A martial arts instructor exposed as a fraudulent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner over fifteen years ago has resurfaced in a small Alabama community, once again claiming credentials he does not possess.
David Lang, who goes by several aliases including “Da Silva” and “David Mr. Bean,” is currently operating as the head Jiu-Jitsu coach at Tribe Martial Arts Academy in Phil Campbell, Alabama—a town with fewer than 1,000 residents. His presence there was brought to light by Alan Manley, who discovered Lang was teaching and representing himself as a legitimate BJJ black belt. Jiu-jitsu legacy was the first to report on the story.
Lang’s history of deception in the martial arts community is well-documented. Multiple online forums and investigative articles have chronicled his fraudulent claims dating back over a decade. Among his past fabrications, Lang falsely stated that BJJ legend Walid Ismail had awarded him a black belt and that he served as coach at the prestigious Lotus Club. Both Ismail and Giva Santana, the actual coach of Lotus Club, released a video publicly refuting these assertions.
Now, Lang has adopted a new identity and narrative. The gym is registered on SMOOTHCOMP under the names “David Mr. Bean” and Dominic Lang, though photographs from the academy’s social media accounts confirm his true identity. According to the gym’s SMOOTHCOMP profile, Lang claims to hold a black belt under Vale Tudo legend José Pelé Landi-Jons and states that Tribe Martial Arts is registered with the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).
Lang currently identifies himself as
“4th degree black belt in BJJ under Jose Pele. Veteran, Taken. Old-school BJJ Al.”
An investigation into these claims reveals significant discrepancies. A search of the IBJJF’s official registry of accredited academies yields no results for Tribe Martial Arts. Furthermore, searches of the IBJJF black belt registry under both “David Lang” and “David Bean” produce no certification records.
Attempts to verify Lang’s claimed lineage through José Pelé Landi-Jons have been unsuccessful. The retired Vale Tudo competitor currently lives in Curitiba, Brazil, where he trains at a local Gracie Barra school and continues to teach Muay Thai but has not responded to inquiries about Lang’s alleged status as his student.
Lang tagged Pele from the academy profile on a picture advertising a seminar but Pele didn’t respond to this in any manner.
This story is particularly relevant considering the rise in popularity of jiu-jitsu. Just yesterday we covered the story behind belt buying on the East Coast in the early 2000s.
