Cruciate Ligament Rupture During a One-Day Jiu-Jitsu Trial···Court "Gym Head Not Liable for Compensation"

Rupture and Surgery After Accident···Civil Liability Dispute Over Alleged Negligence of Management and Supervision Duty
Court "Risk of Injury at a Level Participants Can Understand"

A trainee who was injured during a one-day trial at a jiu-jitsu gym filed a claim for damages against the head of the gym, but it was dismissed.

The Seoul Eastern District Court in April ruled against plaintiff A, a trainee, in a damages lawsuit for about 37 million won that A had filed against gym head B and others.

A applied for a one-day jiu-jitsu trial at the gym operated by B in 2024. In the course of practicing with another trainee, A suffered an accident in which the knee and arm were bent, and underwent surgery. Afterward, A filed the lawsuit, claiming that B, as the gym head, had violated the duty of management and supervision to remove foreseeable risks and prevent accidents.

However, B's side countered that before technique practice, they had instructed trainees to do warm-ups and other basic exercises, and had conducted safety education telling them not to brace with their hands but to use break-fall techniques when falling, thereby fulfilling the duty of care as an instructor.

The court dismissed A's claim. The court panel ruled, "Sports such as jiu-jitsu inherently carry a risk of injury during a certain amount of physical contact or loss of balance, and it is common for trainees to participate on that premise," and "the mere fact that an injury occurred during practice cannot immediately be taken to mean that the gym head is recognized as having violated the duty of care." It added that the accident occurred in an instant, so it would have been difficult to prevent even if the gym head had been watching.

Attorney Jang Hyun-ji of Daeryun LLC (law firm), who represented A, said, "Although we confirmed A's injury course, including the surgery, we actively defended against causation based on the fact that the gym had faithfully fulfilled safety duties such as prior break-fall education, and on past medical records," adding, "We were able to obtain recognition from the court of the social reasonableness of assuming the inherent risks that come with the nature of the sport." jckim99@sportsseoul.com

Reporter Kim Jong-cheol

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Cruciate Ligament Rupture During a One-Day Jiu-Jitsu Trial···Court "Gym Head Not Liable for Compensation" (Go)