Featured affiliated academy: Merthyr BJJ Wales
Where is the gym located?
We train inside the local leisure centre called Merthyr Leisure Centre. It’s at the heart and soul of the town in which we are based – Merthyr Tydfil (Wales). This is a large town and borough about 30 miles from Cardiff and Swansea, and close to the beautiful Brecon Beacons.
How many people train there?
We have on average 17 people training per session. This can go down as low as 6 and as high as 22.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Every month the club sees new students trying out BJJ with us, as well as existing practitioners trying Merthyr BJJ.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training in Merthyr BJJ Wales?
We range from absolute novices to a blackbelt.
When did the gym open?
We’ve existed for around 8 years, but we were part of a larger academy up until 16 months ago, when us and our sister clubs (Rob Taylor Jiu Jitsu in Cardiff and the MAT Academy in Treforest) disbanded and became independent of the Chris Rees Academy. Since then we moved premises, and then settled within the leisure centre, where we have now set up home!
Some facts about you:
Name: Alyn Weyman
Age: 47
Belt: Black belt (September 2018)
Academy: Merthyr BJJ Wales
Profession: Firefighter
Years in BJJ: 15
Other martial arts: Karate from aged 12. I competed internationally and won several titles.
Currently living in: Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Originally from: Rhymney Valley
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
When i decided to retire from karate, I began taking BJJ lessons under Chris Rees and I instantly fell in love with the sport. In between my shifts as a firefighter, I tried to travel down at least twice a week to attend classes. I also began training BJJ with a few friends who had strong interests in BJJ and MMA in Merthyr. Before I knew it I was competing, and as a blue belt, under the guidance of my instructors, I opened a class in a friend’s dojo and set up the first BJJ classes in the town. Several years and moves later, we have Merthyr BJJ in its current form. We now train twice a week, and it seems a very long way away from being in a cold warehouse to the heated flooring we have now!
It has always been about making long thought-out decisions and taking the plunge to try and better the club and the facilities for those who train with us. It’s now a club that myself and my partner Rebecca run and have set up a beginners fundamentals programme as well as advanced classes in both gi and nogi.
Tell us about the people that train in Merthyr BJJ Wales – who are they?
We have male and female students from 16 to 63 training with us. The majority are male. We have many overseas students, as the demographics of the town means we see people who’ve moved to the surrounding areas from outside the UK. We have local, national, and international medalists, as well as people who have and will not ever compete. There is absolutely no pressure on people to compete.
We have students with backgrounds in stand-up martial arts and those with keen interests in MMA who’ve come to us to add skills to their ground games. We cater for people with physical and mental disabilities. We also have students who have conditions such as diabetes.
Why do they train?
The majority of our students train because BJJ is their hobby. We have people who wish to compete in BJJ and MMA, and mainly they want to improve their fitness and skill set. Rugby players come to us to improve some of their skills as well as body conditioning.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Merthyr is known to be an economically deprived area, so £5 per lesson is a struggle for some students, and when you factor in buying a gi and insurance, this can sometimes be off-putting. The fees of competing can be extortionate, and as many people will gauge their progress on results, getting the money together for even local competitions (let alone any of the very expensive IBJJF ones) could prove to be a barrier. Getting appropriate marketing material designed and printed to encourage new students has been one of the challenges. Keeping hold of existing students has also proved to be quite difficult, as we have very little say in moving the times and days of the classes.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
The future of BJJ in south Wales looks promising. When world champions hold seminars nearby, it proves that there are sufficient numbers interested and training. The likes of Brett Johns, John Philips, Jack Marshman, and Jack Shore are all in the UFC and have all trained BJJ locally. That is not something we should overlook. The number of people that approach us and ask us to begin a children’s class is phenomenal.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
After years of training in warehouses, it has to be heat! Heat and the range of students we have As long as we have people smiling when they train with us, that is as good as anything to see!
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
We live in a beautiful part of the country, and have many outdoor activities that can be done here due to the geography of the land. We have the internationally known Bike Park Wales (a fantastic facility for lovers of mountain biking, which we also do!), we’re right on the doorstep of the Brecon Beacons, with plenty of scenery to take in, as well as many castles for a bit of a history lesson.
