09/02/2026
Competition has rules. Self-defense doesn’t.
We constantly remind our students: never trust a rule set—or your opponent—to keep you safe.
Compete. Test yourself. Learn to win within the rules. But never become so comfortable with tournament strategy that you intentionally place yourself in a position you would never accept in a real fight.
A referee can stop a match.
A rule can make a technique illegal.
Neither can guarantee your safety when bodies are moving fast and decisions are being made in fractions of a second.
Your first responsibility is always your own safety.
Our thoughts go out to Kabuto and Machado—both competitors. One now has to go through the process of healing and recovery, while the other has to carry the difficult reality of having been involved in causing a serious injury. Neither is an easy road.
This isn’t about assigning blame. It’s about learning from what happened.
Train for the tournament.
Think beyond the tournament.
Live Life… on Purpose… Never Quit…
