Multiple women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior against Zugec spanning several years. The accusations first reached public attention after a former student shared her experiences on Reddit, prompting Victoria police to launch a formal investigation.
The leadership team at Zuma Ultimate Martial Arts acknowledged the allegations and announced a series of responsive measures, including hiring an independent third-party reviewer to assess the gym's structure and culture, forming an advisory council with an emphasis on women's involvement, and implementing formal policies governing boundaries and instructor-student interactions. Accusers publicly criticized these measures as inadequate, arguing that the proposed solutions failed to meaningfully address what they characterized as a pattern of abuse by a single individual.
In July 2025, victims and former students published an open letter titled "We Deserve Safe Gyms," demanding meaningful action from the broader martial arts community. The letter gathered more than 460 signatures as of October 2026. Zuma Ultimate Martial Arts permanently closed in 2025 in the wake of the allegations and the community response they generated.
