Legacy built. Evolution driven. True Grips BJJ is a next generation jiu-jitsu academy rooted in loyalty, structure and personal growth. One Team. One Mat. All in.
Student and coach development sytems built for growth. Barnsley, UK. Hold Fast. Stay True.
18/05/2026
🥋Congratulations to Young Tommy on his promotion last week from
White belt to grey and white.
Very well deserved and earned after a gold winning performance in his first ever competition last week at the Empire Grappling Yorkshire open at the Metrodome.👊🔥
Well done Tommy 👏👏👏
Hold Fast. Stay True.
15/05/2026
Wednesday NoGi crew 👊🔥
Another solid session in the books.
Skills improving, confidence growing, friendships building and hard work being put in every single week.
What we’re building at True Grips goes far beyond techniques and medals… it’s resilience, discipline, respect and self belief.
Proud of every one of these young athletes. Hold Fast. Stay True. 🔴⚫️
02/05/2026
Proud Uncle moment🙏❤️
To say that I was over the moon to hear that my beautiful little niece Frankie Rose has been pestering her dad to start Jiu Jitsu with Uncle Craig would be a massive understatement.
You did so well princess, even getting stuck into sparring on your first day. So proud of you🙏
She’s a Lawton through and through👊❤️
Keep your eye out around town this weekend for the coolest looking taxi in Barnsley👊🥋🔥
Contact today to book your free class, either DM or book direct via our website www.truegrips.co.uk
True Grips – True Lineage
The friendship. The journey. The lineage that shaped everything.
Coach – Mentor – Brother 👊🥋🔥
I first met Ben Poppleton back in 2005, not long after he made UK history — becoming the first British black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.
At that time, BJJ in the UK was still in its infancy. A handful of clubs. A few raw training spaces. And a small group of people who knew this was something special.
Our training ground?
A shed at the bottom of Ben’s garden in Rossington, Doncaster.
No frills. Just mats, hard rounds, and a fire to learn.
That place became Gracie Barra Yorkshire… and later Gordo Jiu Jitsu Doncaster.
From student and coach… to friends… to brothers.
Decades of training, lessons, setbacks, growth, and loyalty.
In 2007, I travelled to Brazil with Ben — training at the legendary Gracie Barra HQ in Barra da Tijuca.
It was on that trip I had the honour of meeting and training with Gordo himself — in his home, upstairs above the family living space. No flash. Just heart, history, and Jiu Jitsu.
This is what lineage means.
Carlos Gracie Jr & Gordo → Ben Poppleton → Me → True Grips
Not just techniques…
Values. Standards. Culture. Respect. Legacy.
And now that lineage lives on through True Grips Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Built on what came before…
But evolving into something of our own.
If you’ve been thinking about starting… this is your sign.
We’re currently welcoming new students — complete beginners to experienced grapplers.
Free trial sessions available.
Come and experience it for yourself.
One Team. One Mat. All In. 👊
22/03/2026
Some of you will remember these days
Before YouTube.
Before Instagram.
Before instructionals at the click of a button…
There was this.
Books. Notes. Re-reading the same pages over and over. Studying positions. Visualising movements. Then stepping onto the mat and trying to bring it to life.
No slow motion replays.
No voiceovers.
No “save for later.”
Just effort, curiosity, and obsession.
This was our extra-curricular work. This was how we sharpened the blade outside of class.
And the thing is… it built something different.
Patience.
Attention to detail.
Problem solving.
A deeper level of understanding.
Today we’ve got access to everything—world champions, full systems, unlimited knowledge.
But the question is…
Are we studying… or just scrolling?
At True Grips, we respect both worlds.
Old school foundation. Modern evolution.
Because real progress still comes from the same place it always has—
Time on the mat.
Time in your own mind.
And the willingness to go deeper than everyone else.
Hold Fast. Stay True.
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Controlled. Technical. Composed.
This is Saturday morning NoGi with our junior team at True Grips.
We don’t just let kids “scramble”.
We teach them how to think, stay calm and apply what they’ve learned under pressure.
Jiu Jitsu builds more than technique.
It builds confidence, discipline, emotional control and resilience.
If you’re a parent in Barnsley looking for something structured and positive for your child, we offer a FREE trial session.
Book here:
👉 https://www.truegrips.co.uk
Spaces are limited as classes grow.
One Team. One Mat. All In.
31/12/2025
End-of-year meals hit different when it’s with people you genuinely respect.
Our True Grips Christmas get-together at Favella 🍽️
Good food, good conversation, plenty of laughs — and a moment to slow down and appreciate the culture we’re building together.
Grateful for this team, the standards we hold, and what’s coming next 👊
Onwards into the new year.📈
05/12/2025
Fantastic trip out to Gordo JJ Doncaster last night.
3rd seminar in a week with Professor Ben Poppleton and what a fantastic way to round the year out.
Interested in giving Jiu Jitsu a try moving into the new year?
Drop a DM or check out www.truegrips.co.uk
to book a free trial session👊🥋
05/12/2025
Fantastic trip out to Poppleton’s Magic Shed - Gordo JJ Doncaster last night.
3rd seminar in a week with Professor Ben Poppleton and what a fantastic way to round the year out.
Interested in giving Jiu Jitsu a try moving into the new year?
Drop a DM or check out www.truegrips.co.uk to book a free trial session👊🥋