Everything unfolding around Atos has forced the jiu jitsu community to revisit some of its most uncomfortable histories. Lloyd Irvin and his team rank near the top of that list. In addition to standing trial in 1989, Irvin was also a coach to two students who were accused of r*ping another student in 2013.
Following a police raid on the team house, a number of high level competitors left the team including Keenan Cornelius, Ryan Hall and JT Torres. At the time, Ryan Hall penned a must-read open letter reflecting on the toxic culture in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In his letter, Hall described the psychological dynamics that enable such environments to persist.
“What I came to realize is that we, as students of the martial arts, as people, really, become deeply emotionally attached to the idea of a superhuman individual or group of individuals who, in our minds, must possess privileged knowledge.”
“I have been the poster boy for an organization and an individual with whom I grew ashamed to have an association… I have made rationalizations for sociopaths, given them a pass on their behavior and even their history because I wanted so badly to believe.”
His letter identified a critical pattern still relevant today.
“Making matters worse, some who would consider themselves good people are remaining silent, either unable or unwilling to put integrity over solidarity and financial interest.”
This culture of silence, Hall argued, allows predatory behavior to continue unchecked.
Appearing on the Jits and Giggles podcast with host Alysa Couce, black belt AJ Discianni spoke out recently about these long standing problems in the sport including Lloyd Irvin‘s continued involvement in jiu jitsu.
“The fact that Lloyd Irvin has women training there.”
Discianni anticipated backlash but dismissed it outright.
“They’re going to send their little goons to my DMs or whatever, but like there’s no research being done anywhere or people prioritize winning or shiny buildings over skill or safety.”
Discianni received his black belt under Brad Court at Paramount Jiu Jitsu and trains under the broader Tack Team affiliation. His lineage once traced back to Lloyd Irvin, a point he addressed directly.
“We originally come from Lloyd Irvin which obviously has its own baggage but he, say what you want, he’s an awful human being, but he was very structured in his training, he was very structured in his business and that all kind of flowed down once we broke off of them.”
Hall‘s letter warned specifically about this conflation of professional success with character.
“Does it follow logically that one is a great guy or a good man who helps people for delivering a product he was paid financially or otherwise to deliver while simultaneously standing center stage and accepting praise for his actions?”
Technical competence, Hall argued, should never excuse moral bankruptcy.
Discianni, who co owns New Asgard Martial Arts in Limerick Pennsylvania with his wife Cat, expressed frustration with how often serious issues are ignored.
“The sport is so immature and dirty sometimes and it’s kind of appalling as someone who’s really involved in it to like let everybody lets everything slide.”
Twelve years separate Hall‘s warning and Discianni‘s frustration yet the problems they describe remain familiar. The fact that Discianni must still speak out about the same individual, still anticipate reaction from “little goons” and still witness the community “letting everything slide” suggests that Hall‘s call to action went largely unheeded.
Hall‘s conclusion remains as urgent now as it was in 2013.
“Integrity, the connective tissue of one’s soul, should not be a salable commodity. Once it has been tendered, it is likely gone forever… Nothing is worth your integrity. Not success, not money, not fame. Nothing. Any person who asks you to compromise it, no matter the justification, is both morally and ethically bankrupt.”
His final call to action speaks directly to moments like these.
“If you see what I see, though, if you feel as I feel, I beg you to raise your voice with me against a rising tide of poor behavior in our community… We must, as reasonable people, unite and do what we can to make sure that our words are not empty ones.”
The current scrutiny of Atos has created an opening to address not just one incident but the systemic failures that allow predatory behavior to persist across multiple teams and generations.
The question Hall posed in 2013 remains unanswered: Will the community unite to make sure its words are not empty ones or will it allow another twelve years to pass while “letting everything slide”? The jiu jitsu community’s credibility and future depend on the answer.
