Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Star Jay-Rod Has Reportedly Been Forced off of B-Team

A rising star in the world of competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Jay Rodriguez, who is often known as Jay Rod, has apparently parted ways from B-Team. The elite academy, which is famous for training a number of stars in competitive Jiu-Jitsu, is known for its sterling reputation, which led some to wonder why Jay Rod would have left the gym.

Jay Rod has offered an explanation for his departure, and it seems like it was in part because of his interactions inside the gym. Here's what we know.

As he explained in a video on Instagram, Jay Rod was banned from B-Team and explained that "unhealthy interactions with women at the gym” were the primary reason for his removal. He also said that he had been "attending therapy regarding [his] porn addiction and [had] become closer to God,” adding that he was taking responsibility for his actions and signaling a desire to grow moving forward.

B-Team issued a separate statement regarding his removal, writing, “Jay Rod is no longer a part of B Team. He has stated the reasons for his removal. B-Team is a safe training place for all and we have a zero-tolerance policy for anyone breaching that trust."

Reports from BJJEE suggest that Jay Rod allegedly had a folder on his tone that contained explicit images of some of the women he trained with.

After B-Team heard about the nature of the allegations, they reportedly acted promptly to address the allegations and remove Jay from the facility. In a follow-up post, Jay offered additional apologies to those who were harmed by his actions, saying that their privacy should be respected as they deal with the fallout from this story and from Jay's actions toward them.

"I want to publicly and sincerely apologize to those who were directly affected by my past actions," he wrote. "I recognize the harm I’ve caused and take full accountability. To those individuals, I am truly sorry. I also ask that the public show them the respect and consideration they deserve by refraining from contacting or attempting to identify them. Their privacy and well-being should be the priority, and I hope everyone can honor that moving forward. Thank you."

The news of Jay Rod's banning, and the decisive action that B-Team took to ensure his removal, suggest that they want the standard for safety inside of BJJ to be incredibly high. Jay, who was a rising star in the sport, will now have to pick up the pieces of a career that has been derailed by his own actions.

Thankfully, he seems willing to take responsibility for what he did and to seek help from professionals to turn things around. People deserve second chances, but the women who were the subjects of Jay's actions also deserve a training environment where they can be confident that they are not being leered at or taken advantage of. Hopefully, everyone can get what they need.