Tom DeBlass makes $50K challenge to head of Detroit Urban Survival Training

Dale Brown, the founder of the Detroit Urban Survival Training (D.U.S.T.) academy has garnered plenty of notoriety in the martial arts community for his viral self-defense videos. In the jiu-jitsu and submission grappling community, he has become a punchline, as most grapplers with any serious experience can see that many of his techniques, especially those that involve grappling or wrestling, seem woefully unrealistic.

Disturbed that Brown has received so much attention for his self-defense techniques that purport to “increase your survivability,” ADCC and UFC veteran Tom DeBlass has made a $50,000 challenge to Brown. DeBlass is a Ricardo Almeida black belt, elite-level competitor, and coach to some of grappling’s best talent today.

No, DeBlass isn’t offering to fight Brown himself (though he may want to). Instead, DeBlass has offered Brown $50,000 if he can subdue one of DeBlass’s female competition brown belts.

On top of that, DeBlass offers to pay expenses and $5,000 to Brown to hold a seminar at DeBlass’s gym.

Grappling Insider reached out to DeBlass for further comment, and he added this:

“I really am afraid he’s gonna get somebody hurt. People are listening to his words and somebody’s gonna end up dead. Self-defense is not something we can joke around about. People put their trust and their faith in you. He’s making a s*** ton of money, yet he’s demonstrating on people that are willing to give up their weapons and they’re willing to be subdued. He showed a leg lock the other that that was f****** terrible, it was insane.”

The two recently-promoted brown belts that DeBlass is referring to are Jaidyn Mueller and Sophia Cassella. Both are frequent and active competitors that saw plenty of success at the purple belt level. Mueller was a Fight To Win purple belt no-gi champion and an IBJJF no-gi world champion, and Cassella was a no-gi Worlds silver medalist in her division, and an absolute bronze medalist.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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