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Chuck Norris Was a Real BJJ Black Belt. A Senator Lied About Being One. And CJI 3 Booked Dillon Danis.

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Chuck Norris, the Internet's Most Memed Martial Artist, Was a Real BJJ Black Belt

Chuck Norris died this week at 86. And the real story isn't the roundhouse kicks.

Rigan Machado told TMZ that Norris trained with him for over thirty years. Daily. Norris installed mats in his own house for sessions. When Machado was planning to return to Brazil, Norris convinced him to stay — gave the Machados space in a mall he owned for their first academy, handled immigration paperwork, and brought the rest of the Machado brothers over from Brazil. The family called him "Carlos," not "Mr. Norris." A third-degree BJJ black belt who didn't just learn techniques — he helped plant jiu-jitsu in American soil. Rickson Gracie called him "a very important guy in terms of bringing jiu-jitsu to America."

Most people know Chuck Norris from Walker, Texas Ranger and internet memes about his supernatural abilities. The real Chuck Norris fact is that he spent three decades getting choked by one of the Machados' finest and kept coming back for more. That's a practitioner.

Competition Results

ADCC South American Trials — Road to Krakow

Thirteen athletes earned their spots for ADCC 2026 in Krakow across two South American Trials. The first (March 14, Rio de Janeiro) produced the week's best story: David Santos, an 18-year-old purple belt, won seven matches in a single day to take the -66kg bracket. Julio Martins, a 19-year-old brown belt, won six at -77kg. Purple and brown belts beating seasoned black belts at an ADCC qualifier is the kind of thing that makes every master's division competitor reconsider their life choices.

The second trials (March 21, Indaiatuba) awarded eight more invites. Notable qualifiers: Kaua Gabriel (-66kg, from Melqui Galvao's gym), Gustavo Batista (-88kg, who left Atos amid the Galvao allegations — qualifying solo is a statement), and Mayssa Bastos (-55kg, who moved up 15 pounds and conceded zero points across four matches). Yara Soares was the only woman to win her final via submission.

PGF World Season 9

The Professional Grappling Federation's team tournament continued with Week 3. Jett Thompson finished all three opponents via rear-naked choke. The Las Vegas Kings extended their lead. PGF streams on Kick.com, which is a choice.

Community Buzz

Galvao Returns to Atos After Five Weeks

Andre Galvao is back teaching at Atos HQ. Five weeks after being "immediately and indefinitely separated" from all leadership roles following sexual misconduct allegations. He announced via social media that he's teaching every day, Monday through Friday, sometimes Saturday.

Here's the detail that makes this story what it is: California business filings confirm Galvao is the sole owner, individual agent, manager, and CEO of Atos Jiu Jitsu LLC. He suspended himself from his own company. And then unsuspended himself when he felt like it. No independent investigation concluded. No criminal charges filed. The "indefinite" separation lasted thirty-five days.

We covered the structural absurdity of the original separation, and nothing has changed about the underlying facts. Departures continue — Rafaela Guedes, Andy Murasaki, Gustavo Batista (who just qualified for ADCC on his own), and dozens of affiliates have left.

The Broader Reckoning

This week's biggest community conversation isn't one story — it's a pattern. Checkmat's co-founders (both Vieira brothers) face allegations. 10th Planet Oceanside had assault allegations surface. Renzo Gracie responded with a victim-blaming comment on Instagram. Community reaction was universal condemnation. The Conversation published a mainstream analysis calling this "BJJ's #MeToo moment." Craig Jones publicly warned an unnamed coach who allegedly threatened to revoke a foreign athlete's visa after she filed a police report about sexual assault.

For contrast: Alliance held a proactive gym safety meeting explicitly in response to the industry's reckoning. That's the bar. It's not high.

CJI 3: Craig Jones vs. Dillon Danis

CJI 3 is official with Craig Jones fighting Dillon Danis as the main event, billed as a bout between "the greatest grapplers in the world." Danis hasn't competed in jiu-jitsu since 2017. The individual bracket format returns (CJI 2 was team-based). No date or venue announced yet.

Craig Jones's CJI opponent trajectory — Gabi Garcia, Chael Sonnen, now Danis — is increasingly memetic. Jones also confirmed CJI and ADCC won't clash in 2026: "We can coexist." Whether Danis shows up is the real question. He's also booked for RAF07 on March 28 in Tampa, so we'll know soon if he's actually competing again or just collecting announcements.

Mighty Mouse Asks the Real Question

Demetrious Johnson, on his MightyCast podcast, asked what everyone's thinking: "How does Power Slap have a broadcasting deal and jiu-jitsu doesn't?" A sport where two people stand still and get slapped has mainstream TV. The world's most technically sophisticated combat sport streams on YouTube and niche platforms. With UFC BJJ moving behind a Paramount+ paywall later this year, the broadcast question is only getting more relevant.

$56M Del Mar Lawsuit Upheld

The California Supreme Court declined to review the Del Mar BJJ injury case, finalizing a $56 million payout — the largest known BJJ injury verdict in U.S. history. A beginner was paralyzed during a lesson with a second-degree black belt in 2018. Every gym owner should be reading the opinion.

Senator Mullin: BJJ World Champion (According to Senator Mullin)

U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, Trump's DHS nominee, claims to be a "black belt world champion" who beat a Gracie at Worlds in Brazil, after which the Gracies asked him to teach them wrestling. He can't name which Gracie. His verifiable competition record: a Miami Open win at Masters 1 blue belt in 2010. The community has compared him to Renato Laranja, which might be unfair to Renato.

Technique of the Week

Gordon Ryan revealed on the Push Press BJJ podcast that his high-wrist guillotine is actually a higher percentage finish for him than the rear naked choke. He also shared that boredom is the number one killer of progression — his advice is to bring 1-3 specific goals to every training session. On gi: "When someone grabs my sleeves, I don't know what to do. I just flail around." The GOAT, everyone.

Looking Ahead

  • IBJJF Pan Championship (March 24-29, Kissimmee, FL) — Third Grand Slam event. Dalpra, Pessanha, Langaker headline stacked brackets.
  • RAF07: Covington vs. Danis (March 28, Tampa) — The wrestling match. Plus: Tsarukyan vs. Poullas 2.
  • WNO 32 (March 31, Austin) — Four-man 155lb Grand Prix. Corbe, Espinosa, Hanson, Olivarez. Plus a 145lb youth GP.
  • UFC BJJ 7 (April 2, Las Vegas) — Three title fights. Tackett vs. Rocha (WW), Henrique vs. Valente (LW), Le Vern vs. Ste-Marie (W-FW). Meregali returns. Last free YouTube event before Paramount+ paywall.
  • ADCC West Coast Trials (April 17-19, Pomona, CA) — 1000+ athletes expected.

Sources

This content was generated by AI. BJJ Digest is an AI-generated weekly recap of the jiu-jitsu world by BJJ Problems. Every fact is sourced and verified. We make mistakes — but we cite our sources so you can check our work.

Sources

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