*featured image for this article was swapped following a tip about mistaken identiy. The new picture features Adam Zugec, promoted on March 2008 by Marcus Soares
Adam Zugec got his black belt from Marcus on March 2008.
Victoria police have launched an investigation into misconduct allegations against Adam Zugec, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and owner of Zuma Ultimate Martial Arts in Victoria, British Columbia. The case has gained significant attention after multiple women came forward with accusations of inappropriate behavior spanning several years.
The investigation began after two women filed formal reports with the Victoria Police Department (VicPD), following a broader pattern of allegations that first surfaced on social media. According to sources familiar with the matter, at least 13 women have now come forward with similar experiences involving Zugec’s conduct at his martial arts facility.
The allegations first became public when a former student, identified as Jane to protect her identity, shared her experiences on Reddit after leaving the gym. Jane, who trained at Zuma for approximately 18 months, described a pattern of escalating inappropriate behavior that ultimately led to her departure from the facility.
“I met Adam right away [when I started training at Zuma], immediately it started with leering, with s_xual comments, talking about my s_x life, telling me about babies,” Jane told local media. She alleged that the behavior progressed to unwanted physical contact, including prolonged hugs and inappropriate touching.
According to Jane’s account, Zugec showed her an adult photograph of a partially disrobed woman and subsequently asked if he could photograph her, which she interpreted as a request for adult photos based on the image she had been shown. This incident allegedly occurred in winter 2023.
The situation reportedly escalated further when Jane says she repeatedly had to tell Zugec “no” to his advances, leading to what she described as a physical altercation. “I think, just him being creepy, showing me p*rn and talking about me in that way, coupled with him not respecting consent, not taking no for an answer, I thought this doesn’t feel safe,” Jane explained.
Another woman, referred to as Janet, who had been training at the gym for eight years, corroborated similar experiences. Janet described an incident during summer 2023 when Zugec asked her to spar with him despite the significant size difference between them.
“He’s 250 pounds and I’m a very small female, and my husband happened to not be there training with me that day,” Janet said. “He actually ended up touching me inappropriately that day while we were training. In the eight years that I’ve been training, I’ve never had that happen, so I know it wasn’t an accident.”
Janet also mentioned that Zugec made inappropriate comments to a friend she had brought to class, which prompted her to stop attending the gym entirely.
Jane believes Zugec was strategic in his approach to inappropriate behavior. “I think this was a really well kept secret, like, I think a lot of women thought that he was only doing this to them,” she explained. “Then as soon as some of these stories started coming out, it was evident how ubiquitous this was.”
Following the public allegations, Zuma Martial Arts released a statement on their Instagram account attempting to address the situation. The gym’s leadership team acknowledged the allegations while stopping short of directly naming Zugec or admitting wrongdoing.
“Over the past week, we’ve listened, deeply and quietly, as painful stories and concerns have been shared publicly and privately about experiences connected to Zuma Martial Arts,” the statement read. “These stories, and the emotions they carry, matter. Even when details are complex or perspectives differ, we believe one thing above all: every person deserves to feel safe and respected when they walk into our gym.”
The gym announced three measures to address the concerns: hiring an independent third-party to review their structure and culture, forming an advisory council with emphasis on women’s involvement, and implementing formal policies regarding boundaries and instructor-student interactions.
However, the response has been criticized by the accusers as inadequate. Jane and Janet expressed disappointment that the statement failed to specifically name Zugec, offer a direct apology, or commit to removing him from his coaching position.
“We were initially hopeful that this letter would contain some acknowledgment by the Zugecs of the pattern of misconduct that women have reported,” Jane said in an email. “We are disappointed to find none.”
The accusers argue that the proposed solutions are insufficient for addressing what they characterize as a pattern of abuse by a single individual. “The proposed solutions—such as an external review and the creation of an advisory council—are responses more appropriate for branches of government than for protecting the public from a singular individual whose pattern of misconduct has already been reported by multiple women,” Jane stated.
In response to what they viewed as an inadequate institutional response, the women have organized an open letter to Zuma demanding meaningful action, including an apology, Zugec’s removal from coaching duties, and public acknowledgment of his role in the alleged misconduct. The letter has reportedly gathered 80 signatures from community members.
Zuma Ultimate Martial Arts, according to the accusers’ knowledge, is owned and operated solely by Zugec and his wife, making the institutional response particularly significant given the centralized nature of the gym’s leadership structure.
