Martial Arts Gyms to Visit in London

London, the vibrant capital of England, is not only a hub for culture, history, and business but also a hotspot for martial arts enthusiasts. From traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to striking arts like boxing and Muay Thai, London offers a plethora of options for those keen to train, compete, or just get into shape. Let's delve into some of the top martial arts gyms to visit in London.

1. Roger Gracie Academy (RGA)

When it comes to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Gracie name reigns supreme. The Roger Gracie Academy in London is run by the 10-time World Champion, Roger Gracie, himself. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned practitioner, this gym provides a top-notch BJJ experience, emphasizing the fundamentals and core principles of the art.

2. Fight Zone London

Located in the heart of the city, Fight Zone London is a multi-disciplinary gym offering classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, and more. With a team of dedicated instructors and a welcoming environment, this is a must-visit for anyone looking to immerse themselves in martial arts.

3. The Budokwai

Established in 1918, The Budokwai is Europe's oldest Judo club. But don't let its age fool you; the gym is as contemporary as any. Apart from Judo, they also offer training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and Aikido. Its rich history combined with modern training techniques makes it a unique training destination.

4. London Fight Factory

For MMA enthusiasts, London Fight Factory is a haven. This gym offers comprehensive training, covering disciplines like BJJ, Muay Thai, boxing, and more. Whether you're training for professional bouts or just looking to get fit, their expert instructors will guide you every step of the way.

5. Carson Gracie London

Outstanding gym for serious BJJ players West London. If you like tough gyms with great competitors this is the gym to visit. Since it is located close to RGA, visit both!

6. Boxing and Muay Thai Gyms

London boasts a rich boxing heritage, and there are numerous boxing gyms scattered throughout the city, catering to both professionals and amateurs. Similarly, for those interested in the art of eight limbs, Muay Thai gyms offer rigorous training sessions.

London has a rich boxing heritage and several notable boxing gyms. One of the most renowned boxing gyms in London is:

Repton Boxing Club: Established in 1884, Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green is one of the oldest and most prestigious boxing gyms in the UK. It has produced numerous champions over the years and remains a cornerstone of London's boxing scene.

While Repton Boxing Club holds significant historical value and has been instrumental in the careers of many successful boxers, London is home to numerous other boxing gyms. If you're considering training, it's worth visiting a few to find one that aligns best with your needs and goals.

A Note on Wrestling: It's worth noting that while London is a hub for many martial arts, wrestling isn't as readily available as in other parts of the world, especially the United States. However, some MMA gyms do offer wrestling classes as part of their curriculum, so it's always worth checking beforehand.

In Conclusion

London's martial arts scene is diverse and dynamic. Regardless of your discipline or level of experience, the city offers something for everyone. Whether you're looking to hone your techniques, compete, or just have a good workout, London's array of gyms will not disappoint. Remember, the best gym for you depends on your personal goals, so it's always a good idea to visit a few and see which one resonates best with you. Happy training!

Roger Gracie back to Jiu Jitsu!

We have all enjoyed Roger Gracie's mma career to date and no doubt if he continues he will have some success but I would like to dedicate this post to ask Roger to return back to BJJ!!

Roger Gracie has had an incredible career on the BJJ circuit but every fan in the world and every grappler that I talk to would like to see him return. We all want the best BJJ fighter in the world compete! Metamoris was awesome but we gotta get Roger BACK!!

Please comment on this post if you would like to see Roger Gracie BACK!! 

- Xande vs Roger Gracie?

- will Rodolfo Viera be able to pass Roger Gracie's guard?

- how would Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida do against Roger?

- Andre Galvao vs Roger Gracie No-GI Superfight at ADCC?

It is only us, the fans, can convince Roger so please guys comments welcome and share this post on facebook!!

Changing of the Guard

Jiu jitsu is constantly evolving. The new generation of bjj superstars that included the "holy trinity" Roger Gracie, Marcelo Garcia and Ronaldo Jacare, have now moved on to new things, either MMA or bring up new competitors onto the scene. Few others have been as dominant as these three during the first decade of the twenty first centuary but now it is time to see new legends emerge.

The biggest three that have now emerged in my view are Rafael Mendes, Rodolfo Viera and the ever improving Marcus Almeida "Buchecha" who looks like the new king of BJJ GI competition. The latter two are the two dominant monsters at absolute with few, save Braulio, who can stop their dangerous attacking game.

