Rebel Combat Sports joins BJJ Globetrotters

We’ve officially affiliated with BJJ Globetrotters. Which is slightly ironic, because they’re an affiliation built around the idea that jiu-jitsu doesn’t need traditional affiliations.

That’s a large part of why we like them.

When we started Rebel Combat Sports, we knew the kind of club we wanted to build: serious training, good coaching, an open environment and none of the unnecessary politics that sometimes come attached to martial arts. A club where grappling ability matters more than lineage, students are encouraged to think for themselves, and training elsewhere is an opportunity rather than an act of disloyalty.

BJJ Globetrotters shares those values on a global scale.

What is BJJ Globetrotters?

Founded by Christian Graugart, BJJ Globetrotters is a worldwide community of grapplers, coaches and academies built around a few simple principles:

• Train wherever you like, with whoever you like.
• Represent whichever team you choose in competition.
• Award belts based on merit, not politics or commercial relationships.
• Treat other grapplers as fellow practitioners, not rivals by default.

There’s no central head instructor dictating how affiliated clubs operate, no affiliation fees and no prescribed lineage.

The organisation also runs international training camps and connects travelling grapplers with welcoming academies, encouraging people to share knowledge across clubs, countries and backgrounds.

It’s an affiliation built around collaboration rather than control.

Why it fits Rebel

Belts, lineage and affiliation have always been part of jiu-jitsu, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with them. Recognising achievement matters. Good coaching relationships matter. Being part of a team matters.

Problems start when those relationships become a means of controlling people rather than developing them.

There’s a practical argument too. If your goal is to get better at grappling, limiting your exposure to other grapplers is a strange way to go about it. Different partners create different problems, different coaches offer different perspectives, and different gyms develop different strengths.

We want our students exposed to those differences, not protected from them.

That’s how we already run Rebel. Whether it’s gi BJJ or no-gi submission grappling, our coaching focuses on transferable skill, connected technical systems and testing ideas against live resistance. We encourage questions and expect explanations to stand on their merits, not the belt of whoever delivers them.

Our Sunday open mat has welcomed people from other clubs since day one. We believe progression should reflect demonstrated ability, and we have no interest in dictating where our members train or who they associate with.

You can be proud to represent Rebel without pretending every other club is the enemy.

Importantly, BJJ Globetrotters doesn’t prescribe our curriculum, set our standards or tell us how to coach. We’re not looking for someone to run our club. We’re connecting with people who share our values.

What it means for our members

This isn’t an entirely new relationship. Members of our team have attended BJJ Globetrotters camps for several years, something we’ve always encouraged.

The camps bring together grapplers of every level and background to train, exchange ideas and learn from each other. We’d love to see more of our members getting involved. If you’re interested, have a chat with Adrian, who can explain how it all works.

You can also join BJJ Globetrotters for free as an individual, gaining access to a worldwide network of affiliated academies where travelling members can enjoy a week of free training.

Visiting Globetrotters

If you’re a BJJ Globetrotters member passing through Eastbourne, you’re welcome on our mats for a week of free training, gi or no-gi. Drop us a message before visiting and we’ll send you the timetable.

Independent, not isolated

There’s a difference between running an independent club and running an isolated one.

We want the freedom to make our own decisions without operating in an echo chamber. Good ideas can come from anywhere, and improving means staying connected to people who see things differently.

This affiliation isn’t a change of direction. It’s an extension of what we’ve been building from the beginning: a serious grappling club, an open learning environment and a community where people are judged on what they do rather than who they know.

Train hard. Learn from everyone. Keep the politics off the mats.

Learn more about BJJ Globetrotters

Camp photos by Adrian Bradbury.