An alleged white supremacist, who reportedly claimed he travels the U.S. teaching martial arts to other right-wing extremists, has been training with a “family friendly” Tennessee grappling school that caters to children from the age of four, The Daily Beast has learned. Ian Michael Elliott was previously a senior member of the regional chapter of the neo-fascist hate group Patriot Front, according to the Alabama Political Reporter. According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, “Patriot Front’s ideology is built on the perception that White American culture and heritage are under threat from multiple angles and are facing complete annihilation if no action is taken… It can be classified as a neo-fascist hate group that is organized around the goal of preserving white American identity.” Athens Jiu Jitsu, based in Tennessee, said it was “proud” to have Elliott “as a training partner and friend” in a March Facebook post that praised his performance at a tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. The school’s website extols its “safe, clean, family friendly, fun & affordable environment in which to learn and grow,” adding that “the best time to start Jiu-jitsu is 4 yrs old.” Images on its website and posted to its social media show dozens of young children and adolescents in attendance. But other images and videos posted by the school as early as October 2023 and as recently as last month show Elliott, one of several alleged far-right extremists who reportedly participated in white nationalist fight clubs in Nashville last year, training with its members. One video, posted to the school’s Instagram page on July 23 and set to the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” shows him grappling with several others.
via daily beast: ‘Family Friendly’ Gym Training Partner Identified as Alleged Neo-Nazi