King Charles was awarded a Jiu Jitsu white belt during a visit to the Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hammersmith on Wednesday, and his delighted reaction included waving the belt in the air and chuckling. The 77-year-old monarch, wearing blue disposable shoe covers, watched demonstrations by students of all abilities at one of the world's leading Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) schools.
King Jokes About Navy Tug-of-War
The King joked that the grappling skills reminded him of his Navy years, specifically a tug-of-war on HMS Bronington. He served on the mine hunter from 1971 to 1976. He told students: "It's almost like you're in a tug-of-war. We used to do that on HMS Bronington, but the rope was tied round the stern so you couldn't see the other team. It was like a pulley system that never ended."
Visit to REORG Charity
Charles was introduced to students from REORG, an organization founded in 2017 by Royal Marines veteran and BJJ black belt holder Sam Sheriff MBE. REORG promotes the sport among serving military personnel, veterans, emergency service workers, and others facing physical, mental, and social challenges. During the visit, the King had the honor of surprising star student Roger Gracie by presenting him with his black belt.
Sam Sheriff praised Gracie's dedication, noting: "There's very few people on the planet that get to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, that's because it takes between 10 to 15 years to achieve that." After the presentation, the King received his own white belt, the entry-level grading in the sport, and waved it in front of his face as students applauded.
Celebrity and Veteran Stories
Pop star Tinie Tempah, a current purple belt (two grades from black), told the King how actor Tom Hardy introduced him to the sport after they met at a King's Trust event in 2018. Former Royal Marine commando Mark Ormrod MBE, who lost both legs and his right arm in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2007, shared how the sport gave him a "new lease of life." Ormrod has set world records, including the fastest triple amputee 1km swim, and raised over £150,000 through a 5km run in prosthetics.
Ormrod said: "It might sound ridiculous, but this sport has given me so much. The gift of being in combat with another man, the gift of being challenged every time I step on the mat and the gift of the community that surrounds Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I've been in the very fortunate position that I've watched Sam grow this organisation from the very beginning and reach thousands of people around the world and I've watched a lot of those people's lives change. There's no egos in this sport, nothing outside of here matters. We have people from all walks of life, from high ranking military and emergency services personnel, world champions or people just joining the sport. There is honour, respect and patience, and that's what the King saw today. It was a pleasure for him to visit."
