About

My BJJ Black Belt Lineage

Kanō Jigorō → Tomita Tsunejirō → Mitsuyo “Count Koma” Maeda → Hélio Gracie → Rolls Gracie & Carlos “Carlinhos” Gracie Jr → Rigan Machado → Chris Haueter → Matt Thornton → Karl Tanswell → Chris Coltrane → Simon Kenny

I began training in martial arts around 1980, when I was about 12 years old. At the time, traditional martial arts were booming — Kung Fu was especially popular, thanks to the lasting influence of Bruce Lee and the wave of martial arts films from the ’70s and early ’80s. Karate and Judo were still widely practiced, but they had taken a bit of a back seat to the Kung Fu craze.

Thai Boxing was just starting to gain recognition in the UK, slowly making its way into the conversation. Then, around 1984, everything changed with a sudden surge of interest in Ninjutsu. Films like Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja starring Sho Kosugi, and American Ninja with Michael Dudikoff sparked a full-blown ninja craze that swept through martial arts circles and popular culture alike.

I explored a variety of martial arts over the years, but it wasn’t until around 1990 that my training began to take on a deeper focus. That shift happened when I discovered a Jeet Kune Do class taught by Steve Powell. It was through Steve that I met someone who would go on to become not only my instructor but one of my closest friends — the late Karl Tanswell.

Around 1993 or 1994, I began taking private lessons in JKD with Karl. Around the same time, we witnessed something that would completely reshape the martial arts landscape — the first-ever UFC event.

Like many others, seeing Royce Gracie effortlessly defeat larger, stronger opponents from various disciplines using what was then an unfamiliar art — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — was a major turning point in my journey.

At the time, almost no one in the UK had even heard of BJJ. I certainly hadn’t. Karl may have come across the name, but there was no access to legitimate instruction here. We were intrigued, inspired — and completely in the dark about how to get started.

Watching Royce Gracie dominate in the early UFC events forced many of us to reevaluate everything we thought we knew about martial arts. It sparked a genuine hunger to learn more about grappling — but back then, there were no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coaches in our area.

So we did what we could.

Without access to BJJ, we turned to Ne Waza, the ground-based aspect of Judo. Karl began training with Steve Pullen, while I trained with Mike Gregory. We also started experimenting with wrestling and shoot wrestling, trying to piece together what we could from whatever sources were available.

I stepped away from training in 1995 and took a five-year break, while Karl continued to push forward. He eventually received his blue belt from Royce Gracie at a seminar in England. By 1998, Karl had started bringing SBGi founder Matt Thornton over from the U.S. for regular seminars. In 2000, he became the head of SBG UK, and in 2007, he was awarded his black belt from Matt.

I returned to training with Karl around 2008 and received my blue belt from him in June 2012 — at the ripe old age of 43. That was also the year I launched the original BJJ Over 40 website.

In December 2014, I was awarded my purple belt by Karl and took part in his very first instructor training program. I went on to become an assistant coach, and eventually, a fully certified SBG coach — something I’m still incredibly proud of.

Purple Belt Promotion December 2014

Karl sadly passed away in 2018. Before he did, he made it clear that he wanted SBG UK to be led by Matt Inman — one of his closest friends, a seasoned professional MMA fighter, and someone who had earned his BJJ black belt from Karl himself back in 2014. Matt was the natural successor, and he’s continued to carry forward Karl’s vision with integrity and strength.

In December 2019, I was honoured to receive my brown belt from Matt. It was a deeply emotional moment — not just because of the belt, but because of the history and connection behind it. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.

At SBG, promotions to purple belt and above are followed by an ironman — a rite of passage where you roll to submission with every person in the gym, from white belt to black. It can take a couple of hours, often involving 40–50 consecutive rounds. It’s not how you earn the belt — that decision is made by the coach — but it’s a powerful way to mark the occasion and prove to yourself you belong.

My brown belt ironman was the toughest of them all. Tougher than my purple belt, even though I was younger then. Tougher than my black belt, even though I was older and more experienced by that point. It was tough because the whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Karl — and the fact that he wasn’t there. That weight made it more than just a physical challenge. It was an emotional one, too.

Brown Belt Promotion December 2019

In November 2022 I entered my first BJJ competition in over 4 years, the No Gi Euros in Rome. I entered the masters 5 middleweight division at brown belt and won gold in my division and silver in the open weight.

No Gi Euros 2022 Openweight Silver

In January 2023 I won silver medal in the Gi Euros and was awarded my black belt on the podium by my coach Chris Coltrane. I also particpated in a black belt ironman a few weeks later when two of my training partners and coaches were also awarded their black belts.

Black Belt Iron Man February 20th 2023

Receiving my black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was something I never truly expected — and at the time, I wasn’t sure I deserved it. Even now, years later, I still wrestle with that feeling. There are moments on the mats when I don’t feel like a black belt at all. Some days I roll with purple or brown belts who seem sharper, faster, or more technical, and I question whether I belong at this level.

But over time, I’ve come to understand that this feeling isn’t unique — it’s actually quite common. Many newly promoted belts, at every level, go through the same internal struggle. The truth is, we’re often the last ones to see what our coaches see in us.

There are times when everything clicks, and I roll with confidence and clarity — moments when I feel like a black belt. Other times, I feel like I’m barely hanging on. Some days I wonder if I should still be on the mats at all. But I’ve learned that this, too, is part of the journey. Growth in jiu-jitsu isn’t linear. It’s messy, humbling, and at times overwhelming.

And yet, I keep showing up. That’s what really matters.