For many fans it would be a dream to see Roger back in the game meeting the young lions with the GI and of course it would also be interesting to see Roger back in ADCC as well. 

I believe there are a couple of tournaments that are drawing more and more attention and the biggest is the Abu Dhabi Pro Worlds. With cash prizes awarded to the elite competitors and great media coverage it is exciting to see the sport taking the next leap. 

It is now interesting to see the new breed of bjj fighters rising up. Keenan Cornelius and Mendes brothers are bringing a new style to bjj and it is interesting to see them compete against the old school fighters and what will come of it. 

Marcelo Garcia, Saulo, Roger Gracie, Lovato, Renzo and many others are bringing in their students to compete and it is exciting to see how they do against the mature crowd. It is amazing how the sport continues to evolve and many new guys are able to impress.

Roger Gracie Back Take

Roger Gracie is a great inspiration for me. Below is a demo I found on youtube of his amazing back take technique which I will be working on in the next couple of weeks. What I like about it is it is something I think I can get to work against almost any opponent, whether big or small and it doesnt require me to be athletic.

Metamoris Pro!!

October 14 Metamoris Jiu Jitsu Pro Invitational.
A stacked card of super fights that will take place in San Diego California

Roger Gracie vs Marcus Almeida Buchecha will headline the event and I think everyone is interested to see how Roger will do against the new breed of bjj fighters that are coming on to the circuit

Moreover plenty of other fights including Andre Galvao vs Ryron Gracie and JJ Machado vs Nelson
Monteiro. The only guy that I don't know is Kevin Casey but I am sure there is a reason why he has been selected.

FIGHT CARD:
Roger Gracie v Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida
Andre Galvao v Ryron Gracie
Jeff Glover v Gui Mendes
Dean Lister vs Kevin Casey
Kron Gracie v Octavio de Souza
Rafael Lovato Jr v Kayron Gracie

Going to live stream as well, more news in the next few weeks

All fights in the GI except the fight with Dean Lister!!



Stacked card, something we keep missing in the UFC. Great job organizers.

Tickets available on Ticketmaster.com and also see the website of the organizers www.metamoris.com/

BJJ World Championships 2012

The BJJ World Championships Start Today!!! Extremely exciting, watch them online on Budovideos.com or if you are lucky enough to be able to come to the event in person, even better!!

Its a shame for Gracie Barra fans that we dont get a chance to see Roger Gracie and Braulio Estima in action this year due to their MMA committments but certainly Kayron Gracie and Romullo Barral are competing and I just cant wait to see how Alliance will do this year as well.

Also I noticed there are no good promotional videos this year, just a shame!! Take a look at last years one, was pretty good, they definitely should do a good one this year!

Rodolfo Viera vs Andre Galvao, Abu Dhabi Pro Cup

How great would it be to see Rodolfo Viera in a gi match against Roger Gracie. This could be a great fight and certainly a super match people are going to want to see.

They could stream this live on the internet and people will pay to see this one. Rodolfo is a star but would be great to see him in a fight against an all time great like Roger.

Check out this link: http://www.graciemag.com/2011/09/promoter-wants-rodolfo-vs-roger-gracie-in-canada/

Looks like someone really wants to see this one happen.

Roger Gracie Talks About His Return to MMA and ADCC

The greatest BJJ player ever talks about his return. Makes you understand why he is so great!

GSP vs Jake Shields

I am looking forward to this fight. GSP is doing all the right things to prepare for this fight. He is getting his jiu jitsu ready and is training with Braulio Estima and Roger Gracie, two bjj superstars. Roger has recently visited my club in Moscow, true champion, I thinknhe is going to do great in MMA.


I think he is a very smart fighter and does not underestimate Jake who has a very well balanced wrestling and jiu jitsu base. If Georges can keep this fight standing, he should be able to do whatever he wants. Taking down GSP is a huge problem. What GSP needs to remember is to avoid a ground fight. If he takes down Jake, then he needs to get up.

Jake's guard is not outstanding though. He has a great top game but I dont think that Jake will be able to submit GSP from the bottom. This is going to be a cool fight just to see who will be able to control the fight. Jake managed to control the much bigger Dan Henderson so it will be interesting to see what his game plan will be for this fight.

