This article was written by Marc Barton, who is a 2nd degree Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Mauricio Gomes.  Marc is the head instructor at Kingston Jiu Jitsu and is also a qualified medical doctor. Marc has also contributed articles for a medical education website. Cold and flu season is upon us again. While there are no proven quick fixes to boosting our immune system to help us fend off illnesses, we can do some simple things to help the body’s natural defences do their job. Here are five simple measures that can be taken to help you strengthen your immunity naturally: 1. Get good qua ..read more

As with most sports and martial arts, you must invest in some kit and equipment to get the most out of your training. Choosing what you will buy is highly personalised; however, some items are essential. We have categorised these items into three groups: The essentials No-gi training gear Protective equipment The Essentials There are only two items that are absolutely essential at all jiu jitsu academies: Gi Belt To train jiu jitsu you will definitely need a ‘gi’. Although there are now lots of ‘no-gi’ only submission grappling academies, Brazilian jiu jitsu is traditionally practiced wear ..read more

For your viewing pleasure, some amazing archive footage featuring the late, great Rolls Gracie sparring with Rickson Gracie! Rolls Gracie, born on March 28, 1951, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a pioneering figure in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and a member of the renowned Gracie family, known for their contributions to the art of BJJ. As the grandson of Carlos Gracie, the founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Rolls was destined to leave an indelible mark on the martial arts world. From a young age, Rolls immersed himself in the world of BJJ, training under his father, Carlos Gracie Jr., and his uncles ..read more

This article was written by Marc Barton, who is a 2nd degree Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Mauricio Gomes.  Marc is the head instructor at Kingston Jiu Jitsu and is also a qualified medical doctor. Marc has also contributed articles for a medical education website. Header image used on license from Shutterstock. In Part 1 and Part 2 of our series of short articles on skin infections in BJJ and grappling, we discussed how easy it is to transmit these infections and learned about ringworm and staph. In our third and final article on the topic, we will look at herpes infections, parti ..read more

This article was written by Marc Barton, who is a 2nd degree Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Mauricio Gomes.  Marc is the head instructor at Kingston Jiu Jitsu and is also a qualified medical doctor. Marc has also contributed articles for a medical education website. Header image used on license from Shutterstock.  In Part 1 of our series of short articles on skin infections in BJJ and grappling, we discussed how easy it is to transmit these infections and concentrated on ringworm, which is one of the most commonly encountered skin infections on the mats. In our second article, we w ..read more

This article was written by Marc Barton, who is a 2nd degree Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Mauricio Gomes.  Marc is the head instructor at Kingston Jiu Jitsu and is also a qualified medical doctor. Marc has also contributed articles for a medical education website. Header image used on license from Shutterstock. Practising Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and all other forms of grappling for that matter, comes with an associated risk of developing skin infections. Nearly everyone who grapples will eventually develop one of these annoying and sometimes potentially dangerous infections. The mats are ..read more

This article was written by osteopath, black belt, and owner of Centre Line BJJ, Miad Najafi. When was the last time you faced a fear? Have you recently left your comfort zone and entered your discomfort zone? What are the things that you know you should do, but your uber-sophisticated excuse-making machine talks you out of time after time? These are questions we all must ask ourselves if we are serious about achieving growth in any area of our lives. All growth and development, from training martial arts, studying for a qualification or learning how to surf, all of it happens when w ..read more

On April 30th 2023, the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood club network held its second super seminar. There were four hours of teaching by four different black belts, followed by an open mat, and it was another very special day! The event was hosted by Kingston Jiu Jitsu.   ----------------------------------   Introducing the Enso Gi 4.0: Embrace the Artistry of Jiu Jitsu   ..read more

This article was written by Leigh Remedios, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Traditional Ju Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do. Leigh is a prolific competitor and has competed internationally in martial arts, including the UFC and Polaris. He has won several prestigious competitions, including the NAGA United Kingdom Grappling Championship belt and European IBJJF no-gi gold medals. Leigh runs a Jiu Jitsu and MMA Academy in Wiltshire, UK. About a year ago, I wrote an article about strength development. The key points were: Strength is a factor of the cross-sectional are ..read more

Every jiu jitsu academy has its own set of house rules, and things can vary from place to place, but generally speaking, there is a certain way to behave and a certain accepted standard of etiquette that you should adhere to. Sometimes the ‘house rules’ are written out clearly on a poster on the wall, or they can be found on the academy website. The following is an in-depth explanation of how to behave before, during and after every class you attend. Following these rules of etiquette will ensure that you and your fellow students can get the most out of the training experience. It will also en ..read more