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BJJ in Australia

I recently came back from my trip to America where I went to compete in the World Masters Championships and train at some of the famed and much talked about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) schools on the west coast.

It’s been over 10 years that I have now been doing BJJ and I would say I have been training pretty hard during that time. At least I had thought I was until I went to the US. You see, the BJJ scene in Australia is still quite new here and has only recently received traction in the mainstream.

On the other hand, BJJ in the US is a lot more established and coupled with their larger population and World Champion Jiu Jitsu athletes from Brazil setting up schools all around the country, you can easily see why they’re currently producing some of the best athletes.

For over a year I had trained hard leading up to the world’s championships. I had a nutritionist, trained with as many high level guys whom I could get access to, had frequent massages and physio sessions and also made many sacrifices along the way all whilst trying to run a newly formed full time gym.

I was fighting fit and thought I was in with a decent position to take out the world’s with all my meticulous preparation. Boy, was I wrong! After training in the US I realised very quickly just how many full time athletes there were with so much depth of talent to boot. That’s not to say that Australia doesn’t have athletes with talent and heart. We just don’t have many full time athletes period! And it is for this reason Australia will always fall short against world class international competition.

We can do well in the whites, blue and purple belt divisions – and possibly produce more world champions in these categories like we have in the past. But when you’re talking about the brown and black belt divisions, that’s just another kettle of fish altogether.

So if you want to be a world champion in the brown or black belt divisions, you’re going to have to move to America or Brazil or wait another 10 years for the sport to grow at home. And even then, in my opinion, you may still be better off training in America and Brazil as it’s likely the sport will continue to grow at a faster rate there than at home.

Give our BJJ program a go and experience the improvements to all of these fields. It is considered to be an excellent first style where the skills are easily transferable.

What our members say

See what our valued members say, directly from Google reviews.

"Attending a martial arts gym as an "older" novice student can be quite daunting. I found ICC had a very professional and welcoming atmosphere. Having attended other martial arts gyms over the years its great to attend one where ego is left at the door and all students are treated with respect, be it the novice who takes the plunge to learn a martial art all the way through to the high level competitors. In conjunction with the atmosphere having highly technical and detailed instruction by Professor David and Steven make learning really enjoyable. Fantastic place to learn and train."

Stuart M

"i just wanted to say how impressed i am with ICC. You guys run a great show. All your students are respectful and courteous. I am very impressed and pleased with the way Mario and his team run their classed He keeps the class engaged in a strict but fun way. Teaching techniques but also how to be a good person too. To have respect for others and yourself... keep up the great work. The kids are really benefiting from it."

Boomer blue

"As someone who was completely new to BJJ, when I first entered ICC I discovered a gym with high quality teaching and a friendly culture. Every student was friendly, welcoming and helpful which is a reflection head instructors David and Steven Tong.At ICC you can train to suit your interests whether its for fun, fitness, self-defense or competition. My only regret is not starting sooner."

Ben Nguyen

"I've trained with a few martial arts instructors before and i have to say Mario is one of the best i've trained with. He clearly knows what he's talking about and has a great teaching style that is both serious and light hearted at the same time, which was exactly what i was looking for in a club. In the adult classes they aren't too strict with the traditional rules (which is a nice change) and focus more on effective techniques. Ann-Marie and the rest of the black belts also help to make sure each individual is getting as much attention as possible in each class, which really helps to accelerate your learning.I did both karate and kickboxing and recommend both - karate for the the focus on technique/self defence and kickboxing for smashing pads and fitness. Also, both my kids also love training at ICC - it's really helping with their confidence.David and the entire ICC team also do a great job of managing the club. It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience from day 1."

Sam Jebeile

"I am proud to be a part of this amazing martial arts center. The trainers truly understand every strength n weakness in student’s n always motivates to develop for the best."