There is a saying don't start a fight you cant finish.
Bret Gordon has a history of issuing threats, making challenges, harassment and online bullying when asked to simply verifiy his claims. Gordon along with Steven Hatfield and John Youngblood harassed a person named, Dale Dumas. Mr Dumas was challenged to a fight or to spar but he had to sign a waiver first. Dumas has been battling for his life against cancer. But that didn't stop this brave trio from trying to flex.
When Dumas agreed to spar or fight Gordon, Hatfield and John Youngblood Gordon's black belt inserted themselves into the squabble. Both inferring they wanted a piece of Dumas (see below).
How brave of Gordon, Hatfield and Youngblood, multiple guys against one guy with cancer.....
Dumas showed up a week prior to the match and dropped off the waiver and left with Gordon inviting him to come back anytime. The next day Gordon filed a false police report against Dumas claiming Dumas tore up the place and was told to leave and not come back. Just weeks after Hatfield and Gordon filed a frivolous lawsuit against Dumas who was also jobless, because Dumas had the audacity to meet Gordon's terms and drop off the signed waiver a week prior to the match.
I want to be clear, to date, not one of them has come after me or wanted to get on the mats with me. I'm 40 miles from Clermont. Gordon and others then harassed a student of mine and his 13 year old daughter just because he had trained with me. Former students of Gordon's have reached out and have said both Gordon and Youngblood admitted privately that a mistake was made but Youngblood stayed quiet about the whole thing. Youngblood obviously chose to involve himself......his actions, his silence makes him just as culpable as far as I'm concerned.
I know who was involved and to what extent they all were. Too many have told me the same story. I do not think all these former students and others are lying about Gordon, Hatfield or Youngblood. I think Gordon and Hatfield lied to a lot of people and Youngblood was aware of it all. He didn't care as long as he got martial arts rank from them.
If Gordon ever tries to claim we worked things out assume it is another lie.....
I will now take this time to extend an invite to all three Gordon, Hatfield and Youngblood to get on the mats with me at the same fucking time.
They are not martial artists, they are not even men. They can all three taunt Dumas into a fight but they dont want a piece of your truly.
This is my last article on the likes of Gordon. You can click this link to read part One here: https://theninjerkiller.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-you-put-into-universe-comes-back.html
Gordon and his associates have done nothing but fabricate their entire background and lineages to perpetuate fraud. All mentioned have been active in their own way doing so.
Gordon has habit and custom of misrepresenting his affiliations with other martial artists and organizations. Gordon according to several of his former students has claimed that he and I worked things out. This is nothing but a lie.
Gordon claims regarding Daitoryu Aikijujutsu are nothing but more fabrication and misrepresentation. He lies. The core of which centers on fabricating or exaggerating connections to legitimate martial arts lineages and figures, as well as fabricating and or misrepresenting the support or endorsement of other practitioners.
According to Eric Pearson, Gordon fabricated a "glowing review" supposedly from Pearson. When Mr. Pearson found out about Gordon doing this, he contacted Gordon and asked for it to be removed. Gordon refused his request see messages below.
Pearson addressed this publicly on his blog.
"I am a moderator on one of the large Daito Ryu AikiJujutsu Facebook groups. Years ago Bret Gordon joined the Facebook group. I recall he posted a few videos. He was claiming connections to Kodokai as I recall. We had a pleasant exchange on Facebook messenger. I know very little about the lineage he was claiming. Another moderator on the group blocked him from access to the facebook group because he suspected Mr. Gordon was lying (the other moderator IS part of Kodokai and has access to the records). That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge of Mr Gordon.
So it has come to my attention that Mr Gordon is using my name as a reference on his website. Budoka online have been questioning me about my “glowing review” of Mr Gordon. I don't know why Mr Gordan chose me as a reference. Recently I discovered that he, without my knowledge, used me as a reference. I asked him to please remove the statement. He refused my request."
Mr. Pearson's statement in it's entirety can be found at https://tomikiaikido.blogspot.com/2024/10/in-reference-to-bret-gordon.html
Gordon announced on his blog that he would release a book that included "proof" of his back ground and also included a supposed picture of Hasaka Yutashi.
Two weeks after its release the Kodokai organization themselves debunked the claims Gordon made in his book.
"There is no connection between Bret Gordon and the Daito ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai organization either here in the USA or in Japan. Any claims he is making regarding such a connection are entirely false.
The Daito ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai organization keeps strict records of it's members. There is and has never been a "Hasaka Yutashi" who trained in the Kodokai organization either here in the USA or in Japan. There is no basis for him to claim that his organization is based on or connected with the Kodokai in any way shape or form, much like the claim he mentions about Yoshinkan aikido.
Furthermore, Gordon should should specifically state that his organization has no historical ties, lineage or affiliation with the Daito ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai organization. Additionally the individual depicted in the photograph included in his book has never held any rank or title within the Daito ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai organization in either the USA or Japan.
I hope this clarification is helpful. Please feel free to reach if any further information is needed."
Sincerely, Donald Quintana
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Letter from Donald Quintana Kodokai Secretary of General Affairs |
On the heels of the statement from the kodokai (above), the former General Secretary from the Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu Kodokai organization has also spoken out about Gordon's spurious claims and blatant misrepresentation of Daito Ryu connections. John Persson related that Gordon didnt present himself a daitto ryu practitioner but some one doing a street wise jujutsu. However Gordon took Persson's comments and edited them to make it appear Persson was commending him regarding Daitoryu.
In Gordon's book on pages 11- 14, Gordon covers his "training" with the Ginjukai which included Dimitri Deglas, Jor Brogna and Howard Popkin. Gordon alleges in his book that he trained with them twice a month beginning 2019 and that "he left" in 2020 indicating he trained with the group any from 30 to 40 times at the least and that he even taught classes while there. However, according to Popkin, Dimitri and Brogna, this doesnt appear to be the case. Gordon only attended a few classes maybe 6 to 10 at the most and only as a budo courtesy. It appears Gordon was caught in some of his "misrepresentations" was called a liar to his face, told to leave and wasn't allowed to come back. I was forwarded this recent email (below)and then I talked with Mr. Popkin by phone.
This directly contradicts what Gordon writes in his book that he alleges is proof of his training regarding the Daitoryu Aikijujutsu Ginjukai.
Popkin described Gordon as a "bold faced liar" who was fabricating his back ground. Popkin made earlier statements debunking Gordon, alleging Gordon used Kodokai pictures with out authorization or permission. Those statements were admitted in court and can be found at https://courtrecords.lakecounty.org/ Case Number 35-2020-CA-001851 court docket file 142, exhibit 14, page 6.
What Gordon alleges as photographic "evidence" of Yutashi in his book has not held up under scrutiny. The person in the picture that Gordon alleges to be Yutashi isn’t even Japanese. Nor does he appear in the Kodokai pictures Gordon claims he is somewhere in.
The claims of connections to aikido's Gozo Shioda and the daito ryu both online and in his book have been directly refuted and debunked. Any rank and recognition Gordon and Hatfield seek has been denied by those associated with that lineage.
At this point anything that's proposed by Gordon or Hatfield as "evidence" is no doubt the result of their purposeful deceit and fabrication.
There are two things Gordon and his crew won't do:
1. Tell the truth
2. Get on the mats and scrimmage with yours truly
Frauds and cowards.
Nuff said