Featured affiliated academy: Bariot Submission Fighting, BJJ England
Bariot Submission Fighting, BJJ England
Where is the gym located?
Stewartby, a village in Bedfordshire, England.
How many people train there?
We have about 10 regular members, and other gyms come and join our classes.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, it’s slowly growing by one or two new members each month
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
White belt through to black belt
When did the gym open?
March 2024.
Some facts about you:
Name: Lee Elliot
Age: 49
Belt: Brown belt
Profession: Property management
Years in BJJ: Dipped in and out starting in 2003
Other martial arts: Kickboxing
Currently living in: Bedfordshire, England
Originally from: Oxfordshire
Bariot Submission Fighting, BJJ England
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
My friend and I met whilst training at another gym, and we were inspired to launch our own gym in our local area. We came up with the idea after spending countless hours also training together in my garage.
Bariot is a welcoming and inclusive club where all individuals, regardless of their belt level, are made to feel equal and can come together to train. We decided at the beginning to focus on no-gi due to its rising popularity in the BJJ community. We now train both no-gi and gi.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have three instructors two black belts and a brown belt. We have a mix of students, mainly white belts, and a couple of blue belts. We have higher belts from other gyms come and visit us to train, as we offer a pay and train option. We let people know our doors are open to anyone—all we ask are people are respectful and hygienic. So far, so good!
Why do they train?
BJJ offers a multitude of benefits, one being that it immerses you in the present moment, providing a brief escape from the demands of everyday life. Stepping onto the mat allows you to set aside any worries or pressures you may be facing.
That’s why I think a lot of people enjoy it, along with the social aspect of meeting new and interesting people from all walks of life.
Bariot Submission Fighting, BJJ England
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
We have not experienced any major challenges so far. Our location could be slightly better. Unless you live in the village where we train, people have to get transport to us, which is why we’re looking to get our own place in a better location… which is proving slightly harder than we thought, seeking the relevant permissions etc. But we are keeping a eye out.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I can only see good things for the future of BJJ locally and nationally. It’s a growing sport and is gaining a lot of traction in our local area. There seems to be a lot of interest—you can tell by the amount of clubs. We’ve connected with a couple of gyms who have similar beliefs to us—210 Jiu Jitsu and Viking Academy—so big respect to them and we appreciate their support..
What’s the best thing about your gym?
Definitely the people.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
We’re pretty well situated here in Bedfordshire. We have history, good food, and loads of open countryside and a few pubs if that’s your thing 😎👍🏻
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