The state of the art Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy (AOJ) in Costa Mesa California was recently named most beautiful BJJ academy in the world . The main instructors are the Mendes brothers.

AOJ recently fired one of their instructors. Burç SachPrakash Gündogar was teaching Jiu-Jitsu and is also a Yoga instructor.

The reason isn’t clear but Burç SachPrakash Gündogar is implying that it’s due to his facial hair (beard).

In his recent Facebook pictures from January, he doesn’t have any visible excessive facial hair yet but from various accounts, he had a full beard in February.

Satnam Posted on his Facebook, explaining the situation.

Thank you to all my friends and students , and all the great families i have met over the years. Thank you.
Last week I found out that I have been fired from AOJ due to my physical appearance (facial hair). This post is just to bring a clarity for my disappearance.
I know i do, and will keep up the representation of the ART OF JIU JITSU , in it’s purest form as a teacher and a student.
An art that is gentle, healing, loving; a discipline if guided properly, will only bring out promoting habits from practitioners.
Being a role model to the future , i shall stay in tune with what is true, natural, and smooth, just like my beard. Growth is inevitable when you roll with the cosmos!
PEACE & LOVE to all:)
Satnam

 

AOJ inforces a strict rule that all students and visitors must wear a white uniform (due to not staining the white mats with coloured Gis). They also do not allow other school/ affiliation patches  worn for training.

The AOJ code of conduct however doesn’t mention facial hair:

01. Always be respectful.

02. Always address Rafael and Guilherme as Professor and non-black belt instructors as coach.

03. Absolutely NO coaching your children or other students during class.

04. If you are late, wait outside the mat until the professor gives you permission to join.

05. Do not leave the mat area without permission from the Professor or Coach.

06. During class, when the instructor is demonstrating the techniques, every student must sit or stand in good posture.

07. Talking should be kept to a minimum level and should relate to the class subject.

08. No foul language inside the school.

09. Keep feet clean. No dirty feet on the mat.

10. You must wear shoes or flip flops when you are not on the mat.

11. If you are wearing flip flops, you must clean your feet before you step on the mat.

12. You must always wear a shirt or rash guard inside the academy.

13. All training gear and bags should be left in the locker room, not on the benches around the training area.

14. The uniform must be clean at all times. A dirty uniform is a sign of disrespect.

15. Be respectful towards your training partners.

16. All jewelry, piercings, necklaces, and other items should be removed during training.

17. Keep fingernails and toenails neatly trimmed.

18. All students and visitors must wear a white uniform.

19. Absolutely, no other school/ affiliation patches may be worn for training.

20. No electronic devices allowed in the training area.

21. No shoes, food, or drinks on the mat.

22. Be humble.

23. Believe & Achieve.

AOJ hasn’t yet commented on the situation.