Milestone moment as Ludlow martial arts club celebrates first 'homegrown' blue belts
“The future is looking incredibly bright on the Borderlands mats"
A Ludlow-based martial arts club has reached a major milestone after celebrating its first-ever wave of "homegrown" blue belts.
Borderlands Grappling, which provides friendly, ego-free Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) classes in the town, marked a significant chapter in its history during its recent summer grading session and mini-competition.
Four dedicated students—James Moss, Josh Alderson, Jack Robbins, and Craig Coleman—were officially promoted to the rank of blue belt. While the club has other blue belts on its mats, these four individuals represent a special milestone for the local academy: they each walked through the doors completely fresh to the sport, making them Borderlands' very first truly homegrown coloured belts.
In the world of martial arts, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt is widely regarded as one of the hardest promotions to achieve. Unlike sports where belts can be earned every few months, progression in BJJ is notoriously slow. Earning a blue belt typically requires between 1.5 and 3 years of consistent, gruelling training, requiring hundreds of hours of live sparring ("rolling") and technical dedication.
Club coaches praised the quartet's immense consistency and work ethic on the mats, noting that the promotions were a direct reflection of years of hard work.
The special grading ceremony was given an extra boost by visiting BJJ black belts Simon Preace and Tom Morris, who offered words of wisdom and encouragement to all the students receiving new belts and stripes.
The historic grading was followed by an innovative, high-energy No-Gi mini-competition featuring 24 grapplers split into two teams of 12.
Led by team captains Josh Alderson and Melissa Davies, the friendly tournament featured a unique twist: before stepping onto the mat, each competitor had to roll a dice to receive a specific "disadvantage" for their round—such as only being permitted to win using an armbar submission.
Following a series of hard-fought, highly technical rounds, Melissa’s team ultimately secured the overall victory. Special praise was reserved for competitors Asser and Drew, who walked away with the hard-earned "Fight of the Day" honours.
The landmark day for the club concluded in traditional Shropshire fashion, with the Borderlands crew heading over to Ludlow Brewery to wind down, reflect on the day’s achievements, and celebrate the historic promotions over a few well-earned drinks.
Owain Williams, Head Coach at Borderlands Grappling said: "Regardless of who graded or won their matches, we are massively proud of everyone’s progress and commitment. The future is looking incredibly bright on the Borderlands mats."
The club continues to welcome new members of all skill levels to its Gi and No-Gi classes in Ludlow, offering free trials for anyone looking to start their own martial arts journey.