A female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu contestant is taking heat for posting a video of her recent match in California against a male-born transgender “woman.”
California athlete Taelor Moore faced the transgender opponent on Sept. 9 and posted the video to her Instagram page with the caption, “I weighed in at 135 … and she was over 200!”
The video shows her opponent, James McPike, 29, who recently began going by the name “Alice,” seeming to easily throw Moore around the matts, Reduxx reported.
While McPike did end up losing to the more experienced Moore, he still ended up taking the silver medal home from the silver at the NAGA Grappling Championship when he beat another female opponent.
Moore’s coach, Jimmy Wit, is defending Moore against charges of “transphobia” by left-wingers who have flooded social media to attack her.
“I have a student who went against a trans athlete in an open-weight division for jiu-jitsu grappling, a combat sport,” Wit said. “I’m sure a lot of people hearing this are thinking that my student lost. No, she won.”
“But I have a really big issue at hand, this is a very serious topic,” he continued. “In jiu-jitsu we don’t drug test. You can take steroids. Everyone knows this. It is what it is. When you step on these mats, you waive your rights to your life…. And I had to gaslight my student.”
Witt added that Moore was very put off when she first saw how much bigger McPike was and worried that she would easily lose to him.
Coach Witt blasted those who are calling Moore transphobic.
“This is my problem. When she goes online and posts about her experience, now she’s a bigot and she’s ‘outing’ this trans athlete. Where do we draw the line? So now women can’t talk about their experiences in a combat sport?” Witt wrote.
Witt also warned that McPike’s size and weight advantage was a safety risk for Moore.
“My student could have been SEVERELY injured by an untested athlete, and gave up a solid 50lbs. Now you’re telling me women can’t EXPRESS their experience if that experience conflicts with the other individual? Why is it only okay for women to complain when they lose but have to shut up about it if they win?”” Witt said.
On the other hand, McPike’s trainers blasted Witt and Moore for the posts.
Asian man practicing Brazilian Jujutsu- closeup of hand holding belt. (Kilito Chan/Getty Images)
“Are you saying trans athletes shouldn’t compete against cis athletes? If so, say it. We disagree. Your student showed superior technique and looked slick as all heck against ours, and that’s why she got the well-deserved [win],” martial arts school Foundation Chicago, where McPike trains, wrote.
“Beating a much larger trans athlete in short order demonstrates quite well that there’s no crazy advantage for trans women against cis women. Say things with your whole chest, don’t be mealy-mouthed, and then discussions can happen. Congrats on being a great coach and on your student doing so well. Super impressive,” the school added in its statement.
The North American Grappling Association says it does not require natural-born females to compete against transgender opponents.
“NAGA does not require biological women to compete against transgender women. Instead, we give the choice to the biological women, and if they decline, they compete in a division only with other biological women,” the group said.
According to its official policy: “For those who chose not to compete with the transgender female, we will inquire if they are interested in entering a separate division which includes the transgender female. This additional division will be offered at no cost to those competitors. However, if individuals decline this opportunity, the transgender female will be directed to compete with the males in their respective weight and skill level category.”
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