King Charles presented a student with his black belt and received his own white belt during a visit to the Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hammersmith, London, on 24 June 2026. The King, 77, attended the academy, one of the world's leading Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) schools, and watched demonstrations from students of all abilities.
King Recalls Royal Navy Days
During the visit, Charles reminisced about his time in the Royal Navy, where he served on the mine hunter HMS Bronington from 1971 to 1976. He joked that the grappling skills on display resembled a tug-o-war on board his ship. "It's almost like you're in a tug-o-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," he told students.
Presentation and Promotion
The King was introduced to students from REORG, an organisation 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. Ahead of the grading ceremony, Sheriff praised student Trent Scanlen for his dedication in being promoted from brown belt to black belt. Scanlen opened a gym in Richmond in 2015, met Sheriff, and has since supported the military, emergency services, and veteran community as a Trustee of REORG since 2020. "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," Sheriff said.
King Receives White Belt
After the presentation, Charles was presented with his own white belt, the entry-level grading in the sport. Chuckling, he waved the belt in front of his face as students applauded. The Roger Gracie Academy was founded in 2004 by 10-time world champion Roger Gracie and his father Master Mauricio Gomes, who is widely recognised as the "Godfather of British Jiu-Jitsu" and an eighth-degree black belt holder with over 50 years of experience.
Impact on Veterans
Former Royal Marine commando Mark Ormrod MBE, 42, who lost both legs and his right arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve 2007, told how the sport gave him a "new lease of life." Ormrod set records including the world record for the fastest triple amputee 1km swim and raised over £150,000 running a 5km run in prosthetics. "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," he said. "There's no egos in this sport, nothing outside of here matters. We have people from all walks of life... There is honour, respect and patience, and that's what the King saw today."
Tinie Tempah's Conversation with the King
Pop star Tinie Tempah, who holds a purple belt (two below black), told the King how actor Tom Hardy introduced him to the sport after they met at a King's Trust event in 2018. Tempah said Hardy was training for the film Venom and invited him to a gym. It took Tempah seven years to earn his purple belt, and he said the martial arts had "changed my life," giving him discipline, father-figure role models, and a global community. He added that his two young daughters "love it so much." Commenting on his chat with Charles, Tempah said: "He was basically saying that he's been wanting to champion this in some capacity for ages, and that has been talking to Idris (Elba) about it, and maybe I could be of service in some capacity. Because he wants to use it to help young people, and I said to him that that is basically my ambition." Tempah aims to set up a charity to get young people from year nine and upwards, especially those from challenged backgrounds or at risk of joining gangs, into jiu-jitsu clubs.
Historical Day for Jiu Jitsu
Roger Gracie said: "This was a very historical day, not just for us here but for all of Jiu Jitsu. For our community and for everybody who has ever trained to better themselves. To have the King attend our academy was a great honour. Our sport embodies everything about the community. People come here to train and to celebrate the human spirit and it reflects in everyone around them. The King's visit is a reflection of the jujitsu, that no matter who you are or where you come from; everyone is welcome."
Influencer Paul Olima also spoke to Charles about using the sport to support young people. Olima, who has around 15 million followers across social media, said: "I think it's a wonderful idea to get the kids off the streets. You sometimes see kids hanging about on a corner but if you got them down here they would be different people."
