A Texas martial arts instructor has become the center of intense online debate after videos surfaced showing both his controversial training policies and questionable safety practices with young students.
Justin Rose, owner and head instructor of Bushido Mixed Martial Arts in Arlington, recently posted videos that have sparked widespread criticism from the martial arts community. Rose, claims to have studied martial arts for 27 years with a focus on grappling and submission techniques across disciplines including judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai, promotes his program as focused on “realism” and preparing students for “real world self-defense situations where rules and points do not apply.”
“You cannot armbar the boys,” Rose tells a student in training footage, emphasizing that chokes are the preferred method for ending physical confrontations.
“If that bully has been picking on your kid for three weeks and you give your kid the permission to go fight him and your kid breaks that bully’s arm, you’re going to be in trouble. You’re susceptible to a lawsuit. That kid’s parents can then turn around and sue you for $35,000, $40,000 in damages for breaking their little bully’s arm.”
Rose makes only two exceptions to his no-armbar rule: when students need to use open palm strikes to reposition an opponent for a choke, and in “excessive situations” where a student faces a significantly stronger opponent who is resisting properly executed techniques.
“Like I said, I can bring receipts. I have tickets for my children when they were younger,”
he revealed, claiming instances where his own children faced legal consequences despite being involved in defensive situations.
Rose emphasized that self-defense laws typically allow individuals to meet force with “equal or lesser force” but prohibit excessive responses. For teenagers training in mixed martial arts, the stakes are even higher, Rose notes that those in the 16-17 age range could face permanent assault charges on their records.
“This whole baloney BS about you don’t use martial arts for fighting. It’s self-defense. It implies that if you try to harm me, not only will I stop you, I will most likely harm you back.”
He makes clear that parents ultimately have authority over when their children can engage physically.
“I’m not the ones that tell you when to fight. I teach you the skills to fight. Parents tell you when you can and can’t fight.”
More troubling to many in the martial arts community is separate footage showing young white belt students engaged in what Rose calls “pressure testing” with inadequate safety equipment at his gym on West Arkansas Lane.
The controversial video shows a young girl instructed to attempt takedowns against a boy while absorbing repeated strikes to her head and face without headgear, mouth guard or other protective gear. Rose can be heard offering confusing direction:
“Stop hitting her in the head! You gotta hit her in the face.”
At one point he appears to threaten punishment if the boy doesn’t maintain intensity, saying something about “500” if he goes easy on her again.
The exercise has drawn alarm from martial arts practitioners across social media not just about the missing safety equipment but about the fundamental approach to teaching children.
“These are white belt children. This is absurd.”
wrote one commenter. Others pointed out that the girl had no gloves at all while the boy wore minimal hand protection.
Several experienced martial artists noted that the drill violated basic training principles.
“You should teach your students technique before a pressure exercise. These kids are nowhere near ready for this.”
The concern extends beyond immediate injuries. Multiple commenters raised concerns about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head impacts.
“My school didn’t really start doing pressure testing until you were older (or at least a higher belt). Zero reason you should be hitting a child’s head.”
Even in striking-focused disciplines, safety protocols are standard.
“Most boxing gyms (good ones at least) have you train combos and shadow box at least 3 months before you get in the ring to start light sparring. ESPECIALLY at this age. Then it’s 18 oz gloves, mouth guard and light contact.”
A small number of commenters defended the training as legitimate preparation for real confrontations.
“This is what getting into a fight looks like. No tapping, no referee, no weight class.”
But the overwhelming response questioned both the safety and pedagogical value of the exercise.
“Coaches who can’t make you better will try and make you ‘tough.'”
wrote one instructor, summarizing a common critique. When one commenter tried to engage directly with the gym by posting concerns on Bushido MMA‘s Instagram page, they reported that Rose deleted the comment.
