Hello! Do you want to know what are we doing?
The United Kingdom Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association is committed to promoting BJJ across all areas of the UK. We are non-political, non-discriminatory and committed to inclusion for all aspects of the sport. BJJ for all.
Youth Development
University League
SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
elite athletes
REFEREE TRAINING
We are committed to ensuring that high standards of refereeing are maintained at competitions. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
GENDER EQUALITY
In recent months we have appointed a Women’s Development Commission, produced a short film entitled Jiu Jitsu Woman to encourage women and girls to take up the sport and on 8 March 2016 (International Women’s Day) we launched a major sporting outreach campaign called Unstoppable Girl to get females of all ages and backgrounds more active and taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
UNSTOPPABLE GIRL
VISIT UNSTOPPABLE GIRL PAGE
DISABILITY JIU JITSU
ANTI DOPING
FIRST AID AND SAFEGUARDING TRAINING
our mission
The UKBJJA is a non-profit organisation and any surplus funds are to be reserved for investment for development of the sport.
The objectives of the UKBJJA are:
- To preserve and protect the integrity of BJJ as a performance based martial art
- To promote BJJ and encourage wider participation in all areas of the sport
- To provide a framework for national recognition of the sport
- To preserve the integrity of the ranking system
- To provide a framework for competitions and individual schools to follow to ensure minimum standards of safety and good practice
- To represent all clubs and members in a democratic and transparent manner
UKBJJA STRUCTURE
- Board of up to 12, including at least 25% of whom are independent directors
- Chairman to be elected every four years by member vote for maximum of two terms
- Secretary to be elected every four years by member vote for maximum of two terms
- Treasurer to be elected every four years by member vote for maximum of two terms
- Council of 24 Officers responsible for the following areas: England BJJ Development; Wales BJJ Development; Scotland BJJ Development; Northern Ireland BJJ Development; Welfare, Safety and Equality; Competition Structure and Standards; Referees; Outreach and Development; Elite Performance; to be elected every four years by member vote. (NB this list of areas of responsibility is not exhaustive)
UKBJJA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Richard Martin
Chairman
Post due for election: October 2021
SIMON HAYES
Treasurer
Post due for election: October 2021
Dave Coles
Secretary
Post due for election: October 2021
Nicholas Brooks
Regional Director, England
Post due for election: October 2021
James mcintyre
Regional Director, Scotland
Post due for election: October 2021
neil williams
Regional Director, Wales
Post due for election: October 2021
pete lavery
Regional Director, Northern Ireland
Post due for election: October 2021
catherine elder
Independent DIrector -Safeguarding
RODRIGO SOUZA
Independent Director, Finance
lawrence selby
Independent Director, Legal
francis Lambert
Independent Director, PR & Marketing
Mike WILLIAMS
Chief Executive Officer
The CEO is responsible for the day to day running of the Association and the implementation of UKBJJA strategy. They are not on the Board of Directors, but report directly to them.
Get in touch: ceo@ukbjja.org
UKBJJA COUNCIL
jolie boyle
Women's Officer
Appointed March 2018
Nicholas Brooks
Regional Officer, England
Post due for election: October 2021
tim carden
Universities Officer
Appointed October 2017
Dave coles
Executive Officer & Rules Committee
Post due for election: October 2021
Marcelo Coppa
Head Referee & Rules Committee
Appointed January 2018
Raphael Dos Santos
Executive Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Nicholas Duncan
Sports Development Officer
Appointed August 2018
Jonathan Dunn
Executive Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Lesley Harrison
Competitions Officer
Appointed October 2017
Paul Hartley
Executive Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Simon Hayes
Executive Officer & Belt Committee
Post due for election: October 2021
Gina Hopkins
Disability Officer
Appointed January 2018
Jimmy Johnstone
Youth Development Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
lee johnstone
Executive Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Peter Lavery
Regional Officer, Northern Ireland
Post due for election: October 2021
Richard Martin
Executive Officer & Belt Committee
Post due for election: October 2021
James McIntyre
Regional Officer, Scotland
Post due for election: October 2021
Rodrigo Reyes
Data Protection Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Mark Tucker
Executive Officer & Belt Committee
Post due for election: October 2021
Enzo Vullo
Executive Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
Neil Williams
Regional Officer, Wales
Post due for election: October 2021
Gret Zoeller
Schools Officer
Post due for election: October 2021
HISTORY OF BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, ‘the gentle at’ or arte suave is a martial art which has its origins in Japanese fighting systems. (click to read more)
Traditional Japanese styles were moulded into a new martial art with its own distinctive character, where individuals fighting of their backs could still apply dangerous submission holds. Opponents engaged in ‘vale tudo’ fights, with no time limits or rules, and stories of Helios, Carlos’ son, submitting bigger opponents have become part of BJJ legend. Academies sprung up over Brazil and high profile matches fuelled the growth of Jiu Jitsu.
The art has grown in popularity in the Americas and beyond, and in the 1990s, the start of The UFC brought BJJ to a global audience, when BJJ players such as Royce Gracie took part in mixed martial arts bouts against a range of competitors. BJJ has become part of the standard training for MMA fighters. The sport is now practised across the globe and tournaments are held in a variety of international locations, with the European and World championships attracting over 3000 competitors. In the UK there are now thousands of practitioners, many of whom are winning tournaments at the highest level of international competition.
BJJ in the UK and the formation of the UKBJJA
When Brazilian Jiu Jitsu arrived in the UK at the end of the 90’s many cities held seminars for visiting Brazilian Black Belt Instructors but is was London and Birmingham who saw Black Belts first taking up residency to start regular classes first. (click to READ MORE)
As a successful component in the sport of MMA, but a component that can be trained safely without striking or impact it immediately became popular for both fitness and self-defence. It has grown from small pockets of practitioners training in sports halls and hired rooms into the country’s fastest growing martial art with many full-time academies running successfully in cities and towns across the UK. Along with the healthy lifestyle BJJ promotes a busy competition circuit has developed and the UK has a number of home-grown athletes who are World ranked. The UK BJJ community has always enjoyed strong relationships with good communication between separate clubs and teams and this has been one of the major factors in the success of the tournament circuit. For many years the sport ran without a National Governing Body but in 2012 members of the different clubs and teams decided that for the ongoing growth of the sport and the safety and co-ordination of the competitive side of the sport, the UKBJJA should be formed. As discussions progressed it became clear that supporting local communities, youth and disabled BJJ players would also become a main priority of the association. In 2015 the criteria to become recognised by Sport England was achieved and an application presented.