Rick Tanner, 44, was escorted from the Tri-State Youth Grappling Championship on Saturday after tournament officials determined his sideline coaching had exceeded the actual cornerman’s output by approximately 340 percent across all measurable categories, including volume, frequency, and tactical inaccuracy.
Tanner, a blue belt with 18 months of training, was stationed in Row 7 of the bleachers — 47 feet from the competition mat — when officials first flagged his behavior during his 9-year-old son Aiden’s opening match in the 55-pound novice division.
“We initially assumed it was a PA system malfunction,” said head referee Maria Gutierrez. “Then we realized it was one man.”
Tournament audio equipment, deployed for the livestream, registered Tanner at 94 decibels during a sequence he later described as “just a couple of reminders.” For reference, OSHA classifies sustained exposure above 85 decibels as a workplace hazard. A gas-powered chainsaw operates at 110. Tanner’s designated cornerman, Coach Luis Padilla, was measured at 21 decibels — barely above a whisper.
“I was trying to coach,” Padilla said. “But every time I opened my mouth, there was just… Rick.”
Officials documented 43 separate verbal instructions from Tanner during Aiden’s 4-minute match, including 11 instances of “SWEEP HIM,” 7 of “GET UP,” 4 of “PULL GUARD” followed immediately by 3 of “DON’T PULL GUARD,” and one instance of “BERIMBOLO” directed at a child who has been training for six weeks.
When referee Carlos Mendes awarded an advantage point to Aiden’s opponent, Tanner stood, pointed at the scoreboard, and cited “IBJJF Appendix D, Section 4.” The IBJJF rulebook does not contain an Appendix D. It does not contain sections. Tanner had not read it.
“He said I missed a sweep,” Mendes told reporters. “The child was on bottom. In mount. Being mounted.”
A formal complaint was filed by the opposing child’s mother, Jennifer Walsh, after Tanner made sustained eye contact with her 8-year-old son during the match and shouted, “HE’S STALLING, REF.” The child was actively executing a guard pass.
Tanner was issued a spectator warning at 10:14 a.m., a second warning at 10:16 a.m., and a lifetime spectator ban at 10:19 a.m. — a five-minute escalation that officials described as “the fastest disciplinary timeline in tournament history.”
“Usually we get through at least two matches before removing someone,” Gutierrez noted. “He speedran it.”
Tanner has since posted a 14-paragraph Instagram statement describing the ban as “political,” questioning the referee’s credentials, and announcing he will be launching a youth grappling academy out of his garage. He currently holds no coaching certifications. His garage currently holds a 2019 Kia Sorento.
Aiden Tanner, reached for comment after the tournament, confirmed he had lost his match by points.
“I just wanted to do karate,” he said.
He has been enrolled in jiu-jitsu since September. The decision, sources confirmed, was Rick’s.