The United Kingdom Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association, in collaboration with Rescue Global and Kernow BJJ is proud to announce the launch of BJJ Viral Support Network (BJJVSN). This new website is designed to offer support and resources to help clubs survive the Coronavirus/Covid-19 lockdown and, crucially, retain their paying members. BJJVSN will support the health, safety, welfare of the BJJ community and support the continuation of businesses, gyms & academies throughout an extremely difficult time.
The new site is free for all Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clubs and coaches to join and consists of two main areas:
1) BUSINESS
- Business continuity planning and advice, centred around how to maintain the club and restart safely as soon as possible
- Legal and human resources (HR, staff) advice, provided by fully indemnified HR solicitor, to help clubs manage HR challenges lawfully and ethically in these challenging times
- Health links: A one-stop shop for the latest international Organisations advisory sites, including the World Health Organisation (WHO)
2) TRAINING
- Recorded: Technique videos provided by members of the BJJ instructional community (BJJ black belts from academies who contribute), alongside some of the biggest names in BJJ. Instructors who have already committed to providing material include Mauricio Gomes and the Raspberry Ape, Daniel Strauss. Content will be regularly added to our video library from clubs across the UK and abroad. New content will be released weekly with at least 2 new training videos added each week
- Live: BJJ, instructional live feeds hosted on the site, from BJJ black belts, to add the personal touch and interaction that we are all missing
- Live: Yoga, from an Ashtanga yoga instructor under John Scott (one of the top ashtanga teachers worldwide), and one of the first Yoga for BJJ © Instructors trained by Sebastian Brosche
Crucially, the training resources provide a means for club owners to ensure their students keep their club memberships active. Participating clubs will get full, free access and will be able to provide exclusive access to their students, provided they continue as club members.
One of the early supporters of BJJVSN is 8th-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Coral Belt, Master Mauricio Gomes. He said “The BJJVSN is a great resource for all UK gyms to work together to help each other through this difficult time and help jiu jitsu businesses to get back on their feet and grow stronger when we come out the other side. I am proud to be part of this positive and team spirited organisation.
There is no charge to join BJJVSN and membership is open to all gyms/academies regardless of affiliation.
To get started, please visit https://bjjsupportnetwork.org
Stay fit, stay sharp, support your club!
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ABOUT BJJVSN:
The BJJVSN was created by David McNicol-Jones, one of the founders of Rescue Global (RG), in consultation with Mike Williams, CEO of the UKBJJA, to support the sport and community of which he is a passionate member. RG is providing the BJJVSN with business continuity advice for clubs, as well as guidance on how to re-open again as safely as possible, when appropriate.David Jones, CEO of RG said: “I am proud to bring the experience gained in crisis and disaster response, supporting UK, other governments and businesses in extreme events, to support the BJJ community. This is a very difficult time for BJJ as a sport which requires very close contact between its practitioners. The BJJ VSN is based on the beliefs that BJJ Clubs and academies as businesses needs to give value to members when “closed” and also that BJJ Members will want clubs to go back to when the new normal is established. BJJVSN exists to support clubs in order to give value to members at this time, retain memberships, whilst also negotiating rent, staffing and more.”
ABOUT RESCUE GLOBAL:
(RG www.rescueglobal.org) intends to build a world in which disasters are less frequent and less impactful, and that nations, organisations, and communities have real resilience to withstand them. RG works towards this by training, enabling and empowering decision makers of nation states and multinational corporations, who are responsible for the lives of thousands or millions of people. RG also works in partnership across sectors, throughout the disaster cycle, and across levels of decision-making and action, in order to achieve this vision. Understand more about how Rescue Global works with diverse sectors, and across the disaster cycle, here.
ABOUT KERNOW BJJ:
Kernow BJJ (KBJJ www.kernowbjj.com) is an independent BJJ academy located in Cornwall (Kernow is Cornish for Cornwall), in the UK. Founded by Professor Mark Bauer, and his business partner David McNicol-Jones. Mark is a black belt under BJJ Legend Roger Gracie. A successful competitor in his own right, Mark is an inspirational coach respected by his peers for his sincere dedication to BJJ, his team and the wider BJJ community. KBJJ is proud to included amongst its Associate Professors awesome BJJ practitioners such as Dean Lister, Daniel Strauss, Mauricio Gomes and Yiannis Bloutis.
For the BJJVSN KBJJ is providing the site planning and creation, ongoing administration, video editing and scheduling of recorded and live video content.
Mark, Head Coach and Founder of KBJJ said: “KBJJ is all about the sport, the community, and of course our own members. We believe in inclusivity, respect and teamwork. We feel the need to give real value to our members and also other academies through massive effort now in this really difficult time. KBJJ is really proud to be supporting the BJJVSN, so that we can all work together, and get back to training (and competing hard again with each other) as soon as it’s safe to do that”.
ABOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU ASSOCIATION:
The United Kingdom Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association (UKBJJA – www.ukbjja.org) is the governing body for the sport and martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in the UK. It is a not-for profit organisation which aims to provide a governance structure for BJJ, that promotes and develops the sport while allowing individual clubs and practitioners the space and freedom to practice the sport in the way they enjoy. The UKBJJA is currently in the final stages of assessment for full Sport England accreditation.
The UKBJJA was formed in 2013, and the association’s goal is to foster the development of BJJ at elite, community and grassroots levels, raising the profile of the sport but also providing pathways for development and involvement across communities in the UK.
To join the UKBJJA as an individual or club, visit https://www.ukbjja.org/membership/