Rener and Ryron Gracie — the owners of Gracie University in Torrence, California — have started a new program that not only does background checks on all instructors, but all students. The new policy is meant to protect students from sexual predators.
With all of the recent news about sexual predators in Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools, it is understandable that students and staff alike should be concerned with rapists, pedophiles, and others who commit sex-based crimes.
But jiu-jitsu academies often have hundreds of students. Is it really feasible to check all current and future students and staff?
According to Rener Gracie, not only is it feasible, but it’s absolutely necessary.
“It doesn’t cost anything to check if someone is listed on the National Sex Offender Registry so there is no excuse not to do it,” Rener told the Jiu-Jitsu Times via Facebook private message. “Anyone who thinks this is overkill clearly doesn’t have children enrolled in a school where sexual predators are permitted to train. It’s an absolute necessity if you want to promise your students the safest possible training environment.”
It remains to be seen if other Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools will follow in Gracie University’s footsteps. But in an age where people are more and more concerned with their children’s safety and with sex-based crimes against adults, it’s hard to see how it won’t.
You can check out Rener and Ryron’s video on their new policy below:
Background Checks for Every Student
Today we implemented a new policy to help ensure the safety of our students, and we will encourage all of our Certified Training Centers to do the same. National Sex Offender Public Website: NSOPW.gov
Posted by Gracie University on Wednesday, February 7, 2018
