Rener Gracie of the famous Gracie Academy and Gracie University, has just released a statement and video where he accuses the owner of an academy in Canada of not paying him the agreed 10,000$ for 4 seminars that he conducted together with Brian Ortega.
Rener Gracie stated:
WE GOT JACKED for OVER $10,000!
A public service video about a Chris Robinson, a Jiu-jitsu black belt instructor that should be avoided!
If Chris ends up doing the right thing, I’ll be sure let you guys know. Until then, please share this to help prevent potential students and black belt professors from falling victim.
The black belt in question is Chris Robinson of Gracie Humaita/RGDA Newmarket, Canada. Robinson saw Rener’s claim and responded:
This is not the first time that a big name Jiu-Jitsu instructor has gotten a bad deal when conducting a seminar. Back in 2014, Caio Terra also called out an academy owner that didn’t pay him what was agreed:
I typically never do this but I feel this time I have to (especially because I wasn’t the first person he has done this too). I have been doing seminars all over the world for a very long time. Seminars are great to do but they aren’t easy. I have to leave my family, stay with strangers and no matter how I am feeling or what’s going on in my personal life I have to be professional. I have heard many horror stories from others but so far I’ve been lucky, everyone I have met and stayed with have been pretty amazing.
Well my luck ran out in Germany. After doing multiple seminars that had quite a bit of people the host decided to not pay me the agreed upon amount. That made me upset because even if he paid me what we agreed upon he would have made a nice profit. When I asked him why he paid half he made up an excuse called me greedy, said I should be lucky etc. I figure it is what it is time to move on.
I then got messages from other black belts who were there when they got wind of this. He had told them some BS story about using the money to change my flight because I missed it (I didn’t miss my flight). He clearly doesn’t think because you wouldn’t short some one on the premise that they are going to miss their flight later that evening. The money is what it is but the insane part and why I am writing this post is very troubling. Apparently he was trying to affiliate with some of the other black belts that were at the seminar in Germany. DAN SAID HE GOT HIS BROWN BELT FROM ME. When I asked Dan personally he said he got his brown belt from Drysdale. As Drysdale is my friend I txt Drysdale only to find out he has got a lot of complaints about this guy and he never gave him his brown belt either.
EVERYONE IN GERMANY BE AWARE OF DAN SOTO. He runs tournaments and is very shady. He is not a brown belt by either me or Drysdale so don’t be fooled. Dan as a martial artist have some honor and be honest. When you try and fool others you become the fool. Please share this everyone.
