machado seems to be in the position to have quite a bit of...control over Saucido's school. Coercion, blackmail, unreported income...who knows where things could lead.

One thing is for sure, your investigative chops need work. You said you were trained in forensics. There's no need for forensics here, you need to apply critical thinking and follow the evidence wherever it leads.

[Michael Tzadok]

Agreed

And they can legally offer any legal service. However, by offering garbage and endorsing it they are damaging their credibility.

I don't care what classes a club offers. If a BJJ club has space that isn't being used, or has days when classes aren't being offered, sure they can let a Systema, Kung FU, Wing Chun... whatever class come in and teach. There is always rent to pay, mats to keep up, things to buy to improve your program ect.

When they cross the line from offering it, to endorsing it, especially as endorsing it as something that will improve your BJJ, that is when I start to take issue. Even more so when they don't make known and clear their financial connections.

[Raycetpfl]

A lot of BJJ academies have woo and Fu art also offered at their location.
Their location is in L.A.,
I would be surprised if high colonic enemas and wheat grass shots weren't also offered at some martial arts schools in the Hollywood area.

And they can legally offer any legal service. However, by offering garbage and endorsing it they are damaging their credibility.

[Dr. Gonzo]

So is promoting without rolling and allowing a "martial " art with no martial value to be taught at your school.
Very ninja indeed......

A lot of BJJ academies have woo and Fu art also offered at their location.
Their location is in L.A.,
I would be surprised if high colonic enemas and wheat grass shots weren't also offered at some martial arts schools in the Hollywood area.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Read about apparent authority vs. actual authority. Regardless of whether he had actual authority, Saucido had apparent authority to represent Rigan's school as an instructor. At the very least, Rigan failed to prevent that from occurring.

Agreed

[Devil]

Did Rigan grant consent to that agency,
Or did Saucido socially engineer himself into that academy, and seize some photo opportunities for literal "self promotion" purposes,
When he knew Rigan was not there,
And preying on the weakness and disorganization of the people that were there?
I don't know-
But I do know that Saucido has a track of record of by-passing getting consent before he takes advantage of other people.

Read about apparent authority vs. actual authority. Regardless of whether he had actual authority, Saucido had apparent authority to represent Rigan's school as an instructor. At the very least, Rigan failed to prevent that from occurring.

[Raycetpfl]

A hidden promotion is a strange concept.
Very ninja.

So is promoting without rolling and allowing a "martial " art with no martial value to be taught at your school.
Very ninja indeed......

[It is Fake]

A hidden promotion is a strange concept.
Very ninja.

No stranger than the extremely common pretzel logic you are using right now. I took a ton of heat for telling people to dial it back during an older investigation. People thought I was defending the guy when all I said was, "this guy is respected let's investigate without the vitriol." Turned out there was HUGE plausible and documented reason for what happened. I ended up being correct because dude worked with us, after we changed the tone of the thread.
You are not doing this at all, you are angry and attacking everyone who doesn't agree or ignores your assertions. YOU started off on the wrong foot with an earlier post and REFUSE to see anything other than your vision of events.

So, let me spell it out for you since you ignored what my post stated. Go out and help disprove the assertions of the Black Belt promotion. As someone who has an entire write up unpublished because the source's instructor decided money was more important than the truth, you believe it is Ninja and I will continue to think of you as a sycophant wearing Rose colored glasses.

[Raycetpfl]

Did Rigan grant consent to that agency,
Or did Saucido socially engineer himself into that academy, and seize some photo opportunities for literal "self promotion" purposes,
When he knew Rigan was not there,
And preying on the weakness and disorganization of the people that were there?
I don't know-
But I do know that Saucido has a track of record of by-passing getting consent before he takes advantage of other people.

Dude, students at Rigan's school are the ones that blew the whistle on this. As great of a witch hunter as I am sure Miss Oden is(She is a red head. Being without a soul herself makes her able to resist Faustian deals with agents of darkness I am sure.) There was tattle tales that said He was teaching class for Rigan at Rigan's schools. Loose lips sink ships Homie!
On what planet does some black belt come in and teach uninvited and the black belt that is supposed to be teaching just let it happen if he is supposed to be teaching? Everything you're saying defies logic.

Can you imagine someone just coming in and taking over my class and me standing there like it was okay? Especially if they had just signed a waiver?

[Dr. Gonzo]

Ahhh, but why would this occur if I am hiding a promotion? What if the MF remained quiet for 4 almost five years and then nutted up? Right, just stop. The whole "this is what I would do," comic book "What If the Hulk Killed Wolverine" non-continuity supposition is tiresome.

In the vein of "Back in the day" whining:

I remember back in the day when posters, like myself, would go out and disprove or prove an assertion instead of whining about how wrong it was page after page and DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but crying. Yes, I did this for a couple of McDojos and questionable arts, I would tell people to run from. Why? I came here to bust my old org and learned to let people do what they enjoy. Go learn Sport Wushu and have fun, just don't lie and say it is like Sanda. Enjoy your Chun school, just don't lie and say it'll work in MMA if not for the gloves and eye gouges being illegal.

A hidden promotion is a strange concept.
Very ninja.

[It is Fake]

As a black belt it is my perogative to assert that it is never good enough for someone to say that I promoted someone, or that another black belt promoted somebody - the promoting black belt has to say they promoted somebody verbally and/or in writing, or there has to be a picture or video of a belt being tied, or an overwhelming on record witness account of credible witnesses.
Otherwise, every fraudulent martial artist on the planet, disgruntled with their instructor or frustrated with what it actually takes to earn a black belt will claim they got promoted.
That's my standard operating procedure and why I give every person I promote in Jiu-Jitsu a signed certificate, a picture of them getting their belt tied on, and I encourage them to fill out an IBJJF form that I sign for them to send in.

Did Rigan grant consent to that agency,
Or did Saucido socially engineer himself into that academy, and seize some photo opportunities for literal "self promotion" purposes,
When he knew Rigan was not there,
And preying on the weakness and disorganization of the people that were there?
I don't know-
But I do know that Saucido has a track of record of by-passing getting consent before he takes advantage of other people.

Ahhh, but why would this occur if I am hiding a promotion? What if the MF remained quiet for 4 almost five years and then nutted up? Right, just stop. The whole "this is what I would do," comic book "What If the Hulk Killed Wolverine" non-continuity supposition is tiresome.

In the vein of "Back in the day" whining:

I remember back in the day when posters, like myself, would go out and disprove or prove an assertion instead of whining about how wrong it was page after page and DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but crying. Yes, I did this for a couple of McDojos and questionable arts, I would tell people to run from. Why? I came here to bust my old org and learned to let people do what they enjoy. Go learn Sport Wushu and have fun, just don't lie and say it is like Sanda. Enjoy your Chun school, just don't lie and say it'll work in MMA if not for the gloves and eye gouges being illegal.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Good points.


"Agency - The relationship of a person (called the agent) who acts on behalf of another person, company, or government, known as the principal. ... When someone who is or is not an employee uses company business cards, finance documents, or a truck with the company logo, such use gives apparent authority as an agent."

Did Rigan grant consent to that agency,
Or did Saucido socially engineer himself into that academy, and seize some photo opportunities for literal "self promotion" purposes,
When he knew Rigan was not there,
And preying on the weakness and disorganization of the people that were there?
I don't know-
But I do know that Saucido has a track of record of by-passing getting consent before he takes advantage of other people.