STEVE IS THE HEAD INSTRUCTOR AT CARLSON GRACIE SURREY. HAVING BEEN AWARDED HIS BLACK BELT IN 2011 BY STEPHEN HAYDOCK, HE IS CURRENTLY A SECOND DEGREE BLACK BELT (AWARDED IN MAY 2018 BY CARLSON GRACIE JUNIOR).

STEVE HAS BEEN TRAINING IN BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU SINCE 2003, AND HAS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN RELATION TO THE ART. AS WELL AS TEACHING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IN SPORT JIU JITSU, STEVE ALSO EMPHASISES THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE APPLICABLE IN A SELF-DEFENCE CONTEXT.

STEVE IS AN INCREDIBLY ENTHUSIASTIC JIU JITSU INSTRUCTOR, AND THIS IS REFLECTED IN HIS CLASSES AS HE STRIVES TO ENSURE THAT THE TEAM’S LEVEL CONSTANTLY IMPROVES.

STEVE ALSO HOLDS A BLACK BELT IN KYOKUSHINKAI KARATE, AND HAS TRAINED IN FREESTYLE WRESTLING.

HERE STEVE EXPLAINS WHAT LED HIM TO START BJJ AND WHY AT 51 YEARS OLD HE CONTINUES TO ENJOY TRAINING, LEARNING AND TEACHING:

SAM IS A FIRST DEGREE BLACK BELT (PROMOTED TO BLACK BELT IN MAY 2015 BY DICKIE MARTIN)..

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF HIS FATHER, CARLSON GRACIE SURREY HEAD INSTRUCTOR STEVE GIBSON, SAM STARTED TRAINING IN BJJ IN 2004 AT THE AGE OF 14. IN 2016 SAM BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST UK ATHLETES TO MEDAL AT THE IBJJF EUROPEANS AT ADULT BLACK BELT LEVEL - HE WON BRONZE AFTER FOUR MATCHES AGAINST THE BEST COMPETITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

HERE ARE SOME OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AT BROWN AND BLACK BELT:
BROWN BELT
2013 IBJJF NO GI EUROPEAN FEATHER WEIGHT CHAMPION
2013 BRITISH OPEN FEATHER WEIGHT AND ABSOLUTE CHAMPION
2014 FINNISH OPEN FEATHER WEIGHT CHAMPION
2014 ENGLISH OPEN LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPION
2015 IBJJF LONDON WINTER OPEN LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPION
2015 IBJJF BRITISH NATIONALS FEATHER WEIGHT CHAMPION
2015 IBJJF NICE OPEN LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPION
BLACK BELT
2015 AMSTERDAM NATIONAL PRO BRONZE MEDAL
2015 PORTUGAL NATIONAL PRO LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPION
2016 IBJJF EUROPEANS BRONZE MEDAL
2018 ENGLISH OPEN – GOLD
2019 IBJJF LONDON WINTER INTERNATIONAL OPEN – SILVER

AS WELL AS BEING AN ACTIVE COMPETITOR, SAM IS ALSO AN EXTREMELY DEDICATED INSTRUCTOR WHO IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE LEVEL OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND ON ENSURING THAT THOSE OF OUR TEAM THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMPETITION ARE VERY WELL PREPARED.

DAVE IS A FIRST DEGREE BLACK BELT (PROMOTED TO BLACK BELT IN MAY 2016 BY CARLSON GRACIE JUNIOR).

DAVE BEGAN TRAINING IN BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU IN 2005, AND HE HAS COMPETED EXTENSIVELY AT EVERY BELT LEVEL SINCE HE BEGAN TRAINING. HE HAS ALSO PREVIOUSLY TRAINED IN FREESTYLE WRESTLING.

SOME OF HIS RECENT COMPETITION RESULTS INCLUDE:
ENGLISH BJJ OPEN 2018 – GOLD – BLACK BELT MASTER 2
IBJJF LONDON FALL INTERNATIONAL OPEN 2018 – GOLD – BLACK BELT MASTER 2
IBJJF BRITISH NATIONALS 2017 – BRONZE – BLACK BELT MASTER 2
IBJJF MADRID INTERNATIONAL OPEN 2016 – SILVER (WEIGHT CLASS), BRONZE (OPEN DIVISION) – BLACK BELT MASTER 1
IBJJF EUROPEAN OPEN 2016 – BRONZE – BROWN BELT, MASTER 1
IBJJF EUROPEAN OPEN 2015 – BRONZE – BROWN BELT, MASTER 1
NAGA UK CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 – GOLD – BROWN BELT
IBJJF LONDON WINTER INTERNATIONAL OPEN 2015 – GOLD – BROWN BELT, MASTER 1
ENGLISH BJJ OPEN 2014 – GOLD – BROWN BELT, ADULT

AS AN INSTRUCTOR DAVE FOCUSES ON ENSURING THAT OUR TEAM UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD POSITIONING AND EFFICIENCY OF MOVEMENT, AND HIS VERY DETAIL ORIENTED APPROACH TO BJJ IS CONVEYED IN THE WAY THAT HE TEACHES. HE IS EXTREMELY COMMITTED TO BUILDING A TEAM OF HIGH LEVEL GRAPPLERS, AS WELL AS WORKING HARD TO ENSURE THAT OUR MEMBERS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL, WHETHER THAT BE INCREASED SELF-CONFIDENCE OR COMPETITION SUCCESS.