Gordon Ryan is known not only for his BJJ skill but also for his sharp tongue and unapologetic commentary on the martial arts community. Recently, Ryan turned his sights on a video by Red Panda Muay Thai, in which two coaches demonstrated a practice of asking for explicit consent before physically correcting a student’s technique.
In the video, two coaches from Red Panda Muay Thai in Seattle, Washington, detailed their approach to teaching. They emphasized the importance of asking for consent before physically interacting with students.
‘One key principle we practice is asking for consent before touching a student and clearly communicating where and why we’ll be touching them.’
– One of the coaches is heard in the demonstrations.
The demonstration involved a coach asking a student, “Is it okay if I touch you?” before explaining where the contact would occur and why. They framed this practice as a way to foster trust, provide agency, and ensure students feel respected and safe in what can be a vulnerable environment.
The coaches claimed this method sets their gym apart from others. “Without fail, every student I’ve worked with has told me afterward how wonderful it was that I did that,” one of the instructors stated. They argued that building trust and empowering students is essential, particularly in a field where physical contact is unavoidable.
‘In martial arts, we are all engaging in consensual violence, whether people consciously think about it or not. The keyword is “consent.” By fostering consent and agency, we empower our students in ways that go far beyond physical techniques.’
– Coach concludes.
But this is a bit funny in a martial arts environment. Nobody signs up for a Martial arts class expecting to never be touched by other students. In fact, you pretty much expect it. The fact that Muay Thai is trained with gloves just makes it all the funnier compared to say BJJ.
Ryan shared the video on social media with a mocking caption. He humorously alluded to this approach being impractical, especially in the context of combat sports, where physicality and intensity are intrinsic to the practice. His comment, paired with a meme-like overlay of text that read, “This will be a rule at the gym when we open. Just want everyone to feel safe before I attempt to break their arms and legs,” encapsulated his disdain for what he saw as an overly sensitive and impractical approach.
Ryan’s critique resonated with many in the combat sports community who believe that traditional martial arts training has always been about discipline, toughness, and adaptability.
It also highlights an interesting contradiction in Ryan’s beliefs. He recently went to bat for social acceptance of PED use in BJJ and criticized testing and clean athletes – yet he’s been openly critical of trans swimmer Lia Thomas in the past.
In his own words against Thomas, Ryan stated: “If you were born a dude, call yourself whatever makes you happy, but at the end of the day, you’re a dude, period.”
One could easily apply this same logic to his PED use: “If you were born with natural testosterone levels, call yourself an athlete, but at the end of the day, you’re competing with artificially enhanced capabilities.”
