Archive for month: April, 2025

Where is the gym located?
Universal Judo & Taekwon-Do Academies, 9 Sovereign Way, Wallasey, Wirral, United Kingdom.

How many people train there?
Judo – 30, Taekwondo – 800.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
1 – 2 per month.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Lowest – white belt, Highest – 4th Dan.

When did the gym open?
January 2023.

Some facts about you:

Name: James Thompson
Age: 36
Belt: 4th Dan Judo
Profession: Retail
Years in BJJ: 20+ in Judo
Other martial arts: Japanese Jujitsu, Submission Wrestling, Catch Wrestling, Self Defence
Currently living in: Wirral, United Kingdom
Originally from: Wirral

 

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I was approached by Master Richard Saunders of Universal Taekwondo to aid and assist in Grappling elements of his taekwondo program and it grew from there. I was about ready to leave Judo and take up drinking but starting the classes has reinvigorated my life.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Young, old, recreational players.

Why do they train in Universal Judo Academies, BJJ UK?
Self defence, fitness, arts & crafts, laughs.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Balancing the books and attaining new equipment.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Hopefully it will slowly increase in yield with a strong base of lifetime students who then pass on their learnings to others.

What’s the best thing about Universal Judo Academies, BJJ UK?
The laughs and humility. Watching people grow and develop from the first day they walk in then a year later are part of the furniture and developing strong friendships and respect for each other.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Birkenhead Park.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Universal Judo Academies, BJJ UK you can contact them here.

Age: 29

Belt: Purple

Profession: Content Strategist & Copywriter

How many years in BJJ: 7

Other martial arts: I had a very short foray into MMA, but after one fight on an amateur card I decided to stick with BJJ. It was mighty fun though. I also accidentally joined the “wrong” Jiu Jitsu just prior to this and ended up with a yellow belt from some McDojo. We live and we learn.

Where do you live: In picturesque Vantaa, Finland.

Where are you from: The Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: My arms are very different “lengths” due to a pesky snowboarding injury that left the left one hanging on by basically a few tendons and some skin. At least there’s enough scar tissue to prevent armbars from reaching full extension though.

Erin McGee – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
The first experience I had in combat sports at all was at a tiny Muay Thai gym in Krabi, Thailand. It was the first place I witnessed strangers from all walks of life that were brought together by a shared love of travel and a willingness to get punched in the face.

I wouldn’t find BJJ for a while after that trip, but I developed that familiar (I assume, since you’re here reading this) itch that only combat sports would scratch. Once I did start BJJ, however, travelling and training became synonymous with each other. If there was a gym I could get to, I’d try and get to it. I always bring no-gi gear with me wherever I go.

Travelling and training is also what brought my husband and I together, and since then we’ve trained and competed across Asia, Australia, and Europe.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Earlier this month I headed back to China to catch up with old friends in Chengdu and eat the best food on Earth (fight me about it), then popped over to Australia for my best mate’s wedding.

Next up… nothing is set in stone yet — but in our household, spontaneous trips can happen at any time. Maybe a competition trip inside Europe if I can put my big girl pants on (or small girl pants, considering the inevitable weight cut) and train properly.

Erin McGee – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
Honestly? Mostly eating.

But aside from that, the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you’re just slightly out of your depth. Not quite at the level of panic, but enough that the adrenaline is humming just beneath your skin.

That and a cold beverage on a blisteringly hot day. Or a warm beverage on a very cold day.

So I guess in one word: contrast.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that make it worth traveling and training?
Chengdu, 2018 – a trip that was supposed to be just another stamp in my passport. Instead, it quite literally changed the course of my life. One random gym visit followed by a conversation over the spiciest hotpot I’d had in my life, and within a couple of months I was packing up my entire life in Sydney to move there and study Mandarin. I haven’t lived in Australia since then.

In more recent years, I’ve made friends on competition mats around the world that I’ve kept in close contact with for years to come.

And of course, all of the wonderfully weird and wickedly fun people I’ve met at Globetrotters camps who make travelling and training worth it, every time.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the lengths total strangers will go to to help you out.

From motorbike rides through night markets to borrowed training gear, shared meals and cups of tea, airport pickups and couches to rest a tired head, the generosity of strangers — connected only by being human — will never cease to amaze me.

But on a deeper level, the resilience I’ve built through unusual, dangerous, and borderline unbelievable situations reminds me that I can do anything if I really have (or want) to. Traveling strips you down to your essence, and shows you exactly what you’re made of.

Erin McGee – BJJ Globetrotters

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’m the worst person to ask this question to. I don’t budget and somehow everything just works out.

I can be a budget traveller (and honestly, the best food is almost always the cheapest) but these days I splurge on comfort more than I used to.

If you had asked me before I had kids, I’d say overnight flghts/buses/trains, hitchhiking, homestays, or filling up on whatever breakfast is included at your hotel. Also, asking locals what they do for fun (it’s usually cheaper than paying an entry fee to a tourist attraction).

My best tip, however, is to work remotely and get the best of both worlds: money and the opportunity to travel.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Learn a few words of the local language. A handful of phrases can transform your entire experience and help you make connections you wouldn’t otherwise.

Don’t be afraid of looking silly. Embrace being a beginner. I wish I took this advice a long time ago.

 

Thank you to Erin McGee – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!