The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community was thrown into confusion and concern today after a cryptic Instagram post from Gordon Ryan appeared to announce the death of his longtime teammate and instructor Tom DeBlass.

Ryan posted a black and white photo of DeBlass with the text 1982 to 2026 over the image, suggesting that the well known BJJ coach had passed away.

In the caption, Ryan wrote:

I cant believe your flight to thailand never landed. At a loss for words at the moment. Will post soon. Rip @tomdeblass

The vague message immediately sparked alarm throughout the grappling world.

BJJ Community Reacts With Shock

Within minutes, thousands of people began commenting on the post, trying to determine whether the news was real.

Several well known figures in the grappling community expressed disbelief and confusion.

This is so sad always appreciated your insight into the martial arts world

Seriously? 😢💔

Nothing being reported about plane crash / missing plane ?

Gonna wait on confirmation for this… Really really weak attempt at a joke if it’s trolling… I’m hoping it is 😮

Nothing in the news about a plane crash is there?

Is real?

Some commenters directly pointed out that no plane crash had been reported anywhere in the news, which only increased suspicion that the post might not be genuine.

Tom DeBlass Was Posting From His Trip Hours Earlier

Adding to the confusion, Tom DeBlass had posted on his Instagram stories just hours earlier, showing that he was traveling to Thailand.

According to those stories, DeBlass appeared to be on a plane and was even posting photos of his meals during the trip.

This made the situation even more confusing for followers, since no missing aircraft or crash connected to a Thailand route had been reported at the time the reactions started flooding in.

Flying to Thailand … going through Dubai with all these bombs?

Not thru Dubai, no planes have been attacked in Dubai, flights have resumed

The lack of confirmed information led many in the community to hold back from accepting the claim as true until more details emerged.

If This Was a Joke, It Crossed a Serious Line

If this post turns out to be some kind of trolling or joke, it is deeply disturbing, childish, and dangerous.

Announcing someone’s death, especially a respected coach and public figure like Tom DeBlass, can cause immediate panic among friends, students, training partners, and family members.

It is not edgy. It is not funny. It is reckless.

In a sport that constantly talks about loyalty, respect, and brotherhood, a post like this would say a lot about the kind of person willing to make such a joke for attention or shock value.

At the time of writing, there has been no official confirmation of Tom DeBlass’ death, and many in the BJJ community remain confused and concerned as they wait for clarification.

Until then, the post has already caused unnecessary panic across the grappling world.

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