North Coast Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Dingwall punch above weight to earn four medals at Scottish Open after honing skills at ‘grapple chapel’
A small Dingwall-based jiu jitsu club is defying the odds to produce championship contenders on a national scale.
North Coast Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which has run sessions out of St James’ Church for slightly over a year and are affiliated to the global competition team Checkmat, saw three of their 26-strong membership compete at the Scottish Open in Motherwell last month.
Seumas MacKinnon, Danny Stewart and Ryan Doherty were the trio representing North Coast, and between them took four medals home to the Highlands from the Ravenscraig Sports Centre.
In brackets separated by rank, weight and age, MacKinnon made it to the final in both his Gi and No-Gi divisions.
He had to settle for a silver medal in the latter, but won gold in the Gi competition.
Stewart also won a gold, in his case in the No-Gi division, and added a bronze to his tally in the Gi under-85kgs. However, that was not the end of his exploits, entering the open-weight Absolute Division and finishing four - losing to a 120kg athlete - in his first competitive outing.
While Doherty did not get a medal to show for his efforts, he came as close as possible by reaching the semi finals in both Gi and No-Gi, missing out in the bronze medal bout each time.
With all three individuals making their mark, it is a sign of how far the club has come in a short space of time.
Under the tutelage of Daniel Havelock, who has 14 years of experience in BJJ and over 11 years of experience in grappling, North Coast are competing with Scottish clubs who train hundreds of athletes, and Havelock believes that is a credit to the dedication of his athletes.
“Apart from the fact that we currently train in a church – nicknamed the Grapple Chapel’ – I do believe that part of our success is due to our exclusivity,” he explained.
“Our lessons are two hours long and some of us stay behind to train more after each session. Smaller numbers in classes means that each individual that comes to the club is able to have more time and attention compared to larger clubs.
“In addition, our athletes get the opportunity for more time on the mats under instruction. This gives the team members the opportunity to have a more comprehensive understanding of each position and the options or submissions available.”
Having already made significant progress, Havelock is considering what the next steps could be to grow North Coast.
Although currently only offering adult classes, he is looking into running sessions for beginners, younger adults and children. He is also on the lookout for improved facilities, although he says the “Grapple Chapel” has been an excellent early base for the club.
“I believe there is an opportunity here for not only those that want to compete and test themselves in the future, but for the average person to come and make positive changes to their lives,” Havelock added.
“Brazilian Jiu Jitsu really does save people in my experience. This sport is an exceptionally good outlet, albeit though hard work, for all things in life.
“It brings you a network of friends and a feeling of community, it also causes you to have a good long think about the decisions you make in your life and it encourages you to make small improvements daily, both on and off the mats.”
Read more combat sports stories from Ross-shire:
• Boxer called into Scotland elite squad
• Judo coach of 37 years rewarded for ‘lifetime dedication’
• Dingwall boxer wins National Development title
