*pictured on the right infamous fake black belt Gilberto Pauciullo
A heated debate has erupted across martial arts social media after Rob from McDojo Life appeared on the Jits and Giggles podcast, delivering pointed criticism about instructors who demand students use formal titles outside the training environment.
“Anybody who goes to a martial arts facility and you have an instructor talk down to you like that, martial arts should be the farthest thing from your mind,” Rob stated during the podcast appearance. “You’re a human being. Like, this is a service, and I think people forget often that it’s a service. I’m paying you money. You provide service. That’s it.”
Rob’s comments directly challenged the traditional power dynamics that have long characterized many martial arts schools, particularly those requiring students to address instructors as “master,” “professor,” or other honorific titles beyond the gym walls.
“I don’t have to call you ****. I don’t have to give you any title you didn’t deserve, like the weird people who asked to be called master professor outside of the studio,” he continued. “Like, your name’s Steve. Like, you’re not professor ****. Like, you are a dude who owns a school, and that’s great, but, like, I don’t have to do that. You earn that right, and I choose to give that to you.”
The reaction on social media was swift and polarized. While some praised Rob’s stance as refreshing honesty, others viewed it as disrespectful to martial arts traditions and the dedication required to achieve instructor-level expertise.
“Bad take. I teach for the love of the art. Making it transactional cheapens the responsibility to spread the art as you gain proficiency,”
commented one instructor, reflecting concerns that treating martial arts purely as a business transaction undermines deeper philosophical aspects of training.
However, others rallied behind Rob’s position, with one commenter noting the potential dangers of enforced power dynamics:
“This kind of enforced power dynamic does a lot of the heavy lifting for creating unsafe gyms they protect dangerous students and staff.”
The debate touches on broader tensions within modern martial arts communities about the balance between tradition and contemporary business practices. Rob’s perspective aligns with practitioners like ADCC champion Ffion Davies who has advocated for treating students as paying customers deserving respect and choice in their training decisions.
Davies previously stated, “You’re a paying customer to a gym and you need to be happy with that. Like you can’t be paying money and then being afraid to train elsewhere. I think that’s a little bit strange.”
This consumer-focused approach contrasts sharply with traditionalist viewpoints exemplified by elite grappler Garry Tonon who recently criticized the “transactional” mentality in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
“This isn’t Burger King, bro,” Tonon argued, emphasizing that martial arts schools should function more like families than typical businesses.
The controversy has exposed fundamental disagreements about authority, respect and commercialization within martial arts communities. Some instructors defend formal titles as acknowledgment of years of dedication and expertise, comparing them to addressing medical doctors or academic professors by their earned titles.
“He earned the right to be called sensei or professor long before you met him. He put in the work to get a black belt,”
argued one defender of traditional protocols.
Yet Rob’s supporters question whether technical skill automatically grants someone authority over how they’re addressed in all social contexts. The distinction between earning respect through competence versus demanding it through institutional hierarchy has become a central point of contention.
Several instructors shared their own approaches to titles, with many expressing discomfort when students use formal addresses outside the training environment.
“I’m not even comfortable when students call me sir. I’m a coach, I’m not a sir!”
commented one instructor.
The debate reflects broader cultural shifts as martial arts continue evolving from their traditional roots toward more mainstream fitness and self-defense applications. As the community grapples with questions of modernization versus tradition, Rob’s comments have crystallized tensions that many practitioners feel but rarely voice publicly.
Whether viewed as necessary accountability or disrespectful irreverence, Rob’s stance has undeniably sparked conversations about power, respect and the true nature of the instructor-student relationship in contemporary martial arts. The discussion continues across social media platforms with practitioners on all sides defending their vision of what healthy training communities should look like.
