King Charles smiles as he receives a white belt (Image: Chris Jackson/PA Wire)
The King looked thrilled to be presented with a Jiu Jitsu white belt during a visit to a world-renowned martial arts school on Wednesday, as he waved the strap in the air.
Wearing bright blue disposable covers over his leather shoes, Charles watched in awe as students of all abilities gave demonstrations at the Roger Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Hammersmith, one of the world’s leading Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) schools.
The King joked that their grappling skills reminded him of his Navy years, when he took part in a tug-of-war on board HMS Bronington.
Charles, who served on the mine hunter during his naval career, which spanned from 1971 to 1976, told them: “It’s almost like you’re in a tug-of-war. We used to do that on HMS Bronington, but the rope was tied round the stern so you couldn’t see the other team. It was like a pulley system that never ended.”
The King, 77, was introduced to students from REORG, an organisation set up to promote the sport among serving military personnel, veterans, emergency service workers and others facing physical, mental and social challenges.
REORG was founded in 2017 by Royal Marines veteran and BJJ black belt holder Sam Sheriff MBE and the King had the honour of surprising star student Roger Gracie with his black belt during his visit.
Praising his student for his dedication in being promoted from brown belt to black belt, Mr Sheriff said: “There’s very few people on the planet that get to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, that’s because it takes between 10 to 15 years to achieve that.”
After the presentation, the King was presented with his own white belt – the entry-level grading in the sport. Chuckling, the King waved the belt in front of his face as the students applauded.
Pop star Tinie Tempah, who is a current purple belt – two away from the top grade – told the King how actor Tom Hardy introduced him to the sport after they met at King’s Trust event in 2018.
King Charles views a demonstration on the mats, during a visit to charity REORG (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile former Royal Marine commando Mark Ormrod MBE told how the sport had given him and others a “new lease of life” after their service.
Mr Ormrod, 42, lost both legs and his right arm when he stood on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve in 2007. He has gone on to set records through challenges including achieving the world record for the fastest triple amputee 1km swim and raised more than £150,000 when running a 5km (3.2 mile) run in prosthetics.
He said: “It might sound ridiculous, but this sport has given me so much. The gift of being in combat with another man, the gift of being challenged every time I step on the mat and the gift of the community that surrounds Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I’ve been in the very fortunate position that I’ve watched Sam grow this organisation from the very beginning and reach thousands of people around the world and I’ve watched a lot of those people’s lives change.
“There’s no egos in this sport, nothing outside of here matters. We have people from all walks of life, from high ranking military and emergency services personnel, world champions or people just joining the sport. There is honour, respect and patience, and that’s what the King saw today. It was a pleasure for him to visit.”