Student spotlight: Josh Alderson

Owain
May 12
3 min read

Updated: May 15

Josh joined us at our first ever grappling class in Ludlow back in the sunny days of June 2024. Since then, he has been consistently attending both our gi and no gi classes, as well as making a big commitment to becoming one of the Assistant Coaches for our Borderlands Juniors program.

Since starting, Josh has established himself as a key member of the Borderlands community, always helping others on the mat, attending club events and even representing Borderlands at an interclub competition. Along with his partner Heidi, Josh won the Community Champion award at the Borderlands end of year party. I had the chance to chat to Josh about his experience at Borderlands so far. Here is what he had to say.

How long have you been training at Borderlands?

I attended the first ever Borderlands Grappling session back in June 2024 and have been attending consistently ever since, so I have been training for just under a year.

Why did you decide to start grappling?

I decided to get into grappling, as outside of work, I didn’t really have many hobbies. I was also keen to try something new and I liked that it was conveniently close to home. I saw it advertised and thought it would be worth giving a go.

Did you have any concerns before your first few sessions? How did you feel about them after?

Everyone feels a little anxious when trying something new as it feels like a big unknown. My main concern was that, because I had never done it before, I’d walk in and be completely out of my depth. But once I was in and going, I found it to be such a friendly and supportive group. We all make mistakes, learn from them and have a laugh along the way.

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Has training at Borderlands positively impacted your life in any way? If so, how?

I would say training at Borderlands has definitely had a positive impact on my life. I used to get anxious about little everyday things, but since I’ve been training consistently it’s given me something to focus on and helped me with my confidence.

You regularly train with your partner Heidi, how do you find that?

I really enjoy training with my partner because it gives us a common goal that we can both aim for. We can also motivate each other and give each other advice on techniques that really helps.

What advice would you give someone just getting started in their grappling journey?

I think my main piece of advice is just go in and try to and absorb what you can, trust the process and don’t beat yourself up. If you get submitted or make a mistake, that's something that happens to all of us, it's all part of the learning process.

Want to give BJJ a try?

Borderlands Grappling is an inclusive grappling and BJJ club in Ludlow, Shropshire. We welcome individuals of all abilities, fitness levels and backgrounds to join us.

If, like Josh, you want to give grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a try, you can book into a free trial class now. Or, if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us and we will be happy to help.