We work with schools so that young people can improve attendance, focus and behaviour through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Our Offer to Schools
We offer accessible Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sessions that support student behaviour, health, confidence and attendance. These can be offered as an after-school club, an enrichment or dropdown activity or as bespoke sessions for young people who can benefit.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the UK’s fastest-growing martial art and offers a wide range of benefits to young people, especially those struggling with focus, behaviour or confidence.
Our coaches are youth-experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners with backgrounds in youth work, mentoring, sports coaching and managing challenging behaviour. They are DBS-checked, first aid and safeguarding trained.
We work with your students to bring a positive focus and new role models into their lives, for the benefit of the wider school community.
How does it work
We work with you to identify groups of young people who can most benefit, which could be a whole year group or students struggling with attendance or focus.
We book in a series of weekly/bi-weekly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) sessions where young people:
Learn the basics of BJJ for fitness, confidence and self-defence
Receive in-session mentoring on our key themes of safety, respect and positivity
Interact with our coaches - all chosen as positive role models for the young people who can most benefit
Work towards a RISE Course Certificate / Badge on completion
These sessions are all conducted in a positive, friendly environment where safety is paramount. We are insured by our national governing body (the UKBJJA) and run all sessions with their best practise guidance.
These sessions can be booked by term or in 5 - 8 week blocks with a certificate presented at the end to incentivise participation.
What are the benefits
We’ve had over 600 young people take part in RISE so far. Over 90% have improved their physical and mental health through taking part, and nearly 80% feel more confident.
Teachers at participating schools have reported the following amongst students:
Improved focus
Better attendance
Better peer relationships
Greater sense of calm
Leading to an improved school environment overall. We measure this using entry / mid-point and endline surveys with young participants, which we can share with you.
Our work aligns with Ofsted’s Curriculum Framework:
Intent - to offer schools a meaningful alternative for pupils who may not thrive in traditional settings.
Implementation - structured, consistent sessions with clear expectations, routines and progression.
Impact - improved engagement, stronger relationships with school, and more consistent attendance and behaviour over time.
Supporting Jiu-Jitsu in Schools With HGS
We work with trusted education organisation HGS so more schools can access Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through RISE to support young people’s attendance, focus and wellbeing.
HGS Education’s MD David Stewart (right with RISE Founder Tom Hague) is a brilliant advocate for the power of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to change young people’s lives and we’re delighted he has chosen to partner with us and support our offer to schools.
Working together
We are open to coming to your school and:
Running taster sessions or assemblies
Setting up an after-school club
Offering BJJ as an enrichment/dropdown activity
For the young people who can most benefit from trying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through RISE.
Check out our case studies below of other schools we are working with, and click the button below to contact us and start working together.
Case Study: St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Bristol
Venue Type: Secondary School
Address: St Mary Redcliffe Temple School (SMRT), Somerset Square, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RT
Time: 3.30pm on Tuesdays in school term
Information: We work through SMRT’s BS1 Alive Hub to offer their students the opportunity to train BJJ in a supportive environment.
We’ve worked with nearly 30 students so far, with over 90% saying they’d recommend the classes and nearly 80% feeling more confident from having taken part.
Cost: students pay a nominal fee to the school to take part across a term
Watch our video to see how we are making an impact at SMRT.
Venue Type: Primary School
Address: Brunel Field Primary School, College Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 9FT
Time: 3pm on Fridays in school term
Information: We run a fun and friendly after-school club for children at Brunel Field primary school which started in September 2024. These are from 3.15-4.15PM on Fridays across the academic years 2024-5 and 2025-6.
Our kids classes focus on encouraging fun and playful BJJ movements on the ground whilst building basic fitness and strength for martial arts. There’s a lot of laughter and positivity and we make sure children leave with a smile on their face.
We’d love for children of all physical abilities and backgrounds to take part - please get in touch via the button below if you’ve got any questions about how it all works!
Cost: We ask families signing up to our Brunel Field classes to join our Supporters Club for a rate of £20 (pay-it-forward) / £17.50 (standard) a month.
School programme: Brunel Field Primary School
Parent, Brunel Field Primary School:
“Our daughter loves these classes - they are the highlight of her week!”
School programme: Parson Street Primary School
Venue Type: Primary School
Address: Parson Street Primary School, Bedminster Rd, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 5NR
Time: 3.30pm on Mondays in school term
Information: We run a fun and friendly after-school club for children at Parson Street Primary.
Our kids classes focus on encouraging fun and playful BJJ movements on the ground whilst building basic fitness and strength for martial arts. There’s a lot of laughter and positivity and we make sure children leave with a smile on their face.
We’d love for children of all physical abilities and backgrounds to take part - please get in touch via the button below if you’ve got any questions about how it all works!
Cost: We operate classes on a ‘pay it forward’ price - if you want to pay more you help someone else train for free on one of our youth and community programmes.
£5 per session - standard price
£10 per session - ‘pay it forward’ price - if you want to pay a bit more so that someone else can train for free, here or one of our other community BJJ programmes.
At Parson Street, there are also free places available for pupils, based on need. Contact us to find out more.
Venue Type: Secondary School
Address: Jerningham Rd, London SE14 5NY
Time: 1.30pm - 3pm, alternate Wednesdays in term-time
Information: We run enrichment afternoon sessions at Haberdashers Hatcham College in New Cross, South-East London. Up to 20 young people opt in to trying a term’s worth of BJJ classes with our brilliant London team.
In 2026, we even organised a ‘BJJ enrichment trip’ to local gym Myriad Jiu-Jitsu to give young people a taste of BJJ beyond the school.
School programme: Haberdashers Hatcham College
