Vlad Polyanskiy

Vlad Polyanskiy, a Ukrainian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, became a central figure in organizing and amplifying opposition to Gordon Ryan's unannounced seminar in Ukraine in 2026. Polyanskiy had heard rumors months before October 2026 that Ryan might visit the country, but no Ukrainian coaches he knew could confirm any details. His direct involvement began when a screenshot surfaced in a coaches' group chat, promoting what was described as a free seminar with Ryan — announced only two days before the intended event, with no location or time disclosed.

Speaking on the Grapplezilla Podcast in an episode published October 4, 2026, Polyanskiy described his immediate reaction: "I get a screenshot from a chat of coaches. So, they send it to me where they announce a Gordon Ryan seminar which is for free and everybody can take everyone with them. I'm like, wait, but what do you mean it's a Gordon Ryan seminar? Nothing is announced. It's in two days. No location, no time." The secrecy surrounding the event struck him as deeply irregular, prompting him to investigate the organizers. That investigation led him to allege a connection between the event's organizers and a politician tied to the administration of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych — though Polyanskiy was careful to note he did not establish the full circumstances behind Ryan's invitation or the seminar's arrangement.

Mobilizing the Ukrainian Grappling Community

Following his investigation, Polyanskiy contacted Roman, a Ukrainian serviceman associated with the Azov unit with ties to the grappling community. Roman shared the seminar announcement within relevant circles and discouraged attendance. Polyanskiy then amplified that response through his own network, encouraging Ukrainian coaches and academies to speak out publicly against the event. He also reached out to Craig Jones, whose subsequent video brought the controversy to significant international attention within the grappling world.

Polyanskiy additionally communicated with contacts connected to Ukrainian law enforcement and government institutions; one contact reportedly informed a minister about the situation. He was measured in describing his own role, stopping short of claiming direct credit for Ryan's eventual departure: "I'm not going to say I got him kicked out of Ukraine, but I think it just started like this thing that got him kicked out of Ukraine. And then Craig's video really helped me spread it."

The Seminar Disruption and Aftermath

Opposition to the event grew to the point where the venue was relocated to a smaller gym in central Kyiv before the seminar took place. Ukrainian military veterans — including one with a prosthetic leg — arrived at the new location. Polyanskiy reported receiving accounts of people confronting Ryan verbally before a veteran interrupted the session, bringing it to a halt. Ryan did not immediately leave Ukraine following the disruption; according to Polyanskiy, Ryan trained a much smaller group of approximately five to ten people at a separate gym before ultimately departing the country.

In the aftermath, Polyanskiy confirmed that he communicated directly with Ryan. Both parties agreed to keep the substance of that exchange confidential, and Polyanskiy declined to share details publicly.

For Polyanskiy, the controversy surrounding Gordon Ryan's seminar was inseparable from Ryan's prior public statements about Ukraine and the Azov Brigade. He identified those remarks as the core issue, arguing they carry particular weight in a country where many regard the soldiers who defended Mariupol as national heroes. Polyanskiy also alleged that Ryan had directed criticism specifically toward a Ukrainian serviceman known within the international grappling community — a detail he treated as especially significant given the ongoing conflict.

Drawing the Line Between Politics and War

Polyanskiy drew a deliberate distinction between criticism of political figures and statements made about soldiers actively engaged in combat. He also pointed to reports that Ryan had posed for photographs with a Russian national and displayed Russian flags before traveling to Ukraine, presenting these as part of a broader pattern that shaped how Ryan was perceived upon arrival.

He pushed back firmly against any framing of these grievances as merely political: "My friends passing away, people jumping out of burning houses. Is that politics?" In his view, Ryan's freedom to enter Ukraine as a visitor carried no expectation of acceptance or goodwill from Ukrainians: "You came in the country and you left. But don't think someone likes you. We detest you." He extended that point into a broader statement about accountability: "Everybody can come. We're a free country, but you're not going to be liked. You know, words have consequences."

Separating Athletic Achievement from Public Conduct

Despite the sharpness of his criticism, Polyanskiy separated Ryan's conduct outside competition from his standing within it. "Gordon is the best in jiu-jitsu period. Now go outside of jiu-jitsu and there's nobody that has a good thing to say about Gordon," he said, drawing a clear line between athletic achievement and public behavior. Polyanskiy expressed hope that his private conversation with Ryan might encourage Ryan to reflect on how statements made from the United States land with people living directly through the realities being discussed.

Polyanskiy delivered his detailed first-person account of the seminar controversy on the Grapplezilla Podcast, in an episode published October 4, 2026. The appearance provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the timeline as he experienced it — from first hearing rumors of Ryan's potential visit months before October 2026, to encountering the screenshot in the coaches' chat, to his subsequent contacts with Roman, Craig Jones, and individuals connected to Ukrainian government and law enforcement institutions.

The Grapplezilla Podcast episode stands as the primary public record of Polyanskiy's account and the sequence of actions he took during the controversy. All claims he made regarding the seminar's organizers, the alleged political connections, Ryan's prior remarks, and the chain of events that followed are drawn from his own statements on the podcast and represent his personal account of events as he understood them.