Escape, Reset, Attack - E17 BJJ Weekly Newsletter 03/2026

Hey team,

I’ll be away for the start of the week, but back on the mats with you all from Wednesday. Looking forward to getting stuck back in.

Progress on the gym continues as well — the changing room partitions are starting to take shape, and it’s beginning to feel more and more like a finished space. We’re probably around 6 weeks out from our official grand opening, which is exciting to say. Not long now.

The lightbox sign is gonna look amazing when it goes up later this week!

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Coaching Updates

Christopher Macken will now be with us every Friday, teaching the Mixed Levels Gi class before open mat.

Chris is a BJJ black belt and a great coach and very active on the competition scene. His classes are fun, playful and concept-led, and you’ll get a lot out of them! Make sure to turn up and take advantage of them.

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Open Mat Reminder

Open mat is exactly that — an open mat.

Train Gi.

Train No Gi.

Train Judo.

Drill.

Spar.

Ask questions.

Chat.

It’s your time to work on what you want, at your own pace. Make the most of it.

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This Week’s Focus

Gi Fundamentals with Mouncif and Mehmet - We’ll be continuing to work on side control escapes, focusing on staying safe under pressure, building strong frames, and working your way back to guard or a more neutral position.

Gi Mixed with Christopher Macken - Chris will also be working around side control escapes, but with a focus on turning those escapes into immediate counter attacks, depending on your partner’s reactions. A great way to start linking defence into offence.

No Gi Fundamentals with Hugo - You’ll continue working with Reverse De La Riva (RDLR), looking at additional sweeping options and how to off-balance your partner while maintaining control of the position. The aim is to build confidence in using the guard to create movement and attacking opportunities.

Judo with Justin - This week’s focus is Osoto Gari, one of the most fundamental and effective throws. We’ll work on breaking balance, correct positioning and timing the reap so the technique feels controlled and efficient rather than forced.

Teens No Gi - We’ll continue our side control escape series, followed by some additional sparring to help put everything into practice.

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Tip of the Week

Not every win looks like a submission.

Escaping a bad position, recovering guard sometimes even surviving a tough round (especially with a more experienced opponent).

These are all wins. If you only measure progress by submissions, you’ll miss how much you’re actually improving. Learn to recognise the smaller victories — they’re what lead to the bigger ones.

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See you on the mats,

-Mouncif

E17 BJJ