If GSP does get beyond Jake Shields, things are going to get interesting. There is really only Nick Diaz that will potentially be an interesting matchup for GSP. The other will be for sure a fantastic matchup against the much bigger Anderson Silva.

Even though Anderson Silva is such an outstanding fighter, I would just love to see how this fight will turn out. If GSP manages to avoid the dangerous striking of Silva, I still believe GSP could take down the middleweight champion and control the fight on the ground. GSP is extremely athletic and it would be interesting to see how he would try to deal with a much bigger and extremely skilled oponent.

Roger Gracie in Moscow 23-24 April 2011

Dear All, on the 23-24 april 2011 Lion Sports Club, top BJJ academy in Russia ( Gracie Barra) will hold a seminar by Roger Gracie, one of the most accomplished BJJ players and grapplers in the world today. This is going to be an enormous event!

The cost is 3000 RUR for two days. 15:00 start.

I think there are going to be at least a hundred people at least at this event. BJJ is growing fast in Russia and it is a great privilege to see such an accomplished practitioner, a legend at the club.

I think there maybe some grading as well and I will be sure to make some great photos.

Diaz vs Cyborg

Strikeforce puts on a great show quite often but this time I really enjoyed the fights. The BJJ level of the combatants and the Diaz vs Cyborg show was simply exceptional. Roger Gracie in particular was perfect in what he did this weekend. He took Trevor Prangley down, mounted him while preventing him to try to climb the cage to standing and then submitted him with a rear naked choke. One takedown, one submission attempt to seal the win in the first round. It was all jiu jitsu, the Gracie style.

The other fights were also nice. Jacare did well against a dangerous Lawler but you could see that on the ground Ronaldo could do anything he wanted. Takedowns were good as well.

Diaz I thought fought a smart fight but really I agree with the fans that he does need to fight some tougher opponents. There are plenty to choose from in fact in several nearby weight divisions if not his own. Dream has some good guys too.

Looking forward to Fedor vs Bigfoot Silva now. This is going to be for sure anthers solid event, plenty of other fights would love to see in action too including Mayhem who I think would have been a much more interesting fight for Jacare. King Mo and Gegard Mousasi need to return to the cage. Not sure who they would fight, but there are some choices.

Been rewatching Pride tapes, miss Ricardo Arona, he was real good!

Roger Gracie Sweep from Half Guard

I first noticed this move that Roger does from half guard on the bottom watching him fight in the Worlds and then later on Youtube. I can see that against Marcelo Garcia and later against Bruno Bastos he used this exact sweep with great success. I guess it is just a matter of practice and perfecting your sweeps in the half guard. Having a couple of half guard sweeps that you know really well I think can mean the difference between winning and losing and what makes this sweep so good is that you don't recover guard like some of the other techniques you may have in the arsenal with this sweep but basically get side control on top which is a great place to be considering your opponent was about to pass your guard.


Very nice Oli. Thank you very much for the video!

The Holy Trinity

"The Holy Trinity" - the three greatest BJJ fighters of the decade - Roger Gracie, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Marcelo Garcia. So outstanding are these guys that they are literally untouchable and head and shoulders above the rest. All three also have very different styles of jiu jitsu.

Roger Gracie is probably the greatest technician and fundamentals master, perhaps the best ever jiu jitsu fighter in the Gi but also an outstanding no-gi jiu jitsu practitioner. Roger has not been submitted for more than 10 years now.

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza - an incredibly gifted athlete and a very well-rounded fighter, possessing not only amazing dynamic jiu jitsu but also high quality judo and no-gi takedowns. A true star destined for MMA success.

Marcelo Garcia - considered by some the greatest pound for pound no-gi submission specialist with three ADCC titles behind his belt and more to come.

Watch this video about Ronaldo Jacare's visit to the Beverly Hills academy I really enjoyed.

Five Top BJJ Players Getting Famous

5. Pablo Popovitch

Hats off to the guy that beat Marcelo Garcia in the ADCC which is what he did in 2009. Pablo Popovitch, if you ever seen him fight, is an incredible grappler. Incredibly skilled, talented and powerful grappler that has been for years been overshadowed by the Marcelo Garcia phenomenon. Pablo really does deserve praise and someone to follow this year.

4. Braulio Estima - Gracie Barra is proud of its champions and Braulio Estima's performance last year has been more than impressive. Not only was he able to dominate everyone in his own division at ADCC 2009, he looked also unbeatable in the absolute taking gold thanks to his inverted triangle choke he does so well.

Braulio is a true champion and a very accomplished BJJ fighter having been BJJ champion many times before. Although for years outshined by guys like Xande and Ronaldo Jacare, Braulio is really showing his worth nowadays and will surely do well in mixed martial arts as well.

3. Demian Maia - there are few talents in BJJ who can make UFC fighters look like amatuers. This is what Demian can do literally playing with his opponents once the fight reaches the ground. Although Maia could not takedown Anderson Silva in his last fight, surely he has a great career ahead of him in the UFC once he improves his wrestling and striking.

2. Ronaldo Souza - Jacare is one of the most athletic and yet incredibly technical fighters. Having dominated the jiu jitsu and grappling scene for years, he turned to MMA with great success. Ronaldo is able to take down even the most versatile fighters with ease and once on the ground, they are helpless to resist him. His last fight against Villasenor in Strikeforce confirms this.

With his takedowns looking the better than most wrestlers and striking rapidly evolving, Ronaldo Souza will very soon be the middleweight Strikeforce champion. Good luck to him.

PS: Jake Shields I think got scared of how good Souza really is and has run off to the UFC.

1. Roger Gracie - when you look at what Roger Gracie has accomplished so far, he can't help giving credit to his achievements. He is the first fighter to win the BJJ Worlds Absolute 3 times and the only guy to submit all of his opponents in 2009 worlds by taking mount. He is also the only guy to submit all of his opponents in ADCC 2005 winning both his own weight and absolute. This guy is truly the greatest BJJ specialist ever and one of the best grappling stars in the world.

Roger is an extremely humble and hard working guy and is a great pleasure to see him compete. I just wish he fights MMA more.

I would personally also love to see him fight in Sambo just for fun, as Rigan Machado and Rickson did just to see how he would do. The rules are different but it would be interesting to see how BJJ vs Sambo does these days.

Roger Gracie takes the absolute BJJ Worlds for the 3rd time!

Roger Gracie is an incredible competitor. He always goes for the submission and his skills are god-like. The BJJ Worlds 2010 has confirmed this once again.

Check out the results here

Roger is simply unstoppable and now the greatest ever in jiu jitsu. Watch the clip below.



Taking the back is actually one of my favourite moves in BJJ as well. Its just such a great position to be in if you can maintain it and attack your opponent at the same time.

Roger is really the man and someone we should all be looking upto when it comes to BJJ. Some of the guys out there have really great takedowns and that Ricardo Demente guy is a real rising star it looks like. Roger is really head and shoulders above them all technique wise though. I am definitely going to visit his academies when I come to London next.

Strikeforce Heavy Artillery - Great Success

I don't think there is an event this year that can even compare itself with Strikeforce Heavy Artillery. The fight card was great, the action was great, the commentary was poor as tradition but then you can't have it all.

Overeem is a beast, he looks on top form, at his peak and Vadim should be even more afraid then he was before. They don't want him to fight Fedor because look at him. He made Brett Rogers look like a child.

Respect to Brett Rogers, but he really needs to get in the gym. He has been exposed as a novice and he really needs to get his wrestling going and submissions too. He seemed to just collapse and then on the ground he looked even worse. Hard training is the only way to get better.

Jacare is the new golden boy of Strikeforce and he really deserves to be. He is such a great talent but also a really hard worker. He is really getting those takedowns but also landing the accurate strikes.

Andrei Arlovski just does not look like himself anymore. He did look slow and not controlling the action at all. Antonio Silva was not threatened even for a minute there. Something needs to change.

I like Andrei, but all this stuff on youtube he does it is just over the top. You look the way he trains and then you look how Brock Lesnar trains. You can then see why Brock is the HW UFC Champion and Andrei is on the way down in Strikeforce.

Roger Gracie I enjoyed a lot in the cage. The guy basically didn't do much MMA preparation, just jiu jitsu but I loved the way he delivered those jabs on Kevin. In the end I would have loved to see some more ground work but still it was cool. Kevin did the right thing trying to avoid going to the ground but it was going to happen eventually.

