Rob, founder of McDojo Life and investigative journalist exposing martial arts fraud, pulled no punches when discussing one of Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s most controversial traditions during a recent appearance on Fargo Talks podcast. When the conversation turned to “the gauntlet” Rob didn’t hesitate to call out what he sees as a cult-like practice masquerading as tradition.
“Have you ever heard of something called the gauntlet?” Rob asked hosts Jeff and Chris before explaining the ritual that occurs in some jiu-jitsu schools when students get promoted. “They’ll all the students will take off their belts and then you have to walk through a hallway of students and they whip you and then you have to turn around.”
The practice involves newly promoted students being forced to walk between two lines of their training partners who strike them with belts as they pass through. According to Rob this hazing ritual has become normalized in certain corners of the martial arts world but serves no legitimate purpose.
Rob’s criticism was direct and unforgiving. He challenged practitioners to answer a simple question:
“Does this make you better at jiu-jitsu? No. Does it make you worse at jiu-jitsu if you don’t do it? No. So why do you do it?”
When defenders of the practice claim it’s a “right of passage” Rob’s response was characteristically blunt:
“You doing jiu-jitsu was the right of passage. You were just choking and throwing and armlocking each other and that didn’t count as a right of passage. How about a handshake? How about a high five?”
The McDojo Life founder sees the gauntlet as emblematic of larger problems within the martial arts industry, particularly the cult-like atmosphere that can develop in unregulated environments.
“It is super culty,” Rob stated, drawing connections between seemingly harmless traditions and more serious issues plaguing martial arts schools.
This critique comes from someone who has spent over a decade investigating misconduct in martial arts. Rob’s work has exposed numerous cases of predatory behavior, financial scammers and dangerous instructors operating in an industry with virtually no regulatory oversight. His perspective on traditions like the gauntlet is informed by this broader understanding of how power dynamics and groupthink can enable abuse.
The timing of Rob’s comments is particularly relevant as Brazilian jiu-jitsu continues to grow in popularity. Many new students entering the sport may encounter these traditions without questioning their necessity or appropriateness. Rob’s Academy Safe initiative, which he co-founded, aims to establish better standards and practices in martial arts schools focusing on background checks, insurance requirements and safer training environments.
For Rob the gauntlet represents everything wrong with martial arts culture’s blind adherence to tradition without critical examination.
“That’s just hazing,” he concluded, stripping away the ceremonial veneer to reveal what he sees as an unnecessary and potentially harmful practice.
In recent years, both the Gauntlet founder Chris Haueter and ONE FC VP of Grappling tried to distance themselves from the practice. Haueter wishes he’d never implemented it while Tom DeBlass said he’d rather hug his students than beat them with a belt.
