BJJ In London - Diesel Gym?

[RedDog86]

Hi guys,

It's my first post here, really like the site - been lurking and sponging information for a while now. Hope this post is in the right category.

I've been looking for a place to learn BJJ in London for a while. I'd love your opinions on the gym that's closest to me:

Diesel Gym - Thai Boxing, MMA and BJJ - Discipline: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

They do daily (sometimes twice daily) classes, a blackbelt has always been there when I've been (Eduardo). I can't find much discussion about this place online so would love to hear any thoughts you have on the place/instructors.

My experience is that the training is tough, the people are friendly, small class sizes and there's a big mat area, ring etc...I like it so far but I'm looking through a beginner's eyes.

Other places I looked at are:

Roger Gracie Academy - too far from me (2.5 hour round trip) but obviously top-notch.
Marc Walder - way too far from me (3 hr round trip). Great instructor.
London Fight Factory - heard good things, might try this place too.
London Shoot - heard good things, quite far from me though.

Any advice much appreciated!

RedDog

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

Hmm, looks like it's a Checkmat team affiliate, which a top bjj competition team. Offers gi and no gi, black belt instructors. Looks like they focus more on muay thai, but the bjj training should be legit as well.

If it's the closest option, I would go with it. People underestimate the convenience factor in training.

 

[hustles]

Hmm, looks like it's a Checkmat team affiliate, which a top bjj competition team. Offers gi and no gi, black belt instructors. Looks like they focus more on muay thai, but the bjj training should be legit as well.

If it's the closest option, I would go with it. People underestimate the convenience factor in training.

A lot of truth there..... I have always trained consistently and enjoyed it.... but my gym is now 1 mile from my house and ever since I moved so close I find I am training 5-6 classes a week consistently, where as before with a 30 minute commute I would only consistently make 2-3 classes.

 

[BJJ Heroes]

Monstro and Eduardo are good people, I am sure you will do good there.

 

[Oliver Geddes]

Hi guys,

It's my first post here, really like the site - been lurking and sponging information for a while now. Hope this post is in the right category.

I've been looking for a place to learn BJJ in London for a while. I'd love your opinions on the gym that's closest to me:

Diesel Gym - Thai Boxing, MMA and BJJ - Discipline: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

They do daily (sometimes twice daily) classes, a blackbelt has always been there when I've been (Eduardo). I can't find much discussion about this place online so would love to hear any thoughts you have on the place/instructors.

My experience is that the training is tough, the people are friendly, small class sizes and there's a big mat area, ring etc...I like it so far but I'm looking through a beginner's eyes.

Other places I looked at are:

Roger Gracie Academy - too far from me (2.5 hour round trip) but obviously top-notch.
Marc Walder - way too far from me (3 hr round trip). Great instructor.
London Fight Factory - heard good things, might try this place too.
London Shoot - heard good things, quite far from me though.

Any advice much appreciated!

RedDog

Monstro and Eduardo are good people, as said, so you can't go wrong there. However, can I just ask where exactly you are located, in case there's somewhere you missed?

Cheers!

Take care,

Oli

 

[RedDog86]

Thanks guys,

Great, thanks for confirming my gut feeling on the gym (great teachers, friendly atmosphere etc...). I'll keep training with confidence

Oli, I'm in SE3 0UL - the Diesel Venue is about half an hour away door-to-door, just a DLR ride away. As SuperSuperRambo said, such a convenient location is a huge bonus and hugely increases the number of visits I can make a week (I plan to go every day that I'm in the country, the lunch time sessions fit my schedule perfectly).

Thanks again guys,

RedDog

 

[J Sho]

as Oli says, where will you be staying, then we can tell you where to look, presumably somewhere near Docklands if you are looking at Diesel Gym?

I'd suggest you also look at Jude Samuel and his place Legacy BJJ, also in East London (Bethnal Green) near docklands Legacy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Academy London!

In addition to Diesel Gym (not an exhaustive list and some bits may have changed since i wrote this on the UG):

*If you will be near East London (Liverpool Street/Shoreditch/Old Street or further), then i would suggest Legacy BJJ with Jude Samuel or London Fight Factory (Checkmat).
*If you will be near Essex (Dagenham etc), then Marc Walder Jiu Jitsu or MMA Clinic/New Wave Academy with Michael Russell
*If you are in West/North West London (Notting Hill, Shepherds Bush, Bayswater, Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington), then Roger Gracie Academy
*If you will be near South London (Battersea/Clapham), then BJJ School with Felipe Souza
*If you will be near South London (London Bridge etc), then EC BJJ with Eduardo Carriello
*If you will be near South West London (South Kensington, Fulham), then the Budokwai (Roger Gracie Academy, also convenient for great judo classes)
*If you will be near South West London (Hammersmith or anywhere west on the district line, e.g. Richmond, Ealing etc), then Carlson Gracie Team with Wilson, Dickie and Simon
*If you will be near North London (Edmonton etc), then Kimura BJJ with Arlans or Mill Hill BJJ with Nick Brooks.
*If you will be near Central London (Farringdon, St Paul's etc), then Roger Gracie Vie Academy with Cesar Lima

 

[J Sho]

Thanks guys,

Great, thanks for confirming my gut feeling on the gym (great teachers, friendly atmosphere etc...). I'll keep training with confidence

Oli, I'm in SE3 0UL - the Diesel Venue is about half an hour away door-to-door, just a DLR ride away. As SuperSuperRambo said, such a convenient location is a huge bonus and hugely increases the number of visits I can make a week (I plan to go every day that I'm in the country, the lunch time sessions fit my schedule perfectly).

Thanks again guys,

RedDog

oh you're near Blackheath.

there is new wave academy as well which is in Crystal Palace - New Wave Academy MMA - South London's premier MMA gym but that is a bit further to get to.

i cant think of any other gyms in that part of south london.

 

[Pamplonica]

"Hmm, looks like it's a Checkmat team affiliate, which a top bjj competition team. Offers gi and no gi, black belt instructors. Looks like they focus more on muay thai, but the bjj training should be legit as well."

I wouldn't say having 4 BBJ black belts (including world and european champions), that Diesel is more focused on muay thai - granted there is a strong muay thai team ;o)

The Diesel BJJ team is actually the HQ for Checkmat (run by the Vieira brothers) in the UK and are completely dedicating themselves to competing at the highest levels domestically and internationally. Given the calibre of the 4 black belts running the team I would say they are as good, if not better in some cases, than most dedicated BJJ schools in the UK.

In just the last few months visitors to the Diesel Gym include Chico Mendes, Leonardo Vieira and Ana Maria India.

 

[millasur]

Just a little further out (in Epsom) than New Wave is NOVA FORCA, Nova Forca; London specialists in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, BJJ, MMA and Muay Thai, with Ricardo Da Silva. It'll move to a new venue soon though, probably more into south london.

 

[Oliver Geddes]

Ricardo is also good people. Was my first instructor, back in the day.

Lots of good instructors running around in London, so you can't go wrong with most of them. @_@

Take care,

Oli