Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and instructor Tom DeBlass was involved in a controversy this week after a Wing Chun practitioner went public with claims that Jiu-Jitsu was not the most effective martial art for law enforcement purposes, going as far as labeling BJJ practitioners “geeks” and “dorks.”
The incident followed was a very public back-and-forth. DeBlass, who operates his own academy and has built a loyal following over decades in the grappling community, said he received a flood of messages from people who had seen the Wing Chun practitioner’s original post.
By his own account, roughly 100 people sent him the content before he decided to respond. Motivated not by personal animosity but by a desire to defend the credibility of his discipline and its real-world applications, DeBlass issued a direct challenge.
“Only reason I’m coming at you whatsoever is because you’re calling Jiu-Jitsu guys dorks. And saying it doesn’t work for law enforcement. And I have numerous videos of my students effectively using Jiu-Jitsu in law enforcement,” DeBlass said.
DeBlass made clear he was not looking for a seminar or a technical exchange of ideas. He wanted to demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, what Jiu-Jitsu is capable of doing against a practitioner of another discipline.
“My thing is I’m not looking to learn Wing Chun from you. I’m looking to prove to you that I can handle you like an infant. That’s what I’m looking to do. Which I can. And I’ll put up $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 to prove that,” he stated.
The Wing Chun practitioner then made a move that drew immediate attention. He posted publicly to his followers, tagged DeBlass directly, and announced that he accepted the challenge. DeBlass, seeing the post, reached out to finalize the details. That is where the situation took a different turn entirely.
Rather than confirming a time, a date, and the terms of a wager, the Wing Chun practitioner’s private response was a pivot toward diplomacy. He suggested the two meet, discuss things, and exchange knowledge from their respective disciplines. While DeBlass expressed genuine openness to dialogue, he was not willing to let the contradiction slide without addressing it publicly.
“Don’t post to your followers that you accept my challenge. And then speak differently to me,” DeBlass said plainly.
In a post shared with his own followers, DeBlass laid out the sequence of events. The Wing Chun practitioner had posted “Tom DeBlass Challenged Me” followed by “@tomdeblass I accept,” yet when DeBlass responded with “Wanna put up 10k or just a friendly bet?” the conversation shifted to an invitation to visit an academy and talk. DeBlass was direct in his assessment of what actually happened.
“Just that you want to prove your point. So you post to your followers that you accept my challenge. And then when I say, okay, pick a time and a date. Are we putting up money? Then you say you want, you know, you’re willing to learn. And I guess teach me. I’m not interested to learn Wing Chun.”
DeBlass also addressed what he saw as the core issue with the Wing Chun practitioner’s original claims. While acknowledging that he himself is a well-rounded competitor who blends various skills, he was firm that Jiu-Jitsu deserves its reputation on the ground and in practical scenarios.
“I’m a striker too, you know what I mean? I got more knockouts than I do submissions. But I credit that to my Jiu-Jitsu, 100%. Not my boxing,” he said.
DeBlass made a point of being transparent about where he stands in his career while also pushing back against any implication that age or circumstance diminished his readiness or his record.
“I’m going to be 44. I’m not out of shape. I’m not a young man. But keep it real, bro,” he said.
Despite the frustration evident in his tone, DeBlass was notably measured throughout. He emphasized that declining a challenge carries no shame and that honesty with one’s audience is what actually matters.
“I wouldn’t accept my challenge if I were you either. And there’s nothing wrong with that, bro. And I’m willing to teach. I’m willing to teach you why Jiu-Jitsu is effective. Most effective. I’m willing to spend time with you and communicate. And be kind. But you call us all geeks. Don’t do that, bro.”
The Wing Chun practitioner has not issued any further public statements clarifying his position since DeBlass went public with the exchange.
