At our MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club, safeguarding is not an afterthought – it is a core part of who we are and how we train. Martial arts should build confidence, resilience, and self-belief, not fear or pressure. Creating a safe, respectful environment on and off the mats is a responsibility we take seriously. All of our coaches are fully DBS checked and first-aid qualified. This ensures that every session is delivered by staff who meet safeguarding standards and understand their duty of care to students of all ages. In addition, we have a designated Safeguarding Officer who oversees welfare policies and acts as a clear point of contact for any safeguarding concerns. Importantly, our club does not operate under a rigid hierarchy where black belts are treated as untouchable figures or authority is beyond question. Rank represents experience, not superiority. The coaching philosophy is simple: we are guides, not idols. Each coach is here to support students on their own journey, no better and no worse than anyone else, regardless of what we may have achieved along the way. Open communication is essential. If any student ever feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or concerned – whether about the behaviour of another student, a coach, or even the head coach – they are encouraged to speak up. Concerns can be raised with any member of staff or directly with the Safeguarding Officer. Every voice matters, and all concerns will be taken seriously and handled appropriately. Many people are drawn to martial arts after experiencing difficult situations such as bullying, abuse, loss, harassment, or low confidence. We recognise that reality and believe it places an even greater responsibility on us as a club. The mats should be a place of safety, respect, and growth – not a place where past experiences are repeated or ignored. By maintaining strong safeguarding practices, clear boundaries, and a culture of mutual respect, we aim to ensure that everyone who steps onto our mats feels supported, heard, and protected. Martial arts can be life-changing in the best possible way, and safeguarding is fundamental to making that happen.

Let’s be honest. Everyone says they “want it”. Very few are willing to live like someone who actually does. There’s a difference between motivation and commitment. Commitment costs you things. Comfort. Convenience. Social approval. Sometimes sleep. Sometimes money. Sometimes relationships. And if you’re not willing to pay that price — that’s fine. But you can’t expect elite results on casual effort. Sacrifice Has a Currency Every goal has a cost. In combat sports (and high performance in general), that cost usually comes from: - Relationships – missing birthdays, leaving early, not always being “available” - Fashion & status – no designer clothes, no flexing, money goes into coaching, travel, nutrition, recovery - Holidays – training camps don’t care about Ibiza - Friendships – your circle shrinks when you stop living like everyone else - Mileage on your body – soreness, niggles, scars, fatigue - Habits – cutting alcohol, junk food, late nights, comfort routines Real example: Up at 6am. Train. Travel to London to spar at 11. Train again. Sleep on a gym floor or someone’s sofa. Wake up and repeat. That’s not romantic. It’s not Instagram worthy. But it’s what “all in” actually looks like. Burnout, Injuries & The Dark Side of Desire There’s also a line. Pushing through discomfort is necessary. Ignoring real injuries, chronic exhaustion, and mental burnout is stupidity dressed up as “grind culture”. High performers don’t just suffer more — they recover better, manage load smarter, and play the long game. Sacrifice should be strategic, not self-destructive. You Won’t Beat Someone Who’s All In… While You’re Half In This is the harsh truth: If you train when it’s convenient… If you eat well “most of the time”… If you skip sessions for social plans… If you treat your dream like a hobby… You are not beating someone who structures their entire life around winning. Not consistently. Not at high levels. And that’s okay — as long as your expectations match your effort.

When people talk about wrestling for submission grappling or MMA, most default to freestyle or Greco-Roman. While both are valuable, college (folkstyle) wrestling develops a completely different set of control-based skills that translate extremely well to no-gi grappling and MMA. Folkstyle is built around ride time, mat control, and standing back up, not just takedowns and throws. These priorities create athletes who are comfortable dominating from top position and escaping from bottom — two areas where many submission grapplers struggle. Here are three major skills college wrestling brings that conventional wrestling styles often don’t emphasize. 1. Hand Control Instead of Hand Locks = Better Posture Control In folkstyle wrestling, you cannot lock your hands in the referee’s position. Instead, wrestlers must use: - Chops - Claws - Spiral rides - Wrist control - Cross-body rides - Tight waist variations This rule forces athletes to develop independent limb control and pressure-based riding, rather than relying on body locks. Why This Matters for MMA In MMA, this becomes extremely valuable: - One hand can control posture - The other hand is free to strike - You can maintain pressure without committing both arms This mirrors real ground-and-pound control far better than locked-hands body control. Why This Matters for Submission Grappling In no-gi grappling, these riding mechanics create: - Strong posture breakdowns - Constant off-balancing - Openings for back exposure - Forced reactions into dominant pin-style positions Even without strikes, these controls give you the leverage needed to flatten opponents and begin attacking transitions instead of stalling. 2. Folkstyle Rewards Riding — Something Most Grapplers Lack One of the biggest differences between college wrestling and jiu-jitsu is the reward structure. In folkstyle: - You score for holding someone down - Ride time matters - Control is prioritized In jiu-jitsu:

Most YouTube content shows jiu jitsu at its most polished: perfect entries, clean finishes, zero resistance. What you don’t see is the timing errors, the failed attempts, the micro-adjustments that happen mid-roll. When your learning is built on highlights, you subconsciously expect jiu jitsu to work “first try,” and that’s not how it feels on the mats. Who Are You Watching? Not all content is created equal. A world champion explaining a system is very different from a random clip with no context. There’s also a difference between watching someone who matches your body type, rule set, and style versus blindly copying someone whose game doesn’t translate to yours (yet). YouTube Lacks Reactive Guidance YouTube brings ideas, not feedback. It can’t correct your posture, adjust your timing, or tell you why something failed in your roll. Jiu jitsu is reactive by nature—without live resistance and coaching, you’re guessing whether you’re doing it right. Pros of Using YouTube for Jiu Jitsu 1. Reinforcing What You Learn in Class Rewatching techniques you’re already training helps lock in details and improves retention. YouTube works best as revision, not replacement. 2. Access to World-Class Athletes You can study elite competitors and coaches you’d never have access to geographically. That exposure matters, especially when used intentionally. 3. Understanding the “Why” Good content explains why techniques work, how they connect, and what comes next. This helps you see chains, systems, and decision trees—not just isolated moves. Cons of Using YouTube 1. Technique Overload Endless techniques lead to shallow understanding. You know of many moves but own none of them. Depth beats breadth every time. 2. Lack of Structure and Concepts Random videos don’t build a game. Without a framework—positions, goals, reactions—you end up with disconnected techniques that don’t survive resistance. 3. Undermining Your Coach Seeing a high-level athlete do something differently can cause you to dismiss your coach’s instruction. What’s often missed is context: rule set, body type, timing, and experience level. Nuance matters.

If you’re a new coach, you’ve probably heard people talking about ecological training, constraints-led coaching, or alive training. It all sounds fancy, but here’s the truth: ecological training is just about making practice look and feel more like the real sport. Instead of drilling moves in isolation a hundred times, we put athletes—especially kids—into game-like problems where they have to figure things out. Think less “copy my steps” and more “let’s play a game where you learn by solving problems.” Why Ecological Training Works for Kids Kids learn by doing and exploring, not by sitting still and memorizing. If you make training fun, game-based, and realistic, they: - Stay more engaged (less bored drilling moves endlessly). - Develop problem-solving skills that transfer to real rolling. - Build adaptability, not just a list of techniques. The Core Idea Instead of teaching “Move A, then Move B, then Move C,” you: 1. Create a small game (constraint). Example: “You’re stuck under side control. Your job is to escape. Top person’s job is to hold.” 2. Let them figure it out (exploration). They’ll try frames, bridging, shrimping, or whatever comes naturally. 3. Guide, don’t script (coaching). You step in with nudges: “What if you use your arms instead of just legs?” Practical Examples for Kids’ Classes Here are simple ways to add ecological games: 1. Escaping Mount - Game: Bottom player starts mounted. Top tries to stay on. Bottom must escape to guard or turtle. - Constraint: Top can only use one arm. This makes success possible for beginners. 2. Guard Passing - Game: Bottom sits up guard. Top must pass in 30 seconds. - Constraint: Top can only grip with one hand. 3. Back Defense - Game: One kid has seatbelt on the back. The other must escape before being submitted. - Constraint: Attacker can only use strangles, no arm locks. How to Coach Without Over-Coaching Resist the urge to lecture. Instead: - Use questions instead of answers: “What worked best for you?” - Use nudges, not instructions: “Try keeping your elbows tighter and see if it helps.” - Keep games short and fun (30–90 seconds, lots of resets).