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One year of BJJ in Ludlow: What I’ve learned coaching at Borderlands Grappling
- Borderlands Grappling
- Jun 26
- 6 min read
Borderlands Grappling turns one year old today. We wanted to get some insight into what it's like starting a grappling club, what stood out in the first year of training and what is to come for Borderlands - so we sat down with Borderlands Head Coach, Owain Williams and asked him all about it.
Here is what he had to say.
What inspired you to start Borderlands Grappling?
I had been training BJJ and MMA for about 15 years when I launched Borderlands.
Honestly, I’d never really thought coaching would be an option for me. I just loved training. But suddenly, in 2022, I found a brown belt being wrapped around my waist and I couldn’t help but stop and think “what next?”.
BJJ has had a massively positive impact on my life - a great outlet for previous emotional issues, a place to meet like-minded people, somewhere I felt like I was part of a community, and a good way to stay fit and focus on my overall health.
It just made sense that I would try and find a way to share that with others - so I did.
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Ok, so why Ludlow?
If you look at Ludlow, it isn’t the ‘perfect’ town to start a grappling gym.
It has a population of around 10,000. This seems like a lot, but when you compare it to local cities like Shrewsbury (around 75,000), Hereford (around 50,000) and Worcester (around 100,000), you can see why it isn’t a huge business opportunity.
Most people I know who run successful gyms told me to find an area with a higher population, it just makes it easier to get people through the doors.
True to my rebellious nature, I didn’t listen and picked Ludlow. But there was method in my madness.
Firstly, I’ve spent years driving an hour each way every week to train BJJ in Worcester (and still do). This isn’t exactly the closest, but other options aren’t that much nearer. I wanted to create something locally where people can access a high level of training without the big commute.
A lot of people become obsessed with BJJ, but you don’t know that until you start, and a lot of people won’t try something out that involves a 2-hour round trip on a weeknight.
Secondly, I grew up near Ludlow and I love the beauty of the area, but there is little to do as a youngster/young adult. Creating a place the people of Ludlow (and surrounding areas) could come and try something new was a big reason I picked the area.
Finally, teaching BJJ isn’t my primary income. So, I didn’t need to worry too much about larger profit margins. That let me choose the personal convenience of somewhere close to home over the financial opportunities of starting a gym somewhere else.
Can you remember what your very first class here felt like?
I was nervous before the first class.
Would they like it? Would someone get hurt? A million possibilities span around in my head.
Luckily, I had a good friend (Danny) join me for the first class, so I had someone to support me and demonstrate on.
Anyway, about ten minutes in, I realised everyone was awesome and having a good time, so I relaxed.
What was your original vision — and how has it changed over the past year?
I’d love to say I had some grand vision when I started Borderlands, but I didn’t. If you asked me I probably would have said something like:
“To teach some people some BJJ” - inspiring, right?
It’s already become more than I ever imagined and if it stays like it is forever, I’ll be very happy with that.
However, I think we are building an awesome gym and community at Borderlands that I think a huge number of people could benefit from joining. So, if I find good opportunities to reach those people and grow, I’ll take them.
What were some standout moments from this first year?
Everything.
People’s smiling faces as they leave the gym. Seeing people progress. Teaching people new skills…literally everything is a standout for me.
If I had I had to pick a few, I’d say the interclub we entered in Worcester at the end of 2024. We took 5 students, all of whom got involved. It took a lot of balls to enter after 6 months of training and, win or lose, they all did brilliantly well. Plus, seeing everyone in their Borderlands hoodies/sweatshirts really gave a strong community vibe.
Another was our Christmas party. It was a simple open mat and a few drinks/food after. But seeing everyone together in a social setting for the first time put into perspective what we had built.
What’s something that surprised you about running a gym? What are the biggest lessons you have learned in the last 12 months?
So much, but let me just list the top 5…
Fewer people come, but they are more committed. When I started, I expected more people to come through the doors, but for less of those people to stay. Not because I didn’t believe in our ‘product’, but just because I’d seen it happen in lots of other gyms - grappling isn’t for everyone. However, the majority of people who train with us continue to do so consistently, which feels amazing and is a testament to the amazing community we have built.
There is a lot more paperwork than I expected. Insurance, background checks, risk assessments, first aid training…the list goes on. It can feel like a lot of red tape, although there isn’t anything I’ve done that felt unnecessary. My advice is, if you want to launch a gym in 6-12 months, start the admin now.
It’s true what they say - build it and they will come. I don’t mean you don’t need to market your gym - you certainly do. I mean that if you work hard to build something you are passionate about, you will attract the right people. It feels like we’ve built a magnet that only attracts awesome, like-minded people, everyone gets on and gets on with it - I love that.
Care > Equipment. Our school isn’t flashy; it’s some mats we throw down in an old school weights gym. That doesn’t impact our ability to train, but I had worried, with so many new gyms being super sleek and modern, it might scare people off. Turns out it doesn’t. I found people tend to keep coming back if you genuinely care about their progression, not because you have super-expensive mats and training facilities.
Get out there. I’m surprised by how few gyms actively market themselves. Perhaps being located where we are, it’s more important for us - still, I’d never assume people will just find us. Even after a year and a fair amount of marketing, we will get people coming through the doors saying they’ve been looking for something like this for ages, but have only just heard of us.
What’s the vibe like at your classes — especially for beginners?
I always get great feedback from beginners on how welcoming the classes are. I’d like to take some credit for that, but I barely do anything (I’m getting on with coaching the class).
It’s my amazing students who always grab newbies and show them the ropes.
When you join us for a class, expect to get stuck in straight away. Listen carefully, follow the rules (we’ll explain them) and have fun.
What’s next for Borderlands Grappling? Are there any new plans, events, or class types coming up?
I have endless ideas for Borderlands, but they all depend on logistics, timings and generally trying to decide which one to do next.
I’d love to put on more gi classes, and more kids classes, oh and introduce a class for younger kids…and more open mats. Perhaps we also need to find an additional coach to help with all of that.
Where we train is great, and we are very comfortable there - but a permanent home, where we can mat the walls and leave our mats down between classes would be a game changer.
Many of our students are keen to compete and I’ll continue to support them in that. Some of us are taking part in the Ludlow 10K event in July (something non-grappling related) and we have our Summer grading and social the first weekend of August.
GIVE GRAPPLING A TRY
You can check out our full schedule on our timetable page, plus you can now grab a free trial class to give us a try. If you have any questions get in touch.
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