'Wolves in sheep's clothing': how a neo-Nazi cell infiltrated a martial arts school in Tennessee

[Demovictory9]

Across the US, the Active Club network uses combat sports to lure boys and young men into white nationalist circles

A neo-Nazi fight club that secretly infiltrated a Tennessee martial arts school where young children train has been banned from the facility, after an inquiry by the Guardian.

Last month, the South Central Tennessee Active Club published video footage on the messaging app Telegram showing its members participating in combat training at Shelbyville BJJ Academy, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Shelbyville, Tennessee, that offers classes to students as young as three years old.

The group is part of the wider Active Club network, which consists of dozens of decentralized cells across the US and abroad that use combat sports to lure people into white nationalist and neo-Nazi causes.

While lesser known than other far-right groups like the Proud Boys, experts warn Active Clubs are acutely dangerous because they recruit boys and young men into violent white nationalist circles by using notions of fraternity as a gateway to extremism.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/21/tennessee-neo-nazi-martial-arts

[markodochartaigh]

1. Almost sounds like grooming to me.

n/t