What I Find Very Strange About the “Martial Arts Community”

What I Find Very Strange About the “Martial Arts Community”

By: Dr. C.G. Mcfadden

You know what I find strange? That anyone in the so-called “martial arts community” is still pretending to ask why these guys—Don Roley, Dale Dugas, Randy/Gearld Greysmith, Ed Mathna, Barron Shepherd, and the rest of the cyberbully clique—keep going after Mr. Gordon and Mr. Hatfield. The answer isn’t hidden in some dusty dojo scroll. It’s obvious. They’re the only two in the last decade with the guts to actually stand up to them—and follow through.

Let’s be honest. In the past 10- 15 years, I could only find two attempts at legal action against these trolls, and only one case was taken all the way. Who do you think that was? Yep—Gordon and Hatfield. These guys didn’t just talk about “calling out the bullies,” they went into the legal arena and planted their flag. And that’s exactly why the trolls are frothing at the mouth—because someone finally told them “No” and meant it.

These cyberbullies have been pulling the same tired tricks for over fifteen years—harassing, trolling, twisting words, manufacturing scandals. But now? They’re panicking. They can’t handle the fact that someone actually stood up and punched back. And it’s hilarious to watch.

I mean, take Frank W. Dux—the “Bloodsport” legend himself. If he’s as legit as he says, and as tired of their crap as he claims, why hasn’t he taken legal action? The guy should have more resources than anyone on the list. Yet here we are. Crickets.

And then there’s Don Roley, the self-proclaimed challenge match king. For all the “challenges” he’s claimed, the only real face-to-face he’s ever had was when the BDFS group crashed his little event. And what happened? He got challenged by a guy who wasn’t even a karate practitioner—and Roley turned white as a ghost. Spooked. Suddenly, the big bad challenge master didn’t want a confrontation. Just like the rest of them, when the talk turns into action, they fold.

Lets have a look shall we?

Individuals Documented as Targets (2015–2025)

1. Bret Gordon (2015–2025)

• Approximate timeframe: Particularly active around 2020–2024.

• Context:

  • In 2020, posts in the Facebook group “Bullshit Martial Arts” (run by Don Roley) and by Dale Dugas targeted Gordon’s credentials and business, prompting a police report.

  • In 2024, Ed Mathna, Charles Brown, Cayce Lancaster, and Frank Nelson were called out by Gordon as “veteran cyberstalkers” attacking him online.

  • A blog (“Bret Gordon is a Fraud!”) summarizing criticisms from these groups called him a “liar and fraud.”

2. Steven Hatfield (2015–2025)

• Approximate timeframe: Around 2019–2023.

• Context:

  • Named alongside Gordon in harassment and defamation campaigns traced to the “Bullshit Martial Arts” group and Dale Dugas’ posts.

  • In public commentary, Gordon referenced Hatfield’s family in a harassment context through group posts.

3. Ron Collins (Black Dragon Ninjitsu / BDFS) (2016–2018)

• Approximate timeframe: 2016–2018.

• Context:

  • In a 2016 seminar incident, Don Roley publicly humiliated Ron Collins, calling him a “pedophile” and "fraud," in front of his group. The incident is recorded in a blog with direct quotes from a YouTube video.

  • Multiple blog posts by Ron Collins (e.g., 2017, 2018) described sustained harassment or trolling by Don Roley, Barron Shepherd, and Frank Dux.

  • In 2016, a blog post “Stalking & Harassment 2" described harassment patterns by Phil Elmore, Don Roley, and Barron Shepherd.

Summary Table

Target Name	Approx Year(s)	Alleged Harasser(s)	Context / Description
Bret Gordon	2020–2024	Don Roley, Dale Dugas, Ed Mathna, others	Accusations of fraudulent credentials, cyberstalking, smear campaigns
Steven Hatfield	2019–2023	Don Roley, Dale Dugas	Similar credential assaults, defamation claims
Ron Collins	2016–2018	Don Roley, Barron Shepherd, Frank Dux	Public humiliations, insults, harassment during seminars/blogs

Notes & Limitations

• These are only the individuals for whom there is a verifiable, named, public record involving online harassment by the mentioned figures during 2015–2025.

• I did not include any names that appear only in rumors or unnamed forum threads without clear sourcing.

• Many blog/forum posts may list additional names as alleged targets, but without reliable citations or dated records, they must be investigated individually before inclusion.

1. Bret Gordon & Steven Hatfield vs. Dale Dugas

• What happened: In 2020, Bret Gordon and Steven Hatfield sued Dale Dugas for defamation, citing repeated false and damaging statements from Dugas and associated social media posts.

• Outcome: In a default judgment, the court ruled in favor of Gordon and Hatfield after Dugas failed to appear for the final hearing.

• Significance: This is the only publicly available, confirmed case where named individuals (Gordon and Hatfield) took formal legal steps against an online harasser and succeeded—even via default judgment.

Other Notable Cases (Non-Legal Challenges)

While formal lawsuits are rare, some public confrontations stand out—these are non-legal but documented engagements:

2. Ron Collins vs. Don Roley (and associates)

• Format: Public confrontation, blog posts, and a live challenge in 2016.

• Context: Ron Collins showed up at a seminar by Don Roley with the intent to confront him. Roley publicly humiliated Collins, calling him a “fraud” and standing whole while being verbally detested. Collins responded with multiple blogs challenging Roley, Frank Dux, and Barron Shepherd—but no lawsuit was filed.

• Impact: A high-profile public showdown and sustained campaign of online content—but legally, only heated rhetoric, not litigation.

Summary Table: Who Sued or Stood Up Legally?

Name	Legal Action?	Details
Bret Gordon	Yes	Sued Dale Dugas for defamation → default judgment ruled in his favor.
Steven Hatfield	Yes	Co-plaintiff with Gordon in the same defamation lawsuit.
Ron Collins	No	Public challenge and blog attacks—no lawsuit filed.

Key things to remember

• The only confirmed lawsuit in the past decade involving these figures is Gordon and Hatfield vs. Dugas.

• Ron Collins' confrontation with Don Roley was high-profile and publicly documented but stayed outside the legal system.

• No evidence surfaced of other individuals filing lawsuits against Don Roley, Gearld Greysmith, Ed Mathna, Barron Shepherd, or Frank Dux—even when strong online disputes were reported.