- Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu co-founder Gordon Ryan announced that Izaak Michell is no longer training at, or affiliated with, the team.
- The statement offered no public explanation and said the gym had been advised not to share further details “at this time.”
- Ryan also said comments were turned off to stop sexual misconduct rumours spreading — a move that intensified speculation online.
- The timing matters, coming weeks after Michell earned an invite to ADCC 2026 at the Asia & Oceania Trials.
The Gordon Ryan Statement That Set Everything Off
The Izaak Michell Kingsway Jiu Jitsu split went public when Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu confirmed the news with a brief message from Gordon Ryan, making it clear that Michell is no longer connected to the gym.
“Izaak Michell is no longer training at or affiliated in any way with our gym. We have been advised that no further details should be made public at this time.”
– Gordon Ryan –
The biggest reaction wasn’t to the removal itself — it was to what wasn’t said. The line about being “advised” not to share more immediately pushed the conversation into speculation territory.
Ryan then addressed another detail people noticed quickly: comments on the post were disabled.
“We have also been asked to turn off comments so that rumors are not spread.”
– Gordon Ryan –
In the current No-Gi climate, that combo of silence plus comment lockdown tends to create more noise, not less.
Izaak Michell Kingsway Jiu Jitsu Banishment: What We Know For Sure
The confirmed facts are straightforward: Izaak Michell is no longer part of Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, and the team is not giving reasons publicly.
Since the announcement, online chatter has ranged from generic “team drama” to more serious allegations, including unverified claims of misconduct and even rumours involving law enforcement.
As of now, those claims have not been confirmed publicly through official channels connected to the team, and Michell has not released a detailed statement addressing the situation.
That’s worth underlining because this is how reputations get shaped in modern grappling: one vague post becomes a thousand “explanations,” and the loudest version starts to feel like the truth.
For Kingsway, the decision to cut ties is the story. For Michell, the lack of explanation becomes the story — because it leaves promoters, sponsors, and training partners guessing about what comes next.
Who Is Izaak Michell?
For anyone just catching up, the Izaak Michell Kingsway Jiu Jitsu situation involves an Australian No-Gi competitor who has spent the last few years in the orbit of the sport’s biggest rooms.
Michell is also someone whose team relationships have repeatedly become public conversation.
Before the Izaak Michell Kingsway Jiu Jitsu split, Michell represented B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, and his exit from that camp was widely viewed as contentious. The fallout didn’t stay behind closed doors; it became part of his public narrative.
That backdrop is why this latest news hit so fast. Some people see it as another chapter in a pattern — not necessarily proof of anything specific, but evidence that wherever Michell goes, things tend to get complicated.
At the same time, his recent competitive results matter. Michell earned an invite to ADCC 2026 by winning the ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials, which is one of the clearest “earn it on the mat” pathways in the sport.
Craig Jones Weighed In, And The Rumour Machine Did The Rest
Shortly after Ryan’s announcement, Craig Jones posted about the situation. He stopped short of a direct accusation, but the tone and timing were widely interpreted as insinuating he had insight into why Michell was removed.
Jones is also deeply connected to the same ecosystem — Australian ties, the Austin scene, and years of overlap with the people involved — which is why even indirect posts can carry weight.
But indirect is still indirect, and when influential voices hint without stating, the internet fills in blanks aggressively.
This is the messy reality for teams right now: say nothing and people assume the worst; say too much and you risk privacy and legal blowback; say “just enough,” and you create a vacuum that speculation rushes to occupy.
In practical terms, Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu will keep moving. Elite rooms always do. The bigger question is how this affects Michell’s next six to twelve months, especially with ADCC 2026 on the horizon.
ADCC invites aren’t “team invites,” they’re athlete invites. Michell earned his spot, and unless something official changes his status, he can still show up and compete.
However, grappling is also a business: promoters weigh risk, sponsors weigh optics, and gyms weigh culture. If this stays vague, the uncertainty alone can become the problem.
For now, the only confirmed reality is the split itself: Izaak Michell Kingsway Jiu Jitsu is over, and the people closest to it aren’t expanding publicly. Until Michell speaks in detail — or something verifiable changes — everything else is noise.
