UFC Hall of Famer and former welterweight champion Matt Serra is known for his toughness inside the cage, but that same no-nonsense attitude also extends to how he runs his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academies.
For Serra, protecting the culture of his gym is more important than money, talent, or even medals.
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, Serra was blunt about how often he has to remove people:
I pluck guys out every month. Somebody comes in I don’t like, keep your couple hundred dollars – get out of here.
Serra explained that the foundation of any successful martial arts academy lies in the environment created within its walls:
The biggest thing out of an academy is the atmosphere.
It all comes down from the attitude of the people that are running the place. Always.
By cutting out toxic personalities early, Serra ensures his students – especially beginners, women, and kids – aren’t discouraged from training.
Serra isn’t the only high-level coach to take this hard-line stance.
BJJ black belt Jeff Messina echoed the sentiment during an appearance on the Combat Creative podcast, stressing that no amount of talent can excuse bad behavior:
I’ve kicked people out that are very talented in Jiu-Jitsu.
I don’t want to have that cancer in the gym.People will start leaving because this person is making bad choices or treating people poorly.
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