It’s not uncommon to see a parent taking their children’s sporting event far too seriously, but an unfortunate referee at a local BJJ tournament recently came under attack from one. The incident in question appears to have happened at a Grappling Industries event, judging from the logos which appear on the matted areas being used. Just like any other tournament organizer; Grappling Industries would normally have dozens of different divisions for children of all ages, sizes, and skill levels. Sadly, with so many children all competing in the same venue there are bound to be more than a handful of unruly or disruptive parents sitting on the sidelines.
This is pretty common at any tournament and most organizers have rules in place to attempt to limit the amount of disruption that parents can cause, meaning that the worst that happens is usually just shouting unhelpful advice. It doesn’t often get worse than that, but the recent incident at this Grappling Industries tournament is a prime example of what some parents are capable of. The video starts just shortly before this altercation takes place, so it’s unclear what actually prompts the parent to attack the BJJ referee.
The official can be seen standing up and looking into the distance off-camera when suddenly a man charges out of nowhere and takes him down into the scorekeeper’s table. Multiple people then get involved, including several other officials who are clearly trying to break up the fight. It continues regardless though, and multiple strikes can be seen before the camera finally cuts off without any visible resolution. Although the circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear, there’s no excuse for a physical altercation breaking out at a sporting event and parents should always be looking to set a good example for the children competing on the mat.
The footage of a parent launching into an attack on the referee at a local BJJ tournament was uploaded to the official YouTube channel of Pedigo Submission Fighting:
