Hand-to-hand combat has long been a part of military training in armed forces around the world, and now the UK’s Royal Marines have recently taken steps to connect with one of the world’s top practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 

Andre Galvao, multiple time IBJJF, World Pro, and ADCC champion, recently announced that he will oversee the Brazilian jiu-jitsu training program for the famed British green berets. 

This relationship was formalized as Brazilian jiu-jitsu became a sport officially recognized by the Corps, marking a new era of development of grappling with the British Armed Forces. 

Grappling In The Royal Marines

The Corps of Royal Marines, to give them their official title, are an amphibious light infantry force that form part of the Royal Navy. Considered one of the toughest and most versatile fighting forces in the world, to become commandos recruits must undergo one of the longest and most physically demanding training regimens in the world, lasting 32 weeks. 

All Royal Marines receive instruction in the Corps’ close-combat system, which already contains elements of grappling drawn from various styles and martial arts. They learn how to take down assailants in one-, two-, and three-man drills. 

Aside from the physical robustness developed by grappling, jiu-jitsu helps develop confidence and controlled aggression, promotes team bonding, and aids in maintaining composure under pressure. 

And of course, there are the practical applications: with correct technique, it’s possible to take out an opponent bigger and stronger than yourself. 

Getting BJJ Recognized

Color Sergeant Sam Sheriff, officer in charge of BJJ in the Royal Marines and a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, has served for 16 years and had enjoyed his brushes with grappling during his PTI training, but it wasn’t until 2009 that he began to look into getting BJJ recognized as a sport. 

“On returning from Afghanistan, I started training at a local gym in Torquay [near the barracks] with black belt Darren Yeoman," Sheriff said, "Then I got sent to Scotland, so I started my own small team there, but not representing the Royal Marines.” 

Sheriff used Facebook to reach out to other Royal Marines to find out how many were interested in grappling, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Soon, he had 30-35 guys training at his informal club. 

By discovering fellow servicemen who were training jiu-jitsu in their free time, Sheriff discovered they had enough numbers to apply for recognition from the higher-ups. 

“In 2013 we got authorization from the Deputy Commandant General of the Royal Marines to have BJJ as a trial sport," Sheriff said. "We pitched it to him, and he was happy. I gave a clear definition between the self-defense applications of our system and the sport.”

The first step was to have a Corps championships held at the commando training center. Not all units could provide teams due to operational commitments, but they managed around 50 competitors. 

The Lieutenant Commander, head of sport for the Royal Navy, popped in to take a look. He was so impressed that he stayed all day to watch the tournament. 

BJJ in the Royal Marines was a go. 
 

The Galvao Connection

Andre Galvao’s reputation as a champion is well-known, but he is also a highly-respected teacher of jiu-jitsu. Sherriff attended one of Galvao’s seminars while the world champ was in the UK and enquired about giving a seminar with one of their units. The Royal Marines had already invited a number of UK-based black belts to host workshops, which contributed to the growth of jiu-jitsu in the corps. Galvao, however, was by far the highest profile instructor to step on their mats. 

“He was very humbled by what we’d achieved and what we’re all about," Sheriff said. "He teaches a lot of military guys back in San Diego, so there was an affinity there straight away. The seminar was fantastic. It was sport-based and purely for our guys who are focused on competition and are training to compete.” 

After training with the guys there and getting a small insight in to their incredible history, this opportunity is something [I am] very proud of. I will be overseeing their training and making regular visits to the UK to assess their development. I look forward to training with the guys in the UK again very soon. – Andre Galvao

Galvao gave a seminar at the 40 Commando Training Center in Devon and passed them a curriculum to work on between his visits. The style of jiu-jitsu places heavy emphasis on drilling and repetition of techniques, which the marines apparently love. 

“The drilling suits the Royal Marines,” Sheriff said. “They thrive on the conditioning and are more than at home being in the gym. It’s perfect for them.” 

Fighting Battles Both On and Off The Mats

Both the British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) have servicemen who train jiu-jitsu. Roger Gracie black belts Kevin Capel and Andy Roberts teach classes to the RAF and British Army respectively, and this year saw the first time BJJ was an event at the UK Armed Forces Inter-Services Championships. 

With competitors taking to the mats in both gi and no-gi divisions, the Royal Navy team (comprised of all but one from the Royal Marines) emerged victorious. 

Competing has become a focus for the Royal Marines BJJ team, with Sheriff explaining how representatives of the green berets can sign up for competitions as Royal Marines.

“We say to the lads to compete in as many competitions as you want, represent the club that you train at," he said. "For those who don’t train at a club, they represent the Royal Marines.” 

A small team will travel to the Europeans in January, and tentative plans are in place for the Royal Marines BJJ team to visit San Diego in 2016 to train with Andre Galvao at his ATOS gym ahead of the World Championships. While there, they hope to also enjoy a visit to compete against US Marines in an international showdown. 

The Future of BJJ in the UK Armed Forces

With recognition as an official sport, practitioners of jiu-jitsu from the armed forces can now apply for funding for travel and get their competition entry fees covered. At the very minimum, training gear and equipment is covered. 

But Sheriff hopes, even in the face of unavoidable challenges, that BJJ will grow within the Royal Marines and other services. “We just want to keep growing and be the best team we can be,” he said. 

Training partners will come and go as operational requirements come up, but with Galvao as head instructor it may even give inspiration for practitioners of jiu-jitsu to think about signing up. 

“Who knows,” Sheriff said, “in a couple of years we could find guys who are passing out of basic training already brown belts in BJJ.”