We have an established way of working with people at the stage of personal crisis, on the mats. Utilising Roger Gracie Bristol’s infrastructure of clubs, coaches, mentors and community, our model combines Jiu-Jitsu with support primarily from BJJAID coaches, and secondarily from the Roger Gracie Bristol community on the mats.
BJJ AID is a social impact initiative that brings people at the stage of personal crises, onto the mats.
BJJ AID HISTORY
From the 1st of July 2024, Roger Gracie Bristol launched a new initiative called BJJAID. This initiative aims to bring people who are going through personal crises onto the mats. They will have the opportunity to build new skills and gain inspiration from the community, which will help them improve their lives.
BJJAID has two main objectives. Firstly, providing a safe space for vulnerable people who are facing physical or mental health issues due to toxic environments or personal challenges – these individuals may have turned to gangs, criminal activities, unemployment, or substance abuse.
Secondly, BJJAID supports those that are in close contact with our core BJJ AID members, building relationships and empowering these people with BJJ AID as a way to refer, and inspire others.
WHO CAN BJJ AID IMPACT
BJJ AID offers a safe space for individuals experiencing personal crises to practice self-care and personal transformation through martial arts. Our mission is social inclusion, but the people we are working with typically falls into one of the following categories:
Vulnerable women
Women who are victims of domestic violence, trauma or a toxic environment.
Children in gangs
Children who have been led into gang membership, and knife crime due to personal struggles.
People with substance misuse
Children and adults who are at the stage of personal crisis and resorted to substance misuse as their escape, leading to greater issues such as homelessness.
People with poor mental or physical health
Individuals experiencing mental or physical health issues who express themselves in ways that can lead to personal crises.
By 2025, BJJ AID (via Roger Gracie Bristol) plans to expand to more than six locations that will provide full coverage and easy access to all areas of Bristol. Our ability to own and operate multiple clubs sets us apart and allows us to make a positive impact on the community, while remaining consistent with our values across all clubs.
HOW DOES BJJ AID WORK?
We have an established way of working with people at the stage of personal crises, on the mats. Utilising Roger Gracie Bristol’s infrastructure of clubs, coaches, mentors and community, our model combines Jiu-Jitsu with support primarily from BJJAID coaches, and secondarily from the Roger Gracie Bristol community on the mats. There are three key tenets to our program.
1. Get rolling
We offer a range of programs at BJJ AID, including exclusive programs for women, children’s crises-management, and adult crises-management, as well as broader programs that are available to all. Through our experience, we have found that practising Jiu-Jitsu in a diverse and inclusive community can lead to positive changes in both physical and mental well-being.
2. Inspire through example
Through constant exposure to individuals undergoing similar circumstances, coupled with dedicated coaches trained to nurture personal growth, progressive change is achieved.
3. Action Inquiry approach: Action, Reflect, Grow
We take our learnings, come together as leadership and iterate to make systematic change to those in personal crises.
Our program features a dedicated coach, mentoring participants to build and overcome challenges, and learn BJJ via drills and live rolling. Mentorship from coaches provides a framework on how they can make change.