5 Days To Go - E17 BJJ Weekly Newsletter 25/05/2026

Hey team,

Hot weather outside at the moment, but luckily the gym is cooler inside than it is outdoors, so no excuses, come down and train!

We are now officially only 5 days away from our Grand Opening and I’m genuinely really excited for you all to see the space fully come together.

Grand Opening – Saturday 30th May

Bring your kids, your family, your partner, your friends, just come down and check out the space.

Classes will still run as normal earlier in the day, but the official Grand Opening starts at:

🕧 12:30pm

🎀 Ribbon Cutting at 13:00

We’ll have a huge open mat running afterwards, with people coming down from all over, so it’ll be a great chance to roll with some new people, test your skills on different bodies and just have a really fun day together.

On the day we’ll have:

• Food available for purchase

• Coffee and drinks available

• Photographers and videographers throughout the day

• Great vibes all around the gym

  
  

We’ll also be giving everyone at the event an E17 BJJ sticker, which will get you:

• 30% off food and coffees

• 10% off at Pillars Brewery nearby

  
  

So after training you can enjoy some sun, food and drinks with everyone afterwards.

I’d genuinely love to see as many E17 members there as possible. Let’s make it a really special day for the gym.

Hygiene Reminder

A few quick reminders as the weather gets hotter:

Please remember that it is bare feet only on the mats. If you need to step off the blue mats for any reason, please put shoes, flip flops, Crocs or some kind of footwear on before walking around. This helps keep the mats as clean as possible for everyone.

If you notice someone forgetting, feel free to give them a gentle reminder, most likely they just didn’t realise or forgot in the moment.

It’s always important to wash your Gi and rashguard after every session, but even more so during the summer months.

Lastly, please make sure your finger and toe nails are trimmed before training. This protects both you and your training partners from scratches and injuries, and nobody enjoys getting a nail bent backwards.

This Week’s Focus

BJJ Gi Fundamentals with Mouncif & Juan - We’ll continue looking at shin on shin guard, carrying momentum through into the sweep, back takes, and how we can continue following our partner if they backstep out of the position.

BJJ Gi Fundamentals with Hugo - Hugo will be looking at addressing established guards and passing safely, along with some De La Riva work depending on who’s in class.

These classes are honestly a hidden gem at the moment and still relatively low on numbers, which means you get loads of direct time with Hugo to ask questions, troubleshoot problems and really sharpen positions.

BJJ No Gi Fundamentals with Hugo & Juan - We’ll be looking at high knee shield half guard. One session will focus on going underneath your opponent and getting below them, while the other will focus on gaining hip height and improving position from there.

Gi Mixed with Christopher Macken and Juan- Chris will continue looking at butterfly guard and the many directions we can attack from there, including sweeps, submissions and transitions.

Teens with Hugo & Juan - The teens class will be looking at effective guard passing and understanding how to control and move around the legs properly.

Wrestling with Mehmet - We’ll continue sharpening wrestling fundamentals looking at the Russian Tie and reactions from standing, with plenty of games to improve awareness and reactions.

Wednesday Judo/Stand up class - more info soon for this weeks class

Tip of the Week

Practice, practice, practice.

The techniques we show in class can genuinely work from white belt all the way through to black belt. The biggest difference is usually not the move itself, it’s the amount of time someone has spent in the position.

The more time you spend there, the more you begin understanding reactions, timing, balance and control.

Use the open mats. Ask questions when something goes wrong instead of abandoning the technique immediately. Work mindfully and begin recognising the most common reactions your partners give you.

Once you start expecting those reactions, your techniques become far more effective very quickly.

See you on the mats,

-Mouncif

E17 BJJ