Questions, answered.

Yes — most people who walk in have never grappled. Every class is beginner-friendly because the coaching scales to your level. You'll be paired with someone who looks after you.

No. You don't need to be in shape to start — we meet you at your level and bring you up to your personal potential. You get fit by training, not before it.

Shorts with no pockets, zips or buttons — they catch fingers and toes — and a rashguard, or a plain t-shirt for day one. Spats or vale tudo shorts go under your shorts, not instead of them. That's it.

Water, sliders or flip-flops for off the mat, and a mouthguard. A mouthguard is required — grab a cheap one before your first session and protect your teeth.

Not for our no-gi classes — they're shorts and a rashguard. For gi BJJ sessions you'll need a gi, and we'll tell you exactly what to get before your first session.

16 and over. We'll consider 13–15-year-olds case by case — maturity, size and how they take coaching. A juniors programme may come later.

No. Adults of every age train — rounds are calibrated to you, not to the fittest person in the room.

It's a contact sport, so there's risk — but it's coached and controlled. You tap early and often, partners are matched with intention, and nobody's trying to hurt you. The people who get hurt are the ones too proud to tap.

No. Grappling rewards calm and technique over aggression. Tense, aggressive beginners gas out; relaxed ones learn faster.

Yes. Grappling is a problem-solving sport, not a strength contest — it's for everybody.

No. Because we coach with ecological dynamics, every class scales — beginners and experienced grapplers both get something from the same session. You're paired with intention.

Free, every Sunday morning, 9:00–11:00 — open rounds, experienced grapplers welcome. Roll at your own pace, no coaching agenda, no pressure. It's the relaxed way to feel the room out.

Yes. Drop into a structured session for £15, or come to the free Sunday open mat — no membership, no commitment. Drop us a message first so we know to expect you.

Definitely. If you already train, you can skip the beginner runway — come to open mat or drop into a class, roll, and see if the room's a fit. No hard sell, no pressure.

Gi grappling uses the jacket and trousers as grips; no-gi is shorts and a rashguard — faster, more scramble-heavy, nothing to hold but the person. They're two separate sports with separate skill sets, and we train both.

Gi BJJ at Rebel →

Yes — both versions of it. Our no-gi classes are the modern development of it: the same submission art, plus wrestling, judo, catch and sambo where they intersect. Gi BJJ proper runs too, its own program, with coach Adrian Bradbury running the classes.

Gi BJJ at Rebel →

No. We teach the wrestling that matters for grappling from scratch — the takedowns and the top control — scaled to your level.

By controlling and finishing — chokes and joint locks, tapped safely. We teach you to finish, and just as importantly to defend and escape.

No bowing, no mysticism, no tradition for tradition's sake — just what works. It's a martial art coached as a sport.

Not yet. We're building grappling properly first; striking comes later, coached the same way.

Yes — standard BJJ belts, earned against a written syllabus: performance criteria for every belt, not time served. One rank covers both gi and no-gi. No ceremonies, and the room is never organised by rank.

How rank works here →

Yes. They're separate sports with separate skill sets, one membership covers both, and your rank is one credential across the two.

A coach assesses you against the syllabus as you train — there's no grading day to book and no test to sit. Gradings are awarded by head coach Ben Zarif, a BJJ brown belt. If you're not at the standard yet, you're told which criteria you're missing and what to work on. The syllabus is available to members.

Yes. Your rank is yours — we don't take ranks away, here or from anywhere else. You train at the belt you hold and progress from it against our written criteria.

Grappling is one of the most reliable things you can train for real situations — controlling distance, staying on your feet, getting back up. We coach it as a sport, but the skills transfer.

Two weeks, free, for people local to Eastbourne — gi and no-gi both covered. No card needed to book, no commitment — turn up and train.

Book your trial →

Monday and Thursday evenings plus Saturday afternoon, with a free open mat on Sunday morning.

Full schedule →

Founding membership is £45/month, locked for life, capped at 30 members, and covers gi and no-gi training. Cancel any time — no contract beyond the current month.

Pricing →

You can — but most people get more from doing. Watch the first-day video so you know exactly what to expect, then come and train your free trial.

Once a week builds something; two or three times moves you faster. Start with what fits your life — consistency beats intensity.

Clean kit every session, nails trimmed (fingers and toes), and don't train with a skin infection or when you're ill. We keep the mats clean and each other safe.