The Ultimate Guide Of Top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Clubs (BJJ) For Kids In Bristol

Which Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in Bristol should you choose for your kids? 🤔

There are many great Jiu-Jitsu schools to send your kids to in Bristol. In this article, we will provide a comparison of the top Jiu-Jitsu schools in the city of Bristol to help you make a clear decision on what is best for your children.

👉 Here is a summary of what this article will contain:

✅ A comprehensive analysis of BJJ clubs in Bristol.
✅ Top 10 list of Jiu-Jitsu clubs for kids in Bristol.
✅ An individual breakdown of the pros and cons of each club.
✅ Collection of key data points when selecting the best club including location, price range, and third party reviews.

⚠️ An important note before you read on

Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for many is a lifelong journey. Yet, many people choose a club for their kids 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 for your child(ren).

Example highlights of top schools’ offerings:

Choosing the best Jiu-Jitsu club for your kids in Bristol that suits your own individual needs is challenging – we get it. Every parent has their own busy schedule and differing lifestyles and every child has unique requirements.

In analysing the top Jiu-Jitsu schools for kids in Bristol, we have collected a number of data points. Here’s a summary before we get started on the rankings.

📅 Timetable and overall availability
There is a very small selection of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, full-time schools in Bristol.  Full-time indicates the staff are dedicated to Jiu Jitsu, who pursue Jiu Jitsu as a career.

🥋 Multiple mat spaces (2+)
This is great for classes running at the same time, and for busy parents who can only make one-time slots and still have access to multiple classes. Great for running striking alongside grappling classes.

👨‍👧‍👦 Kids programmes
Kids programmes are a strong indicator of the success of a club. A more intricate data point is the segmentation of the kid’s classes. Larger, more established BJJ clubs will be able to facilitate better segmentation by age, and proficiency in order to optimise individual learning (this is usually achieved by a larger facility and broader ranges of coaches in order to best serve).

🙋‍♂️ Classes split by ages
It is important that classes are separated by age, and not a generic ‘kids’ class. As you may know, kids grow very fast, and the size and capabilities of an 11-year-old vs a 4-year-old differ greatly. Therefore when classes are split, they are optimised for each age group.

Coaching techniques and teaching children discipline, overcoming failure, dedication and building social skills are paramount in their BJJ journey.

1. Roger Gracie North Bristol

Roger Gracie Academy North Bristol is one of many places that you can train Jiu Jitsu in Bristol, all under the same group of clubs across Bristol. The North Bristol club is a full-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy with over 600+ active members. Primarily a BJJ school, RGA Bristol has recently expanded into MMA, boxing and kickboxing with prestigious coaches.

Run by black belt brothers Luke & Clayton Chamberlain, and 20+ coaches, the team delivers over 65+ classes per week in the weekly schedule.

For kids, the classes are split up into age groups:

• 3-6 Year Olds
• 7-10 Year Olds
• 11-15 Year Olds

Daily classes for children starting from just 3 years old are run by a full-time competition team that has starred on BBC, ITV and UFC Fight Pass.

The core of the club is passionate, and friendly with the standards all spearheaded by a broad coaching and competition team who compete regularly and succeed at the sport’s highest levels.

(Roger Gracie is widely regarded as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu)

2. Pedro Bessa BJJ

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school which runs out of a functional fitness and weights facility called Sweatbox. Pedro Bessa BJJ is one of the longest-running BJJ schools in the city of Bristol.

Pedro Bessa is an accomplished competitor from Brazil. They offer 4 kids classes per week including beginners and advanced classes. Out of the 4 kids classes, 2 are split by age groups. and these classes are on the weekend.

3. Gracie Barra Keynsham

A full-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Keynsham, Gracie Barra Keynsham is part of one of the largest Jiu-Jitsu organisations in the world, Gracie Barra. Run by Salvatore Pace black belt Damien Barrett.

With 5 kids classes per week and classes starting from 4 years old for kids. Classes are split by 4-8 year olds and then 9+ year olds.

4. Impact Gym

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 5 kids Classes per week in their schedule, including MMA, Striking and Wrestling.

5. Artemis BJJ

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Easton area of Bristol, Artemis BJJ is run by black belt Can Sönmez. They have 2 kids’ classes per week in their schedule. Kids classes are split by the following ages: 4-10 year olds and then 11-15 year olds.

6. Bristol Dojo

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 2 BJJ classes per week for kids in their schedule. It is a family-run school run by Simon O’Brien and his family. Simon also manages lots of different competitions around the South West of the UK such as Pro Sport Grappling and the Somerset Open.

7. Aftermath BJJ

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Knowle West area of Bristol. The school is run by black belt Nick Jordan. With 8+ kids 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.

Their kids classes are split by the following ages:

4-6 year olds
7-10 year olds
10-15 year olds

8. Art Of Movement

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol. The school is run by black belt Rad. With 3+ kids 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.

9. RR Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Hanham area of Bristol, RR Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a full-time academy with 4+kids classes per week. The school is run by head coach Rich Rubino, who is a black belt under Pedro Bessa. RR have a competitive interest with competitive coaches and a competition team.

Their kids classes are split by the following ages:

5-9 year olds
10-15 year olds

10. Elite MMA

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school based in the Avonmouth area of Bristol, Elite MMA offer 7+ classes per week.