About us

 Our main coach is Duncan Williams, who has been a lecturer at Salford since 2019. Duncan recieved his purple belt from Don Szikora of Origin BJJ Darlington in August 2020 (https://www.beltchecker.com/profile.php?id=39563) and has been a UKBJJA Sport England qualified Jiu Jitsu coach with instructor first aid training and enhanced DBS since 2022. We are also coached by Josh Meggitt who is a lecturer at Salford and a purple belt in BJJ who has been training since 2015 at Stealth BJJ in Oldham. There are lots of excellent full time BJJ clubs in and around Manchester and we can always make recommendations if you enjoy training with us and and want to do more outside of the SU. 

Will I get hurt?

Jiu Jitsu is a combat sport, but of all the martial arts listed on the Sport England pages, it is one of the very few classified as low risk. Small niggles are inevitable but significant injuries are very rare and usually completely preventable by training intelligently. Gentle training is effective training, and sparring is completely optional. You are also insured for injury through the SU, although if you decide to take training very seriously we would recommend you also join the UKBJJA as that will give you comprehensive partner-to-partner insurance and a host of other benefits. We aim to make a friendly and inclusive society and everyone will be welcomed and treated with respect and kindness whilst training. You can choose who you train with without any prejudice or questions asked. You can also turn down a training partner for any reason or no reason at all. No bullies here.

What should I wear/bring with me?

For your first session wear comfortable gym clothes - no zips, or other places fingers or toes could get caught! - tie back long hair, and remove or tape piercings or jewellry. Please also trim your nails and practice good hygiene. Flip flops are helpful if you need to leave the mats (no shoes on the mats). A bottle of water is a good idea. We won't be sparring initially but longer term you will need a gum shield if you wish to spar. If you already have a gum shield that's fine, or you can pick one up from most sports shops for £10-20. Sparring is completely optional but very beneficial for learning. If you want to grade, we can grade up to blue belt but you will need to train in a "gi" - a pair of trousers, belt, and kimono jacket (a good jiu jitsu gi starts at about £40 and we can make recommendations - cheaper Karate style gi's aren't suitable for Jiu Jitsu as they need to be hard wearing for grappling). Depending on demand we will initially focus on "nogi" (t-shirt/shorts/compression top/leggings) for at least the first trimester. Please wash yourself, and your equipment, immediately after training to avoid any nastiness.

I am (unfit/nervous/something else), can I still train?

YES! Jiu Jitsu is suitable, or adaptable, to everyone. If you do a quick google you will see women and men of all shapes and sizes who train. Not every technique will work for every body - we will focus on the highest percentage most applicable fundamental techniques initially until you develop your own preferences. Please understand that Jiu Jitsu is a contact sport and you will be in close contact with your training partners whilst training. Jiu Jitsu will introduce you to movements and muscles you did not know you had!

I have previous experience, can I still train?

Absolutely! If you've got previous experience in BJJ, do let us know when you arrive and we can cater to that. If you are a higher level than purple, you're still very welcome - we'd love to have you! If you have previous experience of other martial arts that's fine too of course. Depending on what you've done you may find lots of crossover (e.g., if you have trained in Judo, wrestling, or MMA), or not so much crossover (if you've trained in a striking only sport, e.g., Boxing or Muay Thai, or a traditional martial art like Aikido or Karate). Either way you're most welcome to come and see if Jiu Jitsu is for you.

Can I compete?

Yes, there is both a university league and a whole range of local, national, and international competitions, with categories for all levels. Competition is divided up by player age, gender, weight, and experience level. Competing isn't for everyone but if you are interested it is an excellent way to gauge your progress and find holes in your game to work on that the gym sessions may not have highlighted.

Have I seen Jiu Jitsu in the movies?
Well, that's probably what we call "movie-fu" but here is a list of a few celebrities who train BJJ:

Henry Cavill (White belt)

Demi Lovato (Blue belt)

Milla Jokovich (Brown belt)

Tom Hardy (Blue belt)

Keanu Reeves (White belt)

Jason Statham (Purple belt)

Jason Momoa (White belt)

Scarlett Johansson (White belt)