inteltwink

cannot overemphasize that small numbers of community members across the U.S. have *voluntarily* done more to protect you from your local fascists than all the lawyers, policymakers, cops, judges, and lawmakers combined.

I’ve Seen How the Neo-Nazi Movement Is Escalating. You Should Worry. After unmasking extremist groups, reporter Jordan Green got a first-hand look at how the ‘militant accelerationism’ movement operates.

After he committed to unmasking extremist groups in North Carolina and beyond, reporter Jordan Green got a first-hand look at how a movement known as ‘militant accelerationism’ operates. www.theassemblync.com/media/neo-na...

I’ve Seen How the Neo-Nazi Movement Is Escalating. You Should Worry. After unmasking extremist groups, reporter Jordan Green got a first-hand look at how the ‘militant accelerationism’ movement operates.

Thanks to @theassemblync.bsky.social for giving me the opportunity to tell the full story about how neo-Nazi terror came to our doorstep, and how their harassment campaign exposes the long tentacles of the militant accelerationist community. www.theassemblync.com/media/neo-na...

Patriot Front is hidden hand behind dozen active clubs The white nationalist hate group is trying to boost recruitment by secretly controlling a large swath of the active clubs network.

NEW, from me: I found Patriot Front trying to boost recruitment by secretly controlling a large part of the active clubs network according to audio messages and a leaked document I reviewed.

www.splcenter.org/resources/ha...

February 2025 audio recording of Tennessee Active Club lead Sean Kauffmann:

“Just so everyone in here knows, I have worked heavily with Patriot Front. I have been a part of Patriot Front… I have a track record for honesty and transparency.”

A punch drunk Thomas Grady takes another L.

In the meantime, we would like to extend a hearty fuck you to Smoky Mountain Active Club lead and professional MMA fighter Thomas Grady III of Etowah TN.

Consider this another one for your loss column. We'll be praying for you, bub. 🪤

Phil Williams' explosive report on the 122-acre compound in Eastern TN begs the question, what are these dudes training for? In our next installment, we'll examine a growing white nationalist problem in the MMA community and dig deep into Patriot Front's role in the broader Active Club network.

Members of Tennessee Active Club pose with a TAC flag at Shelbyville BJJ Academy in Shelbyville, TN. On the left is Smoky Mountain Active Club lead Thomas Grady. With his arm around Grady is Sean Kauffmann. Second to right holding one end of the flag is South Central Tennessee Active Club lead Chase May.

As bad as Thomas Grady's opsec is, his 0-6-0 record as a professional MMA fighter isn't much better. In one of his losses, he squared off against a fighter from Shelbyville BJJ Academy which, as we previously pointed out, has their own ties to Tennessee Active Club.

January 18, 2025 Facebook post from Dagda Capital offering his services as a licensed and insured electrician. The post included a phone number with a 423 area code and is signed Thomas Grady.

As “Dagda Capital” on FB, Thomas Grady advertises himself as a licensed electrician and handyman in Eastern TN. A quick search on the TN SoS website shows Dagda Capital LLC as an active business entity registered to Thomas Grady of Englewood TN. Previously, Grady operated an MMA studio in Etowah TN.

Screenshot of a Telegram account belonging to "Dagda Tuatha" aka Thomas Grady of Etowah, TN.

January 5, 2025 post on the Smoky Mountain Active Club Telegram channel signed "Dagda." The post reads in part: "We are seeking men of sound character... We offer free training (martial arts, trades), labor, coaching, mentoring, employment assistance, and so much more."

On Telegram, Thomas Grady previously went by the alias "Dagda Capital" and was a member of the Tennessee Active Club chat. The bio reads: "Veteran Owned Business, East TN. Residential and Industrial; Mech/Elec"

Screenshot of a Facebook account named Dagda Capital with an identical profile pic and similiar bio to that of the previous Telegram account.

On Telegram, Thomas Grady goes by the alias “Dagda Tuatha.” In a post earlier this year on the SMAC Telegram channel, “Dagda” offered training and employment opportunities to prospective recruits. Grady previously went by “Dagda Capital” on Telegram which is the same name he uses on Facebook.

Video still from an August 2022 fight showing Smoky Mountain Active Club leader Thomas Grady III of Etowah, TN.

Video still from an September 2024 fight showing Smoky Mountain Active Club leader Thomas Grady III of Etowah, TN.

Although his face and distinctive ribcage tat was blurred in the video, we soon identified this individual as Thomas Cornelius Grady III of Etowah TN. Grady is a pro MMA fighter who represented Athens Jiu-Jitsu as recently as September 2024 and is the current lead of Smoky Mountain Active Club.

Video still from November 2024 bare knuckle competition at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The image shows a tattooed Ian Michael Elliott sparring with a shirtless man with an unkempt beard and distinctive ribcage tattoo.

Video still from November 2024 bare knuckle competition at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The image shows a tattooed Ian Michael Elliott sparring with a shirtless man with an unkempt beard and distinctive ribcage tattoo.

Video still from November 2024 bare knuckle competition at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The image shows a tattooed Ian Michael Elliott sparring with a shirtless man with an unkempt beard and distinctive ribcage tattoo.

Video still from November 2024 bare knuckle competition at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The image shows a tattooed Ian Michael Elliott sparring with a shirtless man with an unkempt beard and distinctive ribcage tattoo.

If drinking from skulls in a circle with a bunch of shirtless dudes isn’t your thing, the November 2024 “Winter Nights” event also included a bare knuckle boxing competition. In video from that event, one participant seen sparring with Elliott caught our eye in particular.

Video still of November 2024 interview between Ian Michael Elliott and Northwest Tennessee Active Club lead William Allen Migala.

Undated photo of Northwest Tennessee Active Club lead William Allen Migala wearing a bright red swastika tshirt in his kitchen.

Members of TAC who were present included Kauffmann and William Allen Migala. Migala is a former member of the now-defunct NatSoc Florida and current lead of the Northwest Tennessee Active Club. Migala was hilariously dunked on by "Sarah McLachlan" after he was doxxed and fired from his job in 2023.

June 2022 mugshot of Kieran Patrick Morris following his arrest with members of Patriot Front in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Undated photo of Josiah Daniel Buster of Patriot Front and Lone Star Active Club.

November 2024 photo of Graham Jones Whitson of Patriot Front and Lone Star Active Club at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN.

Fort Worth, TX-based Lone Star Active Club was represented at the November 2024 event in Tellico Plains by duckfaced potato and LSAC lead Kieran Patrick Morris as well as Josiah Daniel Buster and Graham Jones Whitson.

November 2024 photo showing Seth Waggener of the Wolves of Vinland drinking from what looks to be a child's skull at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN.

Seth Waggener from Wolves of Vinland and the Virginia-based Devotion Jiu-Jitsu is a frequent guest on the property Elliott once bragged is tax exempt as a place of worship. Here’s Waggener drinking from a child-sized skull in a “circle of honor ritual” during the November 2024 “Winter Nights” event.

November 7, 2024 post from the Patria Gloria Telegram channel annoucning the grand opening of "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The post reads in part: "Winter Nights. The grand opening of Academy One, for Patria Gloria American Jiu-Jitsu was a resouding success. Grapplers gathered from across many States, for fierce competitive rolls, training, and jubilant celebration. There will be more posts, pictures, and videos of the spectacular event, which also included Bare Knuckle Boxing, HEMA Swordsmanship, and Restorative Yoga."

November 9, 2024 post from the Lone Star Active Club Telegram channel announcing their participation in the grand opening of "Academy One" in Tellico Plains, TN. The post reads in part: "6 Members of LSAC traveled from Fort Worth to Eastern Tennessee for the Grand Opening of Patria Gloria's first gym - Academy One. Members partook in Circle Of Honor Friday night, phenomenal grappling all weekend, Ritual, and enjoyed the feasting fellowship and festivities thoroughly." The post includes a photo of eight men, some with their faces blurred, holding a Lone Star Active Club flag.

November 2024 photo showing members posing with a Lone Star Active Club flag at "Academy One" in Tellico Plains. Some of the men's faces are blurred in the photo. Those whose faces are unblurred include from L to R: Seth Waggener of the Wolves of Vinland, Patriot Front leader Thomas Rousseau, Ian Michael Elliott, Graham Jones Whitson, and Kieran Patrick Morris.

In November 2024, Patria Gloria announced the grand opening of “Academy One” at the 122-acre compound in Tellico Plains which saw a who’s who of chuds including members of Tennessee Active Club (TAC), Smoky Mountain Active Club (SMAC), Lone Star Active Club (LSAC), and the Wolves of Vinland.

May 2024 photo of the Patriot Front Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team Patria Gloria. From L to R: Paul Michael Gancarz, Ian Michael Elliott, unknown, and Stephen James Trimboli.

Originally from Washington state before moving to Florida in 2021, Trimboli is a network director for Patriot Front and a member of the PF Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu team Patria Gloria with Elliott and Paul Michael Gancarz.

February 2024 photo showing the owner of Athens Jiu-Jitsu in Athens, TN posing with Stephen James Trimboli.

January 2024 photo of Ian Michael Elliott and Stephen James Trimboli flexing in Tellico Plains, TN.

Indeed, fellow Patriot Front member Stephen James Trimboli was also spotted in multiple posts from Athens Jiu Jitsu. Following Daily Beast's August 2024 story, Athens Jiu-Jitsu scrubbed images of Elliott from their social media, but posts showing Trimboli remain.

February 2024 photo showing the owner of Athens Jiu-Jitsu in Athens, TN posing with Ian Michael Elliott.

September 2024 statement from Athens Jiu-Jitsu in response to a Daily Beast story about Ian Michael Elliott's ties to the studio. The statement reads: "In light of a recent article, we would like to address and correct some information that was given. It was implied that we knew of a member's past and background, yet allowed him to stay at our school, regardless. That is simply false. We don't do background checks on students. We can only address and take care of situations that we are aware of. We have kicked members out of our school for far less that what we are being accused of participating in. It has been brought to our attention that a few of those who WERE part of our community and school, did not align with our core values. They were asked to leave and not return. Our integrity is a valued possession and we will contine to do the right things. Thank you for your support as we continue to be active in making our community a better place."

Ian Michael Elliott made headlines last year when it was reported he was a "friend & training partner" of an eastern TN-based Jiu-Jitsu academy. While Elliott was the only neo-Nazi named in the story, a statement from Athens Jiu-Jitsu suggested they may have been aware of "a few" bad apples.

Video still from November 2022 fight showing Smoky Mountain Active Club leader Thomas Cornelius Grady III of Etowah, Tennessee.

Video still from March 3, 2025 report from News Channel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams on the 122-acre Patriot Front compound in Tellico Plains, TN. The image shows a tattooed Ian Michael Elliott with his back to the camera sparring with a beared man with his face blurred in a bare knuckle fight. The beared man with his face blurred has been identified as Smoky Mountain Active Club leader Thomas Cornelius Grady III of Etowah, TN.

In this installment, we will meet a few of the chuds Ian Michael Elliott has been networking with at his mojo dojo casa house in Eastern Tennessee.

Plus, meet Thomas Grady of Etowah TN, a former marine and current professional MMA fighter who currently leads Smoky Mountain Active Club. 🧵

Patriot Front weirdo Ian Michael Elliott’s “Aryan tribal land” in Tellico Plains TN is in the news. First identified by Atlanta Antifascists in 2024, this 122-acre compound located 75-miles northeast of Chattanooga has hosted multiple neo-Nazi groups including Sean Kauffmann's Tennessee Active Club.

Undated photo of William "Chase" May representing Gracie Barra Murfreesboro.

Undated photo of William "Chase" May of Shelbyville, TN.

Undated photo of William "Chase" May of Shelbyville, TN.

Undated photo of William "Chase" May of Shelbyville, TN.

Until then, let's welcome Tennessee Active Club's newest "chief" to the sunlight, 28-year-old William "Chase" May of Shelbyville, TN.

Sucks to be you, bud.

February 2021 photo of Chase May at a North American Grappling Association (NAGA) event in Nashville, TN.

February 2021 photo showing Chase May representing Gracie Barra Murfreesboro at a North American Grappling Association (NAGA) event in Nashville, TN.

As an amateur MMA fighter, Chase May has represented Gracie Barra Murfreesboro & Shelbyville BJJ Academy in competitions. In our next installment, we'll take a look at another Tennessee MMA studio with a Nazi problem and check in on Ian Michael Elliott's "Aryan Tribal Land" in Tellico Springs, TN.

Undated Sons of Confederate Veterans flyer with the title "Your Heritage is Under Attack!'

Sons of Confederate Veterans logo with the motto "Our History, Our Heritage."

SCV has been an active force in the installation of modern Confederate monuments and has put up "mega" Confederate flags overlooking major highways & interstates. Although not explicitly a white supremacist organization, SCV has a history of ties to extremist groups including League of the South.

2018 photo of William "Chase" May of Shelbyville, TN. In the photo he wears a black leather vest with several patches. There is a III% and Confederate flag patch under another patch that reads "Proud Infidel - Sworn Enemy of Islam." May also wears a patch for the Sons of Confederat Veterans and has a matching tattoo on his right shoulder.

2017 photo showing Chase May standing next to a man with his back turned to the camera. There is a Confederate flag in the background and the man's shirt says "May Boys." There is text at the bottom of the image that says, "I support Confederate Heritage" and a graphic of a Confederate flag.

In addition to his ties to neo-Nazi fight clubs & violent skinhead gangs, 28-year-old William "Chase" May is also a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). SCV is a 128-year-old neo-Confederate group that promotes the pseudo-historical myth of the "Lost Cause."

June 26, 2022 mugshot of Edward Lewis Brock of Charlotte, NC who was charged with assault by strangulation inflicting serious injury, assault inflicting serious injury, and misdemeanor habitual assault.

Edward Lewis Brock has a lengthy history of violent crime, including a June 2022 arrest for assault by strangulation causing serious injury, and an assault conviction stemming from a 2009 stabbing at a party in Brunswick, NC.

Photo posted on Facebook in November 2022 showing Edward Lewis Brock of Charlotte, NC. In the photo, Brock wears a Hammerskin/Crew 38 t-shirt.

Screenshot of a Telregram account named "Brock Rigson" who is a member of the Tennessee Active Club chat. The profile pic is a collage showing Edward Lewis Brock on the left and the Spider-Man villain Venom on the right. In the image is the red and black crossed hammer logo of Hammerskin Nation and the letters HFFH which stand for "Hammerskins Forever, Forever Hammerskins."

Screenshot of an October 2024 exchange between Edward Lewis Brock and Chase May. Commenting on a photo, Edward Brock posts a sunglasses emoji, to which Chase May responds, "love you skin."

On Chase May's public FB friend list, we found 43-year-old Edward Lewis Brock of Charlotte, NC, who uses the alias "Brock Rigson" in TAC's Telegram chat. His profile photo features the crossed hammer logo of the Hammerskins and the letters "HFFH"—"Hammerskins Forever, Forever Hammerskins."

Facebook profile picture of "Jack Phisher" aka Sean Kauffmann posted on October 14, 2024. The photo shows a shirtless Kauffmann in 'Braveheart' style facepaint.

October 16, 2024 screenshot of Chase May's public friend list showing an account named Jack Phisher, a known alias of Sean Kauffmann. The profile pic shows a shirtless Kauffmann in 'Braveheart' style facepaint.

January 2024 screenshot of the since-deleted Facebook profile for an account named "Jack Fisher." The cover photo shows Patriot Front member Kieran Patrick Morris on the left, Sean Kauffmann in the middle, and Ian Michael Elliott on the right. The profile photo shows a shirtless Sean Kauffmann.

Chase May's Facebook bio mentions Crew 38, a support group for the violent white power skinhead gang Hammerskin Nation. His public friend list includes several notable boneheads and an account named "Jack Phisher," a variation of an alias previously used by Kauffmann.

Screenshot of August 25, 2024 Facebook post from Chase May showing him wearing a Will2Rise t-shirt. Will2Rise (W2R) is an athletic brand known for its affiliation with Rob Rundo's Rise Above Movement.

Image from an August 14, 2024 post on Tennessee Active Club's Telegram channel showing Chase May wearing the same Will2Rise shirt from the previous image. He is pictured with Sean Kauffmann. Both faces were blurred in the original post but the two are easily identifiable by Chase May's shirt & tattoos and Kauffmann's tall frame.

On Facebook, we found a Chase May living in Shelbyville. A profile photo posted in August shows him wearing a Will2Rise t-shirt. Will2Rise is the merchandising arm of Rob Rundo's Rise Above Movement, described by @timdickinson.bsky.social of Rolling Stone as "Lululemon for white power bros."

Excerpt from June 2023 report by Hatewatch with the headline “Notorious Nashville Store Hosts White Nationalist Fight Clubs.” Jeff Tischauser writes that on May 21, 2023 Sean Kauffmann revealed on Telegram that Lewis Country Store owner Brad Lewis allowed the group to use the upstairs private gym at the store to train. Kauffmann later deleted the comment and cleared the entire channel’s history.

Kauffmann previously scored an own goal in May 2023 when he let it slip that TAC was training in the private gym above the now-sold Lewis Country Store in Nashville.

www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/20...