Which Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in Bristol should you choose to compete at? ?
There are many competitions to pick from in Bristol. In this article, we will provide a comparison of the top BJJ competitions in the city of Bristol to help you make a clear decision on what is best for you.
? Here is a summary of what this article will contain:
✅ A comprehensive analysis of BJJ competitions in Bristol.
✅ Top 5 list of said competitions.
✅ An individual breakdown of the pros and cons of each competition. ✅ Collection of key data points, including location, price range, and more.
⚠️ An important note before you read on
Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for many is a lifelong journey. Yet, many people choose a club to start training super-fast. And it’s usually based on how close it is to them. It’s really important that you take the time to clearly understand each individual club’s merits before jumping in. Your decision should primarily be based on the quality of Jiu-Jitsu and the culture of the club, and secondarily on location. We have written this post in order to have a clearer understanding of the best clubs in Bristol and therefore best equip you to make an informed decision.
Example highlights of top offerings at a competition:
Choosing the best Jiu-Jitsu club in Bristol that suits your own individual needs is challenging – we get it. Everyone has their own goals and objectives and differing lifestyles mean that Jiu-Jitsu to the family-oriented individual may look very different from Jiu-Jitsu to the 17-year-old, hungry athlete looking to build a career in the sport. In analysing the top Jiu-Jitsu schools in Bristol, we have collected a number of data points. Here’s a summary before we get started on the rankings.
??♂️ Warm Up Mats It is extremely important that you warm your body up before competing, in order to get yourself ready for your matches. A large warm-up area is great to drill and practice your game plan with your teammates.
?? National Level Referee’s It is important to have qualified referees at events who have a wealth of refereeing experience. Some matches are nail-bitingly close and hard to judge.
? Acai Stall Acai is a popular fruit from Brazil. It is also very popular in the Jiu-Jitsu community. Practitioners and spectators alike often enjoy consuming acai with fruit and honey before matches to give them extra energy!
? Clothing Stands
1. Bristol Open
⭐️ Rated: 2/5 by UKBJJA
? Pricing: £60 entry fee or adults, £45 entry fee for kids.
? Address: Thornbury Leisure Centre, Thornbury, BS35 3JB
? Contact: premierbjj@gmail.com
? Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Bristol-Open-BJJ-100064154073862/
The Bristol Open Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament is a 2-star ranking event under the UKBJJA and is open to all belt levels and ages.
? Pros
✅ Beginner friendly competition
✅ Venue has on-site parking
✅ Kids and adults of all ages and belts
✅ Cafe on site
? Cons
❌ No cash prizes
❌ No streaming of any kind
2. Pro Sport Grappling
⭐️ Rated: 3/5 by UKBJJA
? Starting from: £50 entry fee for adults, £40 entry fee for kids.
? Address: Kennedy Way, Yate, Bristol BS37 4DQ
? Contact: prosportgrappling@gmail.com
? Website: https://www.facebook.com/prosportgrapplingevents/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition which raises the bar for local competitions. The Pro Sport Grappling team provide professional-level competitions, with live streaming, cash prizes, IBJJF full-size mat areas, LED walls to show the action and much more.
? Pros
✅ On-site parking
✅ Some categories are live-streamed
✅ Cash prizes
✅ Large warm-up area
? Cons
❌ Stalls are very limited
3. Somerset Open
⭐️ Rated: 3/5 by UKBJJA
? Starting from: £50 entry fee for adults, £40 entry fee for kids.
? Address: Hutton Moor Rd, Weston-super-Mare BS22 8LY
? Contact: info@showtechs.co.uk
? Website: https://www.facebook.com/somersetbjjopen/
The Somerset Open is run by the same team as Pro Sport Grappling events. Both competitions are very similar, however, one is in Weston and one is located closer to Bristol.
? Pros
✅ Great for beginners.
✅ Newly renovated premises.
✅ Part of a worldwide organisation.
? Cons
❌ No Full-time competition team
❌ Not a full-time academy
❌ Only 13 classes per week.
4. Impact Gym
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (35+ reviews) ? Starting from: £59.99 per month for adults, £39.99 per month for kids. ? Address: Hayward Rd, Soundwell, Bristol BS16 4NY ☎️ Contact: 0117 329 0059 ? Website: https://www.impactgymbristol.com/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Downend area of Bristol, Impact Gym is run by brothers Tom and Jake O’Hagan. They have 26+ Classes per week in their schedule, including MMA, Striking and Wrestling. They also have a weights facility in the same building as their martial arts. They also have classes for both kids and adults. Impact Gym also has a team of competitors who compete regularly.
? Pros
✅ Lots of martial arts under one roof. ✅ Access to weights facility. ✅ Large facility.
? Cons
❌ No daytime schedule. ❌ Kids’ classes are not split by age. ❌ No Full-time competition team.
5. Artemis BJJ
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (7+ reviews) ? Starting from: £50 per month ? Address: 7 Easton Rd, Bristol BS5 0BY ☎️ Contact: 07740 197319 ? Website: https://www.artemisbjj.com/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Easton area of Bristol, Artemis BJJ is run by black belt Can Sönmez. They have 12+ classes per week in their schedule, however, have a lot of ‘open mats’ which is where there is no class structure and you have the freedom to use the mats however you wish (stretching, practising technique, sparring etc). They offer only two kids’ classes which are on a Sunday.
? Pros
✅ Very beginner friendly. ✅ Great central location. ✅ Lots of ‘open mats’ for freedom of use.
? Cons
❌ Only 12+ classes per week. ❌ Kids’ classes are not split by age. ❌ No Full-time competition team.
6. Bristol Dojo
⭐️ Rated: 4.7/5 on Google Reviews (20+ reviews) ? Starting from: £60 per month for adults, £48 per month for kids. ? Address: 1-21 Bedminster Down Rd, Bedminster, Bristol BS13 7AB ☎️ Contact: 0800 756 6990 ? Website: https://bristoldojo.com/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Bedminster area of Bristol, Bristol Dojo is a martial arts school with different martial arts classes such as Karate and Kickboxing. Bristol Dojo offers 12+ BJJ classes per week in their schedule across two mat spaces, including classes for kids twice a week. It is a family-run school run by Simon O’Brien and his family. His son, Dylan O’Brien is a black belt, and his daughter Carys O’Brien runs K1 and Kickboxing classes. Simon also manages lots of different competitions around the South West of the UK such as Pro Sport Grappling and the Somerset Open.
? Pros
✅ Very beginner friendly. ✅ Weights room included in membership. ✅ Smaller class attendance which means more mat space.
? Cons
❌ No daytime schedule. ❌ Limited parking ❌ No weekend schedule.
7. Gracie Barra Yate
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (20+ reviews) ? Starting from: £70 per month for adults, £50 per month for kids. ? Address: 11 Heron Way, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol BS37 6XW ☎️ Contact: 07788 245306 ? Website: https://www.graciebarrayate.co.uk/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the outskirts of Bristol, in the area of Chipping Sodbury. The school is run by black belt Antonio Bustorff. With 49+ classes per week, they include a variety of classes in their schedule such as Ladies only, competition classes, wrestling and more. The school is open 6 days a week and is closed on Sundays. GB Yate also has a handful of competitors who compete regularly and have had success in competition.
? Pros
✅ Two mat spaces. ✅ 49+ classes per week. ✅ Daytime schedule.
? Cons
❌ Small sq ft mat spaces for the number of classes offered. ❌ No classes on Sunday. ❌ No full-time competition team.
8. Aftermath BJJ
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (24+ reviews) ? Starting from: Unknown. ? Address: 37 Filwood Broadway, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1JP ☎️ Contact: 07967 496772 ? Website: https://aftermathbjj.co.uk/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Knowle West area of Bristol. The school is run by black belt Nick Jordan. With 20+ classes per week. The school is open 7 days a week. Aftermath BJJ also has a handful of competitors who compete regularly and have had success in competition.
? Pros
✅ Open 7 days week. ✅ Competition team. ✅ Daytime schedule.
? Cons
❌ Small mat space. ❌ No instructor-led classes on the weekend. ❌ Limited parking.
9. Art Of Movement
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (14+ reviews) ? Starting from: £50 per month for adults, £40 per month for kids. ? Address: St Luke’s Church, Church St, Bristol BS5 9FB ☎️ Contact: 07734 469251 ? Website: https://www.artofmovementbristol.com/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol. The school is run by black belt Rad. With 12+ classes per week, the school is open 6 days a week and runs both Jiu Jitsu and Capoeira in the same facility. Art Of Movement also has a handful of competitors.
? Pros
✅ Capoeira classes. ✅ Competition team. ✅ Kids classes.
? Cons
❌ BJJ is only available 4 days per week. ❌ No full-time competition team ❌ No daytime schedule.
10. RR Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
⭐️ Rated: 5/5 on Google Reviews (5+ reviews) ? Starting from: £75 per month for adults, Kids classes coming soon. ? Address: High St, Hanham, Bristol BS15 3DR ☎️ Contact: 07951 701027 ? Website: https://rrbrazilianjiujitsu.com/
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Hanham area of Bristol, RR Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a full-time academy with over 22+ classes per week. The school is run by head coach Rich Rubino, who is a black belt under Pedro Bessa. They offer a daytime schedule, classes for kids, and classes for women only, with also a competitive interest with competitive coaches and a competition team.
? Pros
✅ Daytime schedule. ✅ Competition team. ✅ Discounts for members for other local businesses.
? Cons
❌ No Saturday schedule (Women’s only). ❌ Limited mat space. ❌ Kids classes are only two days per week.
