Hate Groups Exploit MMA Training to Recruit Members
Neo-Nazi groups have been using mixed martial arts training as a way to recruit new members and promote their extremist ideologies, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The ADL has identified Active Clubs, a network of mixed martial arts groups, as one of the fastest-growing extreme-right groups in the US and internationally. The organization has tracked multiple chapters in 36 US states and several European countries, including the UK and France.
Members of Active Clubs combine combat training with a "white brotherhood" ethos, preparing for an anticipated "Day X" when they will supposedly engage in combat against their perceived enemies. Online communications among chapters show a growing network of collaborations and recruitment efforts.
The organization’s founder, Robert Rundo, was a co-founder of the Rise Above Movement (RAM), which was involved in violence at a 2017 rally in Virginia. After his group was disbanded, Rundo set up independent cells, combining combat sports with a white nationalist agenda.
Under the guise of promoting athleticism, Active Clubs use MMA training and events to fraternize, recruit, and prepare for an anticipated conflict with their perceived enemies. The ADL notes that the group’s focus on physical training is rooted in fighting against a perceived enemy, and its events serve as a way for members to prepare for some potential conflict.
Authorities have arrested multiple members of the group, including those connected to the Canadian branch of the listed terror group, Atomwaffen Division. Despite the decentralized structure of the organization, law enforcement agencies face new challenges in tackling the threat from Active Clubs, which have overlap with other white supremacist movements.
