Kyle Rittenhouse has just started training Jiu-Jitsu and he’s already been able to get some sessions in with some amazing instructors; elite competitors Gordon Ryan and Dan Manasoiu. It’s unclear exactly when Rittenhouse first discovered the sport or where he trains regularly, but he met Manasoiu through a seminar he recently did and travelled to Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu to train with Ryan. It makes sense that the three men would have connected though; as Ryan has become an outspoken advocate for the right to bear arms and although Manasoiu doesn’t share his views quite as often, he also appears to own multiple weapons according to his social media accounts.
Rittenhouse made headlines back in 2020 when he was just 17 years old, as he shot 3 people during a period of heavy civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He travelled there from Antioch, Illinois with an AR-15 rifle in order to help protect local businesses and clean graffiti off a local school. Rittenhouse was then charged with multiple counts, including homicide, by Kenosha County and he pled not guilty to all counts. His defense argued that he acted in self-defense in all 3 incidents and the resulting trial attracted widespread media coverage from all angles. It was the subject of intense scrutiny and many images and clips from it circulated on social media.
A jury weighed two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, and two counts of reckless endangerment, and found Rittenhouse not guilty on all charges. The decision proved to be incredibly polarizing and it drew criticism from many Democrats, while largely being supported by Republicans. The topic has remained controversial in the years that have followed, as has Rittenhouse himself in many of his public appearances or speaking engagements. In fact, both Ryan and Manasoiu have now faced a decent amount of criticism from some members of the BJJ community just because of their association with Rittenhouse.
Both Dan Manasoiu and Gordon Ryan showed that they were training Jiu-Jitsu with Kyle Rittenhouse in recent posts to their official Instagram accounts:
