The martial arts can be prone to cults and cult like behaviors. Of these arts, Brazilian Jiujitsu stands out due to the effective fighting method, but also due to the cult that has been built around it.

I was a well rounded student, a government employee and an enthusiastic martial arts fraud investigator. I fell into a dangerous crowd that liked to hunt down fraudulent martial artists and sell LSD on the side. After a few years, my mind was tired from both the drugs and the combat. At this point, various underground groups wanted me dead. I'd been offered a teaching position at the local dojo, under a man who I believe meant well, and thus I retired. The pay was low, and eventually he moved me into a back room at the dojo. I was taught to think and move like a dog in a pack. Above him, was another figure. A more powerful master. I ignored this man for the most part. The master seemed to like heavy handed marketing and enjoyed neurolinguistic programming games. I played the games and thought nothing of it.

After a while, I realized I was a grown man playing NLP games and living in a supply closet. I packed my bags and left with the next rank. I taught for another man, this one offering higher pay and legitimate work. As I was doing this, the truth about the master came to light. I still believe my direct instructor was honorable, but the one above him was allegedly running a rape cult, various MLM schemes, and was, at the time of his exposure, attempting to instill "android philosophy" into his students.

Android philosophy was a control system that he claimed would improve your jiujitsu, not through independent thought or hard work, but obedience. The gist of it was that an android follows orders exactly, as should his students. The process was described to me as "playing rock'em sock'em robots with people."

I thought I had escaped, until I met HIS master, the master that controlled the vast majority of jiujitsu. It was a simple promotion. I was to advance from brown to black. There are typically fees involved with such things, ranging from $35 to $400. The paperwork looked suspicious, seeming more like a bad business contract than martial arts forms. Myself and my instructor inquired about the forms, at which point the master in charge showed up to collect the $2,000 directly. I'd have to remain at brown unless I paid him the $2,000 I somehow owed him not to lose my paperwork.

I ignored him, as his behavior was bizarre. I emailed him, later down the road and asked what had happened. He claimed never to have been there. I put my belt on, ignored the incident and went about my business. Then weird demands started coming in from New York. The instructor now seemed desperate. I had to get the money... or else. Apparently his rank was now on the line if he didn't come back with the cash. Problem was, his rank was tied to his visa. He turned on me. Sat me down at dinner and threatened me with harassment if I didn't either turn over the belt or the cash.

I met with my contacts in investigations and targeted their network. It turned that this organization, the "International Brazilian Jiujitsu Federation", had a history of drug trafficking, human trafficking, burglary, right wing hate crimes, extortion and rape. To this day, members of the cult threaten my life, threaten my livelihood and interfere with my activities, both social and professional.

Watch out for Brazilian Jiujitsu.