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Ray Stevens takes over BJJ at Europe’s oldest and most prestigious Martial Arts club. The Budokwai, in London, is the oldest Japanese Martial Arts club in Europe. Ray has a long affiliation with the club having trained there as a young man. It was at the Budokwai Ray launched his outstanding international Judo career.
Later, it was Ray, as Manager of the Budokwai, who welcomed Mauricio Gomes and Roger Gracie to the Club and helped introduce BJJ to the UK. Ray trained with Mauricio and Roger for many years and was awarded his BJJ Black belt by Roger Gracie.
“It’s great to be coaching both Judo and BJJ at the Budokwai where I have always enjoyed so much success.”
Ray Stevens
“As Chairman and Chief Instructor of Judo at the Budokwai it gives me great pleasure to endorse this relationship. The Budokwai is highly regarded and respected as Europe’s oldest judo club in continual existence, being established in 1918. We look forward to our centenary in 2018 as a centre of judo excellence building upon our recent celebration of fifty years of the JKA in England. This sporting heritage of developing a thriving Shotokan Karate Club at the Budokwai will provide a great platform to build an excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club as the similarity with Judo and cross training opportunities in both disciplines will enrich the martial art experience for all. We are excited at this opportunity to invest in and provide due diligence to BJJ practitioners.”
Peter Blewett, 7th Dan