UFC veteran Jake Shields has reignited a years-old warning about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training and romantic relationships, this time pointing to a controversial video collaboration between elite grappler Mikey Musumeci and social media personality Vera Dijkmans as proof of his concerns.
The video, which featured Musumeci demonstrating techniques including a calf slicer with the 5.6 million-follower influencer, drew immediate criticism from the BJJ community. Many practitioners felt the content crossed professional boundaries, with hand placement and body positioning appearing intentionally provocative rather than instructionally focused.
Shields, who has spent over 25 years in combat sports, seized on the collaboration to validate his longstanding position on mixed-gender grappling. “I’ve been warning guys about this for over a decade just to be ridiculed and told I’m insecure,” Shields wrote in a social media post. “This was my entire world for 25 years so I understand how it works. In the past year men are finally realizing it’s not smart to allow another man to manhandle your girl.”
The former UFC star had previously gone viral for cautioning against bringing romantic partners to jiu-jitsu classes, arguing that “these id*ots don’t understand basic biology and intersex dynamics.” He referenced high-profile separations, including Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, suggesting that training relationships with instructors can evolve beyond professional boundaries.
Dijkmans has built a brand around combining martial arts content with provocative imagery, having previously created similar collaborations with MMA stars including Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley, and Rampage Jackson.
However, the Musumeci video struck a different chord within the BJJ community.
Practitioners expressed disappointment on forums and social media, noting that Musumeci had previously been viewed as a positive representative for the sport. Some pointed out the timing seemed particularly poor given ongoing efforts to address misconduct within the BJJ community and make the sport more welcoming to women.
“I think that the techniques shown are weird but that’s social media and it’s all about cl*cks,” one practitioner wrote on a popular BJJ forum. “But I think the hand placement and the moves he’s doing are super weird and inappropriate.”
Others noted the content could reinforce negative perceptions that already make women hesitant to try the martial art. “It’s hard enough to attract women into this sport,” another community member commented. “Let them train without making it like you’ve never seen an actual woman before.”
Following the backlash, Musumeci removed the collaboration from his social media accounts, though numerous reposts continue circulating online. Dijkmans has not deleted her version of the content and shows no indication of changing her content approach.
Shields acknowledged the complexity of the issue in previous statements, recognizing that BJJ remains “an amazing martial art and highly effective for women.” He also noted that while some instructors may engage in inappropriate relationships with students, many maintain professional standards. When running his own school, Shields said he would terminate any instructor who became romantically involved with students.