Great event, thank you Scott Coker!

Strikeforce Heavy Artillery Showcase for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Wrestling has really done so well in the UFC, particularly with the dominance of powerful wrestlers in the heavyweight division, that some have even started to discount brazilian jiu jitsu in favor of boxing and wrestling.

This weekend we will have an opportunity to see some huge BJJ stars, demonstrating what they are capable of in the cage.

Firstly we will see Roger Gracie, perhaps the best grappler and jiu jitsu player ever, testing himself against the well-known but at the end of his career Kevin Randelman.

Roger will have to make sure he does not get knocked out by "the Monster" who is known to be a hard puncher, knocking out Mirko Cro Cop back in the days of Pride.

Nevertheless, it is certain that Kevin will be no match for Gracie on the ground. I can see Roger going for the RNC choke after taking the back or doing his classic armbar from the guard which he used to submit Ron Waterman.

The fight really puts Roger on the map in Strikeforce and I agree with observers who see Roger on a fast track to meet with Mousasi, Sobral and King Mo Lawal.

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, who is scheduled to meet the very tough Joey Villaseñor will likely be no less exciting and I can see this fighting being more competitive.

Joey has good hands and it will be a task for him to keep the alligator at bay which may be tough to do considering Souza's great takedown ability both from the top and bottom.

On the ground, there is no doubt that Jacare will dominate anyone in his division and I think it is only time before he comes in to face Henderson or Mayhem Miller.

One of the main reasons in fact for Jake Shields to leave the UFC right now is Ronaldo Jacare. Following the win over Henderson, Jake Shields is in a great bargaining position with the UFC. Better than every before.

At the same time in Strikeforce there is a high probability that Shields will lose. Having delivered a less than stellar performance against Miller, nearly getting submitted in the process, Jake Shields will most likely have difficulty delivering a win against Ronaldo Jacare. Jake is simply not at this level in grappling. He has great takedowns, but once he is on the ground, he will likely get submitted by a guy that has overwhelming technique from the top and bottom.

Watch the trailer below:

Roger Gracie to debut in Strikeforce in May

Roger Gracie, perhaps the greatest brazilian jiu jitsu player ever is set to debut in Strikeforce May event. Roger is 2-0 in MMA so far both delivered via submission and now he is set to take on new competition facing the likes of Kevin "The Monster" Randelman or Rameau Sokoudjou. Roger of course has additional pressure to represent bjj and the Gracie family on the MMA arena after Rolles Gracie's poor performance at UFC 109.

Both are relatively seasoned fighters who have faced tough competition in the past but now both are down on their lack having lost many of their last fights. Kevin Randelman is 17-14 in MMA and former UFC Champion, trains with Randy Couture having previously been associated with team Hammer House. Kevin has explosive power and extreme athleticism but has not been able to take advantage of these qualities as well as his great wrestling skills to win fights as he did in the past.

Rameau Sokoudjou has been last seen losing via TKO to the current light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi and Minowa at Dynamite!!. The guy is 7-6 in MMA and boasts some good judo but has not been able to recently win fights against the current top competition.

Roger has also been helping his fellow bjj player Braulio Estima in his own debut in MMA. Best of luck to them both representing brazilian jiu jitsu on the big stage! Here is the link

Quote from Roger Gracie

Cool Quote: "Jiujitsu is simple, you just gotta do it right." -Roger Gracie

Roger Gracie vs Andrei Arlovski

Frankly one the most interesting bouts that I would like to see is Andrei Arlovski against Roger Gracie. Andrei is a solid all round guy but he has really shown that his chin can be a problem so powerful strikers lately have done well by taking advantage of this.

Roger Gracie is in my opinion the best jiu jitsu player ever and it would be exciting to see him in the ring once more. Recently he pulled out of ADCC 2009 due to illness or injury but was looking to get back in the ring in November but since then we have not heard from him.

For Roger this could be a bout that could help propel him to the top while for Andrei this could be a good way to get back in the game especially since he will almost certainly will not get knocked out this time around.

Scott Coker has recently announced that he is going to sign two more heavyweights and this matchup could go very well with the fans in my opinion. Will Andrei's hands be too much for Roger or will Roger control the ex-UFC champ and take him to the ground? This could be a very cool fight.