They are wolves in sheep's clothing. They want to appear friendly and uncontroversial. This is according to Alexander Ritzmann , senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) – a US-based, non-profit organization established in 2014 with the goal of combating extremism, radicalization and terrorism on a global level. CEP publishes reports and data on various extremist groups, ideologies, financing networks and propaganda, and advises authorities on how to handle potential threats. Ritzmann has closely examined the Active Club environment for several years, and is convinced that this concept is not about bare-knuckle training and martial arts.

The active clubs are part of a larger international far-right movement, focusing on strength training and martial arts. The concept has spread quickly and is now present in at least 20 countries with over 100 groups globally and in most US states, according to the organization The Counter Extremism Project.

The so-called activist clubs, in which a young close relative of a minister was active, have grown rapidly in Sweden. Alexander Ritzmann, senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin, has mapped the movement from its beginnings in the United States.

ARD Tagesschau podcast on Active Clubs with Alexander Ritzmann
Young men meet in trendy sports clubs for fitness training and boxing or practise jiu-jitsu martial arts. According to experts, the so-called "active clubs" are primarily about fun and camaraderie, while also introducing them to right-wing ideologies of violence. Apparently, well-known figures from the right-wing extremist scene are behind this. In this 11KM episode, SWR reporter Florian Barth talks about the new phenomenon of "Active Clubs", in which right-wing activists apparently train for street fighting and a "system overthrow", how right-wing networks are organized and recruited throughout Germany and how security authorities are looking at them.
 

“A hateful white supremacist network with a ‘fight club’ ethos is spreading across the US and around the world, new research shows. Neo-Nazi Active Clubs are said to be one of the fastest-growing extreme-right groups in America and are also present in the UK and Europe. The branches outwardly promote mixed martial arts (MMA) training and ‘brotherhood’ while preparing members for a race war against their perceived enemies, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)… The general ethos for members worldwide is to look and act like ‘regular guys’ and not talk about ‘politics, Jews or history’, according to research by the Counter Extremism Project, a New York-based policy organisation.”

“... For extremism expert Alexander Ritzmann, this is precisely the strategy of the "Active Clubs". "Violent right-wing extremists train, prepare for violence, but act as if they were just doing sports." Ritzmann works for the non-governmental organization "Counter Extremism Project", which operates in the USA and Europe and deals with extremist movements worldwide. In his opinion, the "Active Clubs" serve one main purpose: to build a network of right-wing extremists who are prepared to fight and use violence. According to Ritzmann, it remains to be seen what really drives the right-wing extremists behind the still young "Active Club" movement: "Will it remain a fist fight? Or is it just a pretense, a pretext, and in fact it is an armed militia, an armed vigilante group."” 

"There were 46 Active Clubs in the US in August 2023, the most recent numbers available, according to the Counter Extremism Project. In April 2023, the Accelerationism Research Consortium, which tracks hate groups, had found 30 Active Clubs in 17 states."