ADCC champion Gordon Ryan has fired back at critics following widespread backlash over his newly implemented dress code at Kingsway Headquarters, taking to social media to defend his academy’s uniform policies after the controversy went viral on social media.
The debate erupted after Ryan announced comprehensive dress code requirements for his training facility, mandating white gis for all practitioners below black belt and restricting no-gi attire to predominantly white or black colors. The policy, which allows black belts and professional athletes more flexibility in their training gear, sparked immediate criticism across social media platforms.
Adding to the controversy is the fact that Gordon Ryan trains almost exclusively nogi and has done so for years.
The controversy reached new heights when discussions drew thousands of comments, with many users expressing frustration over what they perceived as preferential treatment for higher-ranked practitioners and sponsored athletes. Ryan, who was reportedly monitoring the online discussions, subsequently shared his responses on Instagram, directly addressing the most vocal critics.
One user criticized the policy, writing: “you don’t get to wear what you want unless we deem you’re good enough, otherwise you wear what we tell you, peasant” and added “ok chud roid man, i’ll go find a gym that isn’t run by dictators.”
Ryan’s response was characteristically blunt: “Its just r*tard after r*tard. if the professional athletes were forced to wear only our colors, and not able to promote a new line of their sponsors gear, i would be taking money out of their pockets. Thats what you guys want? Also, the good thing about offering the best service in history in this domain is that if you dont like out rules, youre more than welcome to train elsewhere at a gym that you can pay half price and not learn a 10th of the jiu jitsu.”
Another commenter drew comparisons to other academies: “The difference between this and AOJ, is that in AOJ the rules apply to everyone, not just to the ‘plebs’ while the ‘special people’ have special privileges and can wear whatever they want. As OP said, this already gives you an idea of the kind of environment this place is going to have: unless you are a pro, you are basically meant to be a background prop.”
Ryan addressed this criticism by explaining the business realities behind his policy: “Reddit complaining about my dress code while simultaneously complaining that athletes dont make enough money in the sport. Did it ever occur to you r*tards that the professional athletes are ‘sponsored’ and need to post training photos in their ‘sponsored’ gear because they aren’t allowed to wear anything else contractually?? My god, you people are stupid.”
The champion’s defense centers on the distinction between regular students and professional athletes who have contractual obligations to their sponsors. His explanation highlights the economic considerations that influenced the policy, particularly regarding sponsored athletes’ need to display their gear in training photos and social media content.
The original dress code announcement had already generated mixed reactions within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. While some practitioners supported the move toward uniformity and professionalism, others viewed it as unnecessarily restrictive, particularly given Ryan‘s background as a no-gi competitor who has worn various colored rash guards throughout his career.
Ryan‘s academy joins other high-profile training facilities like Gracie Barra, Atos and Art of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) in implementing strict uniform policies, though his approach differs by allowing flexibility for professional athletes while maintaining rigid standards for recreational practitioners.
Despite the online backlash, Ryan has remained steadfast in his position, emphasizing that the policy is designed to create visual consistency for social media content and maintain what he considers a professional appearance. His direct responses to critics have reinforced his stance that students dissatisfied with the requirements are free to train elsewhere